How can I get holiday lodge 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 regular 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 holiday lodge insurance?

Insurance for holiday lodges and chalets covers specific types of properties: 

• Use: These types of lodges and chalets are typically built on parks for holiday use and are often rented out to guests. This means that they are used very differently to homes lived in as a primary residence. They will also be viewed as a different type of insurance risk.
• Occupancy: Given their use as holiday accommodation, insurers may place restrictions on how often the property can be used. This means they may be empty for longer periods than traditional homes.
• Construction: The building materials used for holiday lodges and the size of the properties themselves can vary greatly. This can make them very different to bricks and mortar properties. 

Given the differences with traditional home insurance, cover and premiums for holiday lodges and chalets will be tailored differently, with more of a focus on issues such as guest activity and protecting the home when it is empty.

The difference between a holiday home and a holiday lodge

Holiday lodges have some key differences with holiday homes, such as:

• Location: Holiday homes can be located anywhere as they are just residential properties used as second homes. Holiday lodges by contrast are typically situated on holiday parks. From a risk perspective, an insurer may have different concerns around issues such as guest liability or region specific claims such as coastal floods or weather events.   
• Building type: A typical holiday home is made with brick walls and a tiled roof. On the other hand, holiday lodges are usually prefabricated buildings built in a factory. They are similar to park homes and static caravans but can be larger in size, which may make them more attractive to holidaymakers. Holiday chalets are typically smaller properties that are often built with different materials such as timber. Both holiday lodges and chalets may require less total cover to insure given their size. In addition, the building materials needed to repair such properties are often different to second homes.
• Contents and features: A second home just for personal use may have similar furnishings to a typical residential home, whereas one for guests may have more unique features such as a hot tub or swimming pool. Given their holiday park locations, holiday lodges and chalets may not always have the same type of furnishings. They will however be likely centered around the needs of the guests staying there. Each property is unique, but the differences between these types of properties often mean the type of contents cover required may not be the same.

How does holiday lodge insurance work?

Holiday lodge insurance can provide buildings and contents protection just like other types of property insurance, but there are specific aspects of cover that holiday chalet and lodge owners may want to pay specific attention to.

Holiday lodge buildings insurance

This covers the physical structure of the building. Depending on the type of properties, it may cover different things:

• Holiday lodges can be small cabins or they can be much larger sites that are either custom built on site or prefabricated in a factory and transported to a permanent location. The construction materials can therefore vary, but may include materials such as timber panels and steel frames.
• Chalets are often pre-fabricated or built with a modular design. They are often smaller than holiday lodges and are typically built with more traditional materials such as wood and stone.
• Both property types may feature more unique features compared to a residential home at the luxury end, such as hot tubs or saunas, which insurers will need to take into account.

Generally speaking, a buildings insurance policy should cover:

• The frame of the property, the walls and the roof.
• Flooring, insulation and windows.
• Physical fixtures and fittings such as baths and cooking hobs.

Properties built to a more custom specification than is commonly built may be harder to insure or need to be considered on a case by case basis. Like typical home insurance, it will be your responsibility for the upkeep of the property regardless of how often you visit it. Issues relating to neglect or wear and tear are not likely to be covered.

Holiday lodge contents insurance

Contents insurance for a holiday lodge or chalet will be similar to an ordinary contents policy, with potentially smaller cover limits depending on how many items you have stored in the building. Typical items you may expect to see in such a property that are usually covered include:

• Appliances such as kettles and toasters.
• Electrical equipment like TVs and tablets.
• Furniture such as sofas, chairs and beds.
• Carpets and curtains.
• Certain valuable items.

You will need to correctly assess the value of each item and notify the insurer of anything that has a value that exceeds what they cover as standard. Certain items such as damaged clothing may be more difficult to claim for, as damage for this may be classed as wear and tear. When it comes to guests, it is important to have cover for issues such as theft or malicious damage if renting out your property. We cover this in our section on guest-related claims.

