Insurance for static caravans

How can I get static caravan cover 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 static caravan 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 static caravan 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 static caravan insurance?

Static caravans are prefabricated properties that reside in a permanent location. Buildings and contents insurance for these properties has some crucial differences to home insurance:

• Construction type: As static caravans are prefabricated and built in a factory, they are built with materials that would not be used for regular homes. In that respect, static caravans are more similar to park homes and holiday lodges but they are typically smaller. This means the cover limits may be lower than standard home insurance policies. Given that they are built in a factory, issues such as the make and model of the static caravan become more important too.
• Use and location: Unlike typical homes across the country and mobile homes based in residential community parks, static caravans are often situated in holiday parks. This makes them largely designed around the needs of holidaymakers. The cover and premium will therefore be based around these specific risks.
• Demand and needs: Given the differences between static caravan cover and other types of insurance, the cover requirements for static caravan owners may differ to regular homeowners. Issues such as new for old cover, where the static caravan owner gets a brand new caravan instead of a market value payment, may be a more pressing concern. This type of insurance is also focused heavily around issues such as guests and the property being empty during off peak seasons.

What does static caravan insurance cover?

A static caravan policy will typically contain cover features that you may be familiar with if you have ever taken out a home. Below are some of the key cover features you may want to consider.   

Structural damage

This insures the physical structure of the property and usually covers areas such as:

• The base of the caravan. This is typically made of a steel chassis.
• Flooring, including underfloor insulation.
• The frame.
• Walls.
• Exterior walls, windows, and doors.
• Interior fixtures and fittings such as wiring, plumbing and amenities.

In order to be correctly insured, it is important to understand the value of the make and model of your static caravan. If you don’t know what this is, you may want to consider enquiring with the caravan park owner where the static caravan is situated. Alternatively, you can contact the manufacturer that made it. When assessing this type of insurance, it’s important to note that wear and tear isn’t usually covered. The onus will be on you to maintain your property and keep it in a good condition.

Contents

Contents insurance covers the items inside of your static caravan. Examples include:

• Electrical items such as toasters, kettles and televisions.
• Gadgets and mobile devices such as phones and tablets.
• Any furnishings that aren’t a permanent fixture or fitting inside the property.

Make sure to assess the market value of each item realistically so that you have enough cover. Insurers typically set a limit for each individual item, and may require you to specify ones with a value that exceed this limit. Specified items may come with an increased premium.

Optional cover

Static caravan insurance policies often come with optional extra such as:

• Legal expenses cover: This can cover legal disputes and court cases.
• Accidental damage: Covers accidents either by guests or by yourself.
• Personal belongings: Insures items away from the home.
• Guest cover: This extends your cover to guest-related claims. 

We will expand on some of these in more detail below.

Accidental damage

Minor issues such as breaking windows or household appliances can be costly to repair. They may also be a semi-regular occurrence if you have lots of guests. Accidental damage is typically an optional extra, which means it may come with an additional premium. If you claim regularly this may affect your premium, however. Bear this in mind when taking this cover out.

Burglary 

Static caravans are mostly used as holiday homes, which means they are usually unoccupied for parts of the year. Many insurers will also stipulate restrictions on how often they can be occupied. With many static caravans often left empty for certain periods and usually being situated on holiday parks, burglary may be a potential concern. Check that you are happy with the level of cover provided for this.

Liability insurance

People getting injured or neighbouring properties becoming damaged can result in costly claims made against you. That’s where liability insurance comes in:

• Public liability insurance: This covers liability claims involving members of the public. So, if a delivery person tripped and injured themselves, this type of public liability would cover you. 
• Personal liability insurance: Personal liability cover is relevant where you take an action that results in a liability claim against you. If you took an action that injured your neighbour or damaged the walls of their home, this would cover any subsequent claims.
• Property owner liability insurance: Injuries and third party damage can sometimes fall under property owner instead of personal liability. This is where the issue arises as a result of personal ownership of the static caravan, rather than something you personally caused.

When renting out your property, having a turnover of guests could make it more likely for a liability claim to occur. In addition, parts of the UK may legally require liability insurance, which we cover in our section on insurance requirements.

Theft and malicious damage 

Theft and malicious damage are key issues you may want to consider, as some insurers may not cover this for guests that you allow into your static caravan. When getting insurance, consider:

• Does the insurer only cover theft or malicious damage in certain circumstances, such as forced entry?
• Are there any restrictions placed for these types of claims?
• What cover limits are in place for these types of claims?
• Is the excess the same?

If your static caravan is primarily rented out to guests, you may want to consider this type of cover carefully, as these types of claims can be stressful and costly. 

