A holiday home spends much of the year empty, and that’s the main reason it needs its own policy. Standard home insurance is built around someone living in the property day to day. Once a house sits empty for weeks at a time, or is used by family, friends or paying guests, the risks change and so do the insurance terms.
Holiday home insurance covers a second property used for holidays, with conditions designed around periods when it is empty. This guide explains how to get an accurate quote and what to check in the cover, including excesses.
Securing a holiday home insurance quote
Start with how the property is used
The most useful thing you can tell an insurer is exactly how you use the house. If the policy does not reflect its real use, cover or a future claim may be affected. As a guide:
- It’s where you live. This is your main home, so ask about standard home insurance.
- You, your family and friends use it for holidays. Ask for holiday home cover for family use.
- You let it to paying guests occasionally. Check the precise allowance before accepting bookings. The AA holiday home insurance page distinguishes family use from holiday home let-out cover. It says short-term lets may be allowed where the home’s main use remains as a holiday home, provided there are no more than five during the policy period and they are not booked through Airbnb. Confirm the terms of your own quote in writing.
- It’s let regularly as a short-term rental. Ask a broker or insurer for cover that expressly accepts frequent holiday letting.
- It’s let to long-term tenants. Ask about landlord insurance instead.
Tell your insurer if the way you use the property changes during the policy, including any plan to start taking bookings.
Details to have ready
A holiday home quote needs information about the property and how often it is occupied. Have these details to hand:
- The address or Eircode, and how far the property is from where you live.
- The property type, age and construction, including any thatch or timber frame.
- A rebuild figure for the building and a replacement value for the contents.
- Security features such as locks, an alarm and outside lighting.
- How often the house is visited, and whether someone local checks it.
- The heating system and how it is used during winter.
- Any plans to let the property, including how bookings would be taken.
- Your recent claims history.
For a standard estate-type house, the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) rebuild calculator can give an indicative figure. Its rates are not designed for one-off countryside homes, which include many holiday properties. For those, consider a professional rebuild cost estimate.
Where to insure a holiday property
You can get cover directly from an insurer or through a broker. AA Ireland offers holiday home insurance, and you can start a quote on its website. AA also offers home, car, travel and pet insurance and motoring services. Each product has its own terms.
Understanding policy coverage and excess options
Rules for when the house is empty
Holiday home policies account for periods when the property is unoccupied, but often require you to take steps to reduce the chance of damage going unnoticed. One AA holiday home policy booklet requires the mains water to be turned off whenever the home is unoccupied and a responsible person to check it regularly. For unoccupied periods between October and March, it also sets out conditions for electricity, gas, water and heating systems. An alternative to draining the systems is available only where the specified continuous heating and other conditions are met.
Your own policy edition and schedule govern what you must do. Read the conditions before leaving the property empty, especially for winter, as failing to meet them could affect an escaping-water or frost claim.
Cover that can work differently
A few areas may have tighter terms on a holiday home policy than on a standard home policy:
- Malicious damage. Deliberate damage by someone legally in the property, such as a guest, may be excluded.
- Theft while let. Cover may require force and violence to enter or leave the property.
- Accidental damage. Check whether it is included or can be added, and whether it has a separate excess.
- Liability. Check the limit for claims involving visitors or guests and how cover works when the property is let.
Read the quote, schedule and policy wording together. The cover that applies depends on the insurer and any endorsements.
Letting your holiday home
If you plan to rent the house out, even briefly, tell the insurer before taking bookings. Ask for written confirmation that the number and length of lets, the booking method and the people staying are acceptable. Keep that answer with your policy documents.
How excess options work
The excess is the part of a claim you pay yourself. Your holiday home policy may show:
- A standard excess for many claims.
- A separate excess for escaping water or frost damage.
- A separate excess for subsidence, ground heave or landslip.
- An excess for optional cover, where applicable.
The AA’s holiday home page currently lists a €500 policy excess and a €1,000 escaping-water excess; your schedule and policy wording confirm the amounts that apply to your cover. Some providers offer a choice of voluntary excess. A higher excess may lower the premium, but choose an amount you could afford in a claim.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my home insurance for a holiday home?
Usually, you need a policy that reflects the property’s use as a second home and the time it spends empty. Tell the insurer how the home is used and ask for suitable holiday home cover.
Can I let out my holiday home and still be covered?
It depends on the policy and the type and frequency of letting. The AA’s current holiday home page sets out a limited short-let allowance for eligible properties and excludes Airbnb bookings from that allowance. Get written confirmation of the terms for your own property before accepting a booking.
What should I do before leaving my holiday home empty for the winter?
Read your policy’s unoccupancy and winter conditions first. These may require you to turn off the mains water, arrange regular checks and either drain water and heating systems or meet precise continuous-heating requirements. Follow the wording that applies to your policy.
Does a lower excess make holiday home insurance more expensive?
It can. A lower voluntary excess generally means the insurer pays more of an eligible claim, which may increase the premium. Ask whether you have a choice, and compare the total price against what you could afford to pay if you claim.
Whether your holiday home is by the sea or deep in the countryside, check the cover against how you actually use it. Explore AA Holiday Home Insurance and get a quote for your property.
