Glamping pod insurance

How can I get insurance through Pikl?

There are two ways to get cover with Pikl:

• I just need cover for short-term guests: If you already have your main insurance covered elsewhere and just need additional cover for renting out to guests, click on the ‘Get a quote’ button to get covered in minutes.
• I need cover for my main insurance as well as cover for guests: Our expert team can look at providing cover for both short-term rentals and your main insurance in one package. Contact our team on 0800 254 5171. Our open hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays).

What is glamping pod insurance?

This type of insurance covers small, unique properties that are typically used as luxury accommodation on camping and holiday accommodation sites. Examples of the types of properties that can potentially be covered include:

• Glamping pods: This type of property is a modern, self contained accommodation that tries to bridge the gap between traditional camping and contemporary living. They often include access to modern facilities such as toilets and showers. The construction materials used can vary from eco friendly timber, to metal and durable fabric. 
• Shepherds huts: These are small, mobile structures that were traditionally used by shepherds. In modern times, they are often marketed as small luxury holiday cabins. Like glamping pods, they can be made with a variety of materials.
• Yurts: Popular with holidaymakers looking for a unique and luxury camping experience, yurts are domed tents that usually have a wooden frame and canvas or felt covering. 

Whilst there are some similarities with regular home insurance, the specialist nature of these properties means that dedicated cover is typically required. In addition, cover that protects you against guest damages and claims is important if you rent your property out.

What does glamping pod insurance cover?

Glamping pod insurance policies typically contain a familiar range of policy options in addition to optional cover elements. We discuss these in more detail below. 

Structural insurance

Given the range of property types covered under this category of insurance, this can protect a wide variety of permanent building structures where this cover is needed. The following are non-exhaustive examples of areas that insurers may cover :

• Physical frames such as structures made of steel or timber. 
• Exterior cladding.
• Insulation.
• Roofs and roof coverings.
• Windows.
• Amenities built or fitted into the property such as bathrooms and kitchen areas.
• Internal configurations such as wiring and plumbing. 

Like other types of buildings insurance, you’ll typically pay an excess and the amount may vary depending on the type of claim made. Wear and tear is not usually covered, so you will be responsible for the upkeep of the property even if it is left empty for extended periods. 

Properties under this insurance are typically covered on a new for old basis. This means that your insurer will cover you for the cost of replacing the property brand new if required. Often these properties come with a make and model, so make sure that you set the new for old cost based on the correct type in order to get full cover. 

Contents insurance 

Items kept inside your property can be covered under this type of insurance, but the total amount of cover is often less than required under typical home policies due to the size of the properties and how they are used. Examples of items covered include:

• Appliances, electrical items, gadgets and devices. 
• Furnishings not built into the property.
• Equipment such as cooking utensils, pots and pans. 
• Valuables.
• High value items that exceed the insurer’s individual limit (these typically need to be named on the policy).

Like cover for the physical structure of the property, you’ll typically have to pay an excess for a contents claim and the amount you pay may vary depending on the type of issue. How you use the property may affect how much cover you need. If you rent it out to guests, for example, you may not want too many valuables or expensive items left inside due to the potential theft risk. This may mean that you may not need as much cover as someone that also uses the property for personal use. The needs of each individual may vary, however. 

Optional policy add-ons

What insurers charge extra for will vary depending on the provider. The following are cover features typically offered as optional policy add-ons:

• Accidental damage claims: Damage caused unintentionally by yourself will be covered by this type of cover. Don’t assume that you will automatically be covered for accidental damage by guests if you take this out, however. Check with your insurer if you are not sure.
• Guest cover: Some insurers may not fully cover guest claims as standard. Of the insurers that do provide cover, some may charge you extra for this. 
• Legal expenses cover: This covers any legal costs associated with the property such as contractual disputes, court cases and claims where you were injured. Like accidental damage cover, don’t assume this automatically covers you for guest claims.