Optional add-ons for holiday lodge insurance

Each insurer offers certain cover features as standard. Others will be options that you need to pay extra for. Typical extras include:

• Legal expenses: This covers the cost of legal expenses that may result in disputes and court cases. Examples of where this may be relevant include contractual disputes, pursuing claims where you were personally injured and tax enquiries.
• Accidental damage: Optional cover for this relates to either accidental damage personally caused by yourself or by guests. Accidental damage claims are typically minor, but the damage could add up depending on what happened. Blocked drains may overflow with water and cause significant damage, for example. 
• Guest cover: Whilst lodges and chalets are typically geared towards holiday use in this context, that does not mean that all types of claims caused by guests are covered as standard. You may need to pay extra to be covered in this regard.

Holiday lodges and cover for guests

Personal use and use of the property by paying guests are two different kinds of risk. You may therefore need to check that your insurer offers comparable levels of cover for these types of claims:

• Theft and malicious damage: Theft claims can add up, and often go hand in hand with malicious damage. The latter can cause significant disruption and costs, especially where extensive damage is concerned. The issue when it comes to these types of claims is that they are not always covered inside of the property unless someone has forced their way in, which may often not be the case with guests that already have the keys.
• Accidental damage: As discussed earlier, accidental damage cover is often an optional extra. It is important to check this is covered for guests, however. Some insurers may only cover accidental damage for personal use.
• Liability claims: If a guest injures themselves or damage is caused to another property during a guest stay, you could be on the hook for significant damages if you are at fault. We discuss this topic further in our section on liability. 
• Legal expenses: As discussed earlier, legal cover is usually an optional extra. However, there are different types of legal cover. If you already have it, make sure this covers guest claims too.
• Lost income: Uninhabitable properties following a claim can result in booking site penalty fees and lost income if cancellations need to be made. This cover can be important in this regard, but it’s typically only covered in the event of damage where the property has been out of action for some time. Pikl only covers loss of income 14 days after a covered claim against their policy, for example.  

Liability insurance for holiday lodges

Liability claims are where something goes wrong and you are held responsible. If someone is seriously injured or another property is damaged, this can cost a significant sum of money in some cases. Here are some potential examples of where liability issues may arise:

• A visitor to the holiday lodge park trips and falls at your holiday lodge, injuring their leg and requiring hospital treatment.
• The property catches fire due to a fault, causing damage to nearby lodges. 
• Whilst visiting, you accidentally damage another property. 

Holiday lodge liability insurance is designed to cover you for these types of issues, whether these involve a member of the public, something you personally caused, or an issue arising out of ownership of the property. To reduce your likelihood of these types of issues occurring, you may want to  do a risk assessment ask yourself the following questions:

• What are the potential risk areas?
• Are there any high contact areas that may require special attention?
• Can any risks be eliminated or reduced in a proportionate way?
• Where the risk cannot be eliminated entirely, is the property still safe to use?
• What signs or instructions can be implemented to reduce these risks?

The level of liability cover offered will vary from insurer to insurer, so make sure you are doing an accurate comparison when shopping around for quotes. Holiday lodge owners in Scotland may be required to have some form of liability in place by law, which we cover in our section on legal requirements. 

Holiday lodge insurance and security 

As holiday lodges may be left empty for certain parts of the year or inhabited by guests, you may also want to consider:

• Extended empty periods: Most holiday lodge providers will be comfortable with your property being empty for around one to two months, but this will vary depending on the provider. If your holiday lodge or chalet is likely to be left empty for longer than this, they may impose terms such as additional security requirements or regular visitations. Alternatively, you may need to seek cover elsewhere.
• Modifications: Holiday lodges tend to be built in factories, so the security often depends on the make and model. Enhancing your security may seem like a good idea, but speak to your insurer first if modifying anything. Non-standard changes or custom built models may incur a different premium.
• Key handovers: The keys to your holiday lodge will most likely change hands multiple times if renting the property out to guests. Not doing this safely could affect any claims. Regardless of whether you do rent the property out or not, losing the keys may put your holiday lodge at risk. Make sure your insurer has appropriate cover that pays towards the cost of replacing your locks if this occurs. 
• Burglary cover: Where adequate security measures are in place and there has been forced entry into the property, burglary cover can cover you for any stolen items and subsequent damage caused. 

