Insurance Renewal Season: What Holiday Let Owners Need to Check

Standard home insurance doesn't cover paying guests — a genuine holiday let policy is a legal and practical necessity, and renewal time is worth more than a quick auto-renew.

The Cover Types That Matter

A proper holiday let policy should include: buildings and contents cover rated for holiday letting (not standard residential), public liability (typically £2-5 million, covering injury to guests on the property), loss of rent following an insured event, and accidental damage cover, since guest turnover carries more wear and risk than a long-term tenancy.

What Gets Missed at Renewal

• Rebuild cost drift: building costs rise most years; check your buildings sum insured still reflects current rebuild cost, not just last year's figure rolled over
• Contents value creep: new furniture, appliances, or a refurbishment since last year may have pushed your contents value past the current limit
• Occupancy pattern changes: if you've increased your booking volume, added a hot tub, or started allowing pets, tell your insurer — undisclosed changes can void a claim
• Unoccupied period cover: most policies restrict cover if the property sits empty beyond a set number of consecutive days (often 30-60 days); check this matches your quiet-season pattern

When to Shop Around vs Renew

A straightforward, unremarkable renewal with no claims and no property changes is often fine to accept, especially with a specialist holiday let insurer. But it's worth a comparison quote every 2-3 years regardless, and always after any claim, major addition (hot tub, extension), or change in how the property is used.

A Quick Pre-Renewal Checklist

• Confirm buildings and contents sums insured are current
• Disclose any additions: hot tubs, outbuildings, expanded parking
• Check the unoccupied-period clause against your actual booking calendar
• Confirm public liability is at least £2 million
• Keep a copy of the policy schedule somewhere accessible, not just in an inbox