Cover for guests

Some insurers may not cover guest issues or charge an additional premium. Even where guest claims are covered, certain issues may be excluded or the levels of cover provided may vary greatly. If the details of what is or isn’t covered isn’t super clear, insurers often provide an information policy document with key cover details on their website. Some key areas of cover to consider are:

• Theft, accidental and malicious damage: Accidental damage by guests isn’t necessarily covered automatically even if you have paid extra for accidental damage cover. Some insurers may only cover accidental damage personally caused by you, or charge extra for guests. Likewise, theft or intentional damage by a guest inside of the home isn’t always covered unless there has been forced entry. Specialist providers can cover you if needed.
• Liability claims: When a guest is injured or someone else’s property is damaged, this may result in a claim brought against you if you are responsible. Insurers may only cover liability in certain scenarios or cap how much liability you can get, so shop around to get the right cover for you. Liability typically covers either claims you personally caused, issues arising out of ownership of the property, or liability claims involving members of the public. Some regions of the UK do require some form of liability cover in place, although this depends on the type of property you have. Jump to our insurance requirements section for more information.
• Legal cover for guest-related issues: Standard legal expenses cover may not extend to your rental business. Issues such as tax investigations by HMRC or evicting a guest that had overstayed their welcome may require dedicated cover for this. 

Other glamping pod insurance considerations

Other issues to consider include:

• Cover and property type: This type of insurance can also cover a wide range of other standard cover areas including flood, fire and storm damage. Your type of property may dictate to what degree you need this kind of cover, however. Paying out a large subsidence excess for a small glamping pod may be less of a concern where it can more easily be replaced, for example. Keep this in mind when shopping for cover. 
• Insurability: Given that the types of properties available vary to a great degree, insurers may only cover properties on a case by case basis. For example, some types of properties such as yurts may just be covered under contents where they are just pop up tents as they lack a permanent structure. Specialist providers are usually the best places to seek cover for this reason. 
• Static structures: Insurers are more likely to cover properties under this type of insurance when they are static structures. A property on wheels may need to be covered by a different type of insurance, for example. 

How much does glamping pod insurance cost?

Insurance premiums for glamping structures are often less predictable given the uniqueness of the risk. Your insurer may take some of the following factors into account:

• Permanent structures: As discussed earlier, properties that are not classed as permanent structures and can be assembled when needed may be covered under contents instead. This may result in lower premiums if covered (depending on the value and insurer) as no equivalent buildings cover is needed. 
• Materials: The type of materials used may dictate the price you pay to some degree. Materials typically used industry wide may have lower premiums than ones more difficult to source in the event of a claim or those that carry a higher likelihood of risk.
• Age: Insurers may take into account the age of the make and model as this may reduce its value and impact the premium accordingly. 
• Claims history: Any claims previously made will make you a higher risk and affect any no claims bonus.
• Location: Where the property resides in a fixed area, your insurer will look at location specific risk factors such as flood risk, weather events, and crime rates.
• Property use: How often you use the property and who it is used by will be taken into account, including whether the property is rented out to guests. Properties used more frequently may result in higher premiums due to a higher likelihood of a claim occurring. On the flip side, properties left empty for extended periods may have different risks. 

Given that there is no one size fits all approach to premiums, shopping around is usually the best approach. Reducing cover can result in cheaper premiums but getting the right insurance that suits your needs should be a priority. 

Do I need glamping pod insurance?

You may be required to get insurance in some cases, depending on your circumstances:

• Licences in scotland: Owners of properties in Scotland usually require some form of licence in place in order to be able to rent it out to guests. Glamping pod owners in Scotland will need to apply for a licence with the government if they don’t already hold a caravan site licence. One of the requirements when applying for this licence is having adequate building and liability insurance in place.  
• Glamping sites: Holiday park owners may require insurance in place as a condition for letting you keep your property there.
• Finance: Your lender may require insurance in place if securing a property on finance. 

These types of properties can be an expensive investment. Even if there is no legal or contractual requirement to have insurance in place, ask yourself if you can afford to repair or replace items as opposed to paying a comparatively smaller fee for insurance.

What type of properties does glamping pod insurance cover?

Glamping is a luxury form of camping. This means that the types of properties used are numerous for this type of activity. Examples of properties used include:

• Tents.
• Yurts.
• Shepherd’s huts.
• Treehouses.
• Tipis.
• Cabins.

Insurers may not cover all of these universally and some may be harder to insure than others. Seek advice from a specialist if you are not sure. 

Who are Pikl?

Pikl is a specialist insurance company (FCA number: 773457) that covers properties rented out to guests. Founded in 2016, Pikl has an experienced team with a panel of insurers that cover many different types of property. If you need glamping pod cover just for guests, cover for this is online only. Simply click the ‘Get a quote’ button to get a price today. If you need standard cover for the physical structure of your property and/or contents, visit the contact us page to get in touch with a member of our team. Quotes for these types of policies can be considered on a case by case basis.