Other holiday lodge and chalet insurance considerations 

• Risk assessments: As we touched on in our section on liability, risk assessments can help you assess any potential dangers. This type of exercise may be useful for the property more generally when it comes to deciding what cover you need. For example, if you assess that the risk of accidental damage is low but you are concerned about potential legal costs, you may choose to not purchase the former and buy legal expenses cover instead. If you want to learn more about risk assessments or UK regulations in general around related issues, visit our holiday let regulations page.
• Cover affected by location: Issues such as fire, storm and flood typically come as standard with property insurance policies. Location or proximity to some of these risks may affect your cover however. For example, insurance for a holiday chalet with a higher subsidence risk may impose a significantly higher excess for claims related to these issues.
• Policy differences: Whilst there are a range of issues that holiday lodge insurers broadly cover, how these are defined may diverge with each provider. Your insurer should provide key details when purchasing cover but it’s important to check your policy booklet to make sure you are happy with everything.

How much does holiday lodge insurance cost?

Your insurer will provide a premium based on how they assess your home as a risk. Based on the details you provide them, this may include:

• The make and model: When your holiday lodge was built and the make and model of your holiday lodge may play a big part in determining how much you pay. Cover for this is usually done on a new for old basis, meaning that your insurer can cover the cost of getting the same type of holiday lodge brand new following a successful claim. Custom built holiday lodges may incur a higher cost as they may have more unknown or higher risks, especially if they are luxury models.
• Holiday lodge location: As a holiday lodge is usually situated on a purpose built holiday lodge park, this may give your insurer more certainty regarding risk. Any location specific issues such as burglary rates and weather events may impact your premium. Holiday lodges situated in areas with an address that is not easily identifiable may mean that you face an increased premium if the insurer is willing to cover you.
• Cover levels: Insurance premiums will be dictated largely by how much cover you need. Always make sure the level of cover you set and the excess you are willing to pay meets your demands and needs.     
• Claims history: How many claims you have had may impact areas such as your no claims discount. In addition, the type of claim that occurred may be a factor. 
• How the holiday lodge is used: Factors insurers may consider here include how often it is occupied, any extended periods of the property being empty, whether it is rented out and what the property is primarily used for.

Like other types of insurance policies, shopping around is often the best way to get a deal that works for you.

Do I need insurance for my holiday chalet or lodge? 

Any requirements for holiday lodge insurance will depend on personal circumstances, such as:

• Where your holiday lodge is: Some holiday lodges in Scotland may require buildings and liability insurance as part of obtaining a short let licence. Each region of Scotland may require different levels of cover, so speak to your local authority if you are not sure. If your property is situated in a holiday lodge park, the park owner may require some form of insurance in place too.
• Holiday lodges managed by agencies: Property management companies that rent properties out to guests typically require appropriate insurance in place.
• Property finance: If you purchased your holiday lodge with finance, some lenders may also require insurance in place.

You may also want to write down a list of personal reasons for insurance. Ask yourself:

• Do you need insurance to cover the cost of repairs?
• How would you manage issues such as loss of income or liability claims brought against you?
• Are your contents easily replaceable?

Working out your specific demands and needs can help you decide how much and what type of insurance you require.

Who are Pikl?

Pikl was founded in 2016 and specialises in cover for short term lets, including cover for properties such as holiday lodges. Through Pikl, you can get:

• Specialist cover: We can cover your property whether you just use it personally or rent it out to guests. 
• UK team: Our customer services team is based in the UK and is on hand if you have any questions.
• Reputable insurance: Pikl is an experienced insurance company. We work with top UK insurers such as Prestige, Allianz and AXA.

If you need cover for your main insurance, speak to a member of our team. Alternatively, if you just need cover for guests then you can get a quote online.