Loss of income 

If your property needs to be repaired following a guest claim, you may lose out on lost income for pre-existing bookings and incur penalties on booking platforms if you need to make cancellations. Insurers don’t typically cover the costs of cancellation charges or lost booking income straight away following a covered claim, however. Despite this, cover for lost income may still be an important cover feature to consider. If your property took several weeks to repair and you had a regular stream of guest bookings, charges and lost revenue could soon stack up. Read the policy booklet carefully, as insurers usually only cover loss of income when it meets a specific criteria.

Replacement locks

With guests checking in and out over the course of the year, the keys to many static caravans may be handled by many different people on a regular basis. Losing these keys means that you are at risk of someone accessing your property without your consent. Any insurer will require you to mitigate any risk. They may not pay out on future claims if something like this came to your attention and you did nothing about it. You will need to replace the locks to your main door if this happens, and insurers typically pay something towards the cost of this. 

Legal expenses

Legal expenses cover protects you against issues relating to legal expenses and court costs. Examples of issues normally covered include:

• Contractual disputes.
• Legal disputes with a guest.
• Being investigated by HMRC as a result of your rental business.

Legal issues that turn into court cases can become costly, so these are kinds of expenses that legal cover deals with.

Other insurance considerations

Depending on your insurer, there are also usually a range of other issues that static caravan can cover. Examples include:

• Fire, flood and storm damage: Issues such as your static caravan incurring fire damage and a severe storm that causes flood and property damage are examples covered under this.
• Escape of water or oil: A pipe bursting or bath overflowing could cause significant water damage. Likewise, a faulty central heating system could result in escape of oil. 
• Subsidence, heave or landslip: This refers to movement in the ground below. These types of issues can cause significant structural damage. 
• Pest infestation: Removing unwanted pest infestations caused by a guest can sometimes result in costly solutions such as fumigation, which can cause further damage and take time to resolve. 

Is static caravan insurance required?

Whether insurance is required or not for your static caravan will depend on:

• Location: Static caravans without a caravan licence in Scotland may need both buildings and public liability insurance in place as part of current legal requirements for operating a short let licence.
• Finance: If your static caravan is financed with a bank loan, then some lenders may require insurance in place to protect their asset. 
• Holiday parks: Some static caravan parks may require insurance in place in order to have your property situated on their holiday park. 

In terms of personal requirements, there may be good reasons to consider static caravan insurance as necessary even if it is not legally or contractually required:

• Repair costs: Consider whether you can afford to pay for repairs yourself as opposed to paying regular insurance premiums.
• Hassle: Sorting out repairs yourself can be time consuming and stressful. Insurance can cover this for you, but your provider may only use contractors approved by them. Weigh up the pros and cons if this is a potential issue for you.
• Liability and legal claims: Legal liability claims can sometimes result in millions of pounds of damages depending on what happened and who was involved. Legal cases can also be drawn out, costly, and expensive.

How much does static caravan insurance cost?

The cost of your static caravan premium is not fixed. It’s also likely to be different for each individual. There are a number of different areas that factor into your insurance premium, such as:

• Structure and items: Most insurers will look at replacing items or the property itself brand new. The higher this cost is, the higher your premium will be likely to be.
• Location: Like home insurance, static caravan premiums are also dependent on location. A caravan on a holiday park situated far away from emergency services may have different premiums to a site that has no such issues, for example. These types of risks may also change year on year.
• Occupancy: Because many static caravan insurers limit how often you can stay at the property, the frequency with which you visit or have guests may also have an impact. 
• Construction: Static caravans are built in factories and are a lot smaller than regular homes. Other factors such as not being required to meet typical building regulation standards may have an impact too. Rarer makes and models or static caravans built with non-standard modifications may be more difficult to insure or incur an additional cost.
• Cover: Whether used personally or rented out to guests, static caravans are built as holiday properties. The premium will therefore be based on the specific cover features designed for them, such as liability cover in the event of guest injuries.
• Insurer costs: Anything that makes it more costly for the insurer to service claims may be passed onto the consumer, resulting in higher premiums the following year.

Given that there are several premium factors and that these don’t remain fixed, it’s important to get multiple quotes to find the best deal for you. 

Who are Pikl Insurance?

Pikl are an insurance company that provides insurance for additional homes and guest-related cover. With an insurance policy through Pikl, you will get:

• FCA protection: Pikl are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA number: 773457), which gives customers consumer protection.
• Expertise: Pikl works with some of the top insurers in the UK. 
• Flexible cover: Whether you just want to use your static caravan personally, or need cover for guests, there are a range of comprehensive options to choose from.

If you have any queries, please get in touch with our UK based contact centre by clicking on the ‘Contact us’ button at the top of this page. If you just need cover for guests, you can get this by doing a quote online.