You, your holiday let apartment and your insurance

When considering the purchase of an apartment for holiday letting you'll rightly focus on the return on investment . As part of this research you'll establish that there is sufficient demand for an additional holiday let in the location of your choice. As with any business decision it is important to stand back and let your head rule your heart! It's important to avoid the following pitfalls: 

If you are using a mortgage to finance your purchase make sure your mortgage provider is aware of your intention to holiday let the property.

Check with the freeholder / managing

agent that there are no restrictions on the use of the property that will prevent you from letting it for short term holidays.

Likewise check with the freeholder / managing agent that the buildings insurance policy for the apartment block includes property owners liability for the shared areas and that holiday letting is an acceptable use of the apartments by the insurer.


At this point it is also wise to check if the buildings insurance extends to cover fixtures and fittings within the apartment such as fitted bathrooms, kitchens, and fitted bedroom furniture and wooden flooring and if so is accidental damage included? In our experience the buildings insurance for many blocks of flats and apartment blocks does not extend to cover the fixtures and fittings within the apartment and certainly not in the event of accidental damage.

Now that you have established the above, how can Boshers help?

We can provide you with a Holiday Home Insurance Contents Policy for your apartment to include cover for:

• Your general contents
• Fitted kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and flooring
• Property owners liability insurance for commercial holiday letting 

It is important that you insure for the correct replacement value, remember in the event of a claim your contents will be replaced on a new for old basis, therefore your sum insured must be sufficient to replace everything at the recommended retail price. Likewise with fitted kitchens, bathrooms and bedroom furniture you must insure for like for like replacement including the cost of installation and debris removal.

Should you have any queries or require a holiday home insurance quotation for your commercially let second home or apartment call us on 01237 429444 or visit us at http://www.holidayhomeinsurancequote.co.uk/

Holiday Let Rubbish To Be Treated As Commercial Waste

We have just received this letter as an attachment to our business rates bill. It is entitled `Important information for the owner of holiday lets' and within the body of the letter it explains changes to waste regulations that are expected to come into force from April 2012.

Following a review of the controlled waste regulations by DEFRA it has recommended that waste produced by properties used for the provision of self catering holiday accomodation is to be reclassified as commercial wate. It is expected that this will come into force in April 2012 and if it does the owners of these properties will have a duty of care to ensure that their waste is dealt with in the same manner as any other business. 

Look out for similar notifications from your local authority.   

Boshers | Holiday Home Insurance Shares Images On Pinterest

The latest social media hype is focussed on Pinterest. We at Boshers holiday home insurance are always looking for ways to communicate articles of interest to holiday home owners. Check out our first virtual pinboard for UK holiday home owners. 

   

Holidays At Home Are Great TV Ad

Check out behind the scenes  footage for the Holidays at Home are Great TV Ad. In it Stephen Fry, Rupert Grint, Michelle Dockery and Julie Walters chat about some of their favourite places to staycation in the UK. Is the location of your holiday home mentioned? 

Tax on furnished holiday lettings

If you let out a furnished holiday home in the UK or the European Economic Area (EEA), you may be entitled to certain tax advantages. However, your property must meet some rules to qualify.
Rules for furnished holiday lettings for the 2011-12 tax year
To make sure your property qualifies as a furnished holiday letting, it must be: 

• in the UK or EEA
• furnished
• available for commercial letting to the public, as holiday accommodation, for at least 140 days a year (210 days for 2012-13)
• commercially let as holiday accommodation for at least 70 days a year (105 days for 2012-13) - the rent must be charged at market rate and not at cheap rates to friends and family
• a short term letting of no more than 31 days 

Tax advantages of furnished holiday lettings

The tax advantages if your property qualifies as a furnished holiday letting are: 

• you can claim capital allowances
• you get the benefit of some favourable Capital Gains Tax rules when you sell or `otherwise dispose' of the property 

If your property doesn't qualify 

If your property doesn't qualify as a furnished holiday letting - for example you own a holiday villa outside of the EEA or you don't let it out for enough days - you'll be taxed under the residential property lettings rules. 

• Find lot's more furnished holiday lettings tax guidance on the Directgov website 
• Furnished holiday lettings tax helpsheet  
• Legal case clarifies taxation of holiday lets in the UK 

For peace of mind that your furnished holiday letting properties are fully protected, contact Boshers for a holiday home insurance quote today. 

Legal case clarifies taxation of holiday lets in the UK

An article on the PROPERTYWIRE website outlines in detail the results of a resent tribunal case relating to the treatment of a holiday let property for inheritance tax purposes. 


A landmark tribunal case ruling has resulted in much needed clarification regarding the taxation of holiday lettings and has also criticised the conduct of the UK tax authorities. 


The case revolved around whether or not the letting of a holiday cottage consisted wholly or mainly of holding an investment. Property consisting of a business or an interest in a business carried on for gain and consisting of something other than the making or holding of investments (relevant business property) is entitled to relief from inheritance tax. 


The property in question was a large bungalow overlooking the sea on the Suffolk coast in England. The property could accommodate up to eleven people and was typically let for les than two weeks at a time. HMRC had determined in 2008 that the property was subject to inheritance tax. The taxpayer appealed to the Tax Chamber of the First-Tier Tribunal, claiming that the property was entitled to relief as a `relevant business property'.  To read the full article click here 


Holiday let owners looking to protect their business would be wise to choose a holiday home insurance policy that is built around a commercial property insurance wording, tailored to the risks involved with operating commercially let UK holiday homes. Call the Holiday Home Insurance Team at Boshers on 01237 429444 for advice and quotations or visit HolidayHomeInsuranceQuote.co.uk    

Top Ten Coastal Property Investments

The Telegraph has published two great articles. It's top ten of coastal property investments. and it's top ten affordable seaside investments.


The articles contain some stunning photos of coastal towns and villages across the UK, all are favourites for holiday home staycations. Boshers are proud to provide holiday home insurance for many properties across all twenty locations. 


  

Holiday Let Owners - Beware The Big Freeze!

What could be better than a brisk walk, followed by snuggling up with a hot chocolate beside a roaring log fire in your UK holiday cottage this winter? 

However between now and February half-term the reality is that many holiday homes will be unoccupied and susceptible to pipes bursting in freezing weather, especially if owners have not taken precautions.

According to XCWeather temperatures across many areas of the UK are due to drop well below freezing over the next few days.

In the twelve months to November 2011 35% of our holiday home insurance claims by number were as a result of escape of water. These claims accounted for a staggering 71% of the overall claims payments by value.

As many holiday home owners have unfortunately found out, suffering escape of water damage in your holiday home can be very traumatic and often not detected until someone informs you of water pouring out of the front door! 

The good news is that by taking small precautions, such as our tips to avoid burst pipes and adhering to your holiday home insurance unoccupancy conditions you will significantly reduce the risk. 

Apologies if we are preaching to the converted, we realise that the majority of holiday home owners are extremely careful but the best of us can get caught out.

• Check out the 7 day forecast for your Holiday Home Postcode here
• Check out our Tips To Avoid Burst Pipes here 
• Boshers Holiday Home Insurance policyholders unoccupancy conditions are here          

   

Warning: Theft Of Metal From Holiday Homes

Callous thieves caused severe water damage to a holiday home for children with cancer after they stole lead from its roof. Cancer charity CLIC Sargent House who run the centre, now face a £15000 holiday home insurance claim to repair the roof. 


Between 2007 and 2010 the insurers for our holiday home insurance scheme, Ecclesiastical received almost 8000 metal theft claims, at an estimated cost of £23million. Whilst a lot of these claims relate to church property, other sectors such as education, charity, care and commercial property are also being targeted. 


Lead, copper and stainless steel roof coverings, including bay window roofs and roof flashings, copper lightning conductors, lead and copper rainwater pipes, bronze statues, metal garden ornaments, iron gates and even church bells have been stolen. 


Security measures - so what can you do about it? 


Wherever metals are present there is an increased risk of theft and existing security arrangements should be reviewed. Ecclesiastical have produced comprehensive guidance notes on Theft Of Metals including tips on security measures. Download a copy here 


If you suffer a theft of metal at your holiday let call your holiday home insurance broker or insurer as soon as possible to report the loss. You'll receive advise on the claims process and they may arrange for the damage to be inspected. Regardless of your insurance cover, to minimise damage to your holiday let property , contractors should be asked to carry out emergency repairs. where applicable to make the property water tight.  

Regulatory Burden On Self-Catering Accommodation Providers

According to www.accommodationknowhow.co.uk announcements should be expected soon on various issues affecting the regulatory burden faced by holiday home owners. On the one hand an independent group of industry experts have identified 53 regulations that can be repealed or revised to help tourism.

On the one hand announcements are pending on proposed revisions to the Controlled Waste Regulations which will allow local authorities to charge for the collection of waste from self-catering accommodation. 

In addition an announcement is expected on the Government Equality Office decision on the implementation of the Age Discrimination section of the Equality Act. This could affect the ability of self-catering businesses to restrict bookings from groups such as stag, hen or graduation parties which it can be argued are age related.


Visit www.accommodationknowhow.co.uk for more information.    


   

Furnished Holiday Lettings Tax Helpsheet

Furnished holiday lettings have for many years benefited from being treated as a trade for income tax purposes giving commercially let holiday home owners some tax advantages over other lettings. 
The special rules for Furnished Holiday Lettings (FHL) for 2011-2012 have changed and they will change again in 2012-2013. There are significant changes regarding the Qualifying tests and it is for this reason that HMRC have released an advanced copy of Helpsheet 253 - Furnished Holiday Lettings to help owners plan their lettings in order that they may continue to qualify.
FHL Qualifying Tests for 2011-2012 and for 2012-2013 and later
All three of the following tests must be satisfied if a letting is to qualify:
1. The availability condition (availability test/threshold) – during the period (normally the tax year), the accommodation is available for commercial letting as holiday accommodation to the public for at least 140 days (210 days for 2012–13 onwards).
2. The letting condition (occupancy test/threshold) – during the period the accommodation is commercially let as holiday accommodation to the public for at least 70 days (105 days for 2012–13 onwards).

3. The pattern of occupation condition – the accommodation must not be let for periods of longer-term occupation for more than 155 days during the year.

For those contemplating longer lets of 31 days or more, be warned that these will not qualify towards your qualification. More information is available in HMRC's Helpsheet 253 - Furnished Holiday Lettings and your normal tax adviser. You may also wish to begin discussions with your holiday home letting agent on what measures you may need to take in order to maximise your occupancy rates and therefore continue to qualify from the valuable FHL tax benefits. 

As furnished holiday lettings insurance specialists our holiday home insurance policy holders benefit from cover that is designed around the needs of commercially let holiday homes, apartments and cottages. We have no restrictions on the number of weeks that your second home may be let throughout the year. For more information about holiday let insurance, visit www.boshers.co.uk 

Advert Promoting Cottage Holidays In Britain.

Based around the theme, create magical memories to take home and treasure. The new advert from cottages4you and Enjoy England promotes cottage holidays in Britain. Whilst it is likely that only the largest of holiday home letting agents will have the marketing budget for TV advertising, increasing awareness of UK cottage holidays will no doubt have a positive knock on effect for all involved in UK holiday home lettings.     

Holiday Home Gas Safety Checks

As all good holiday home agents and owners know, there are responsibilities that come with letting your holiday home commercially, one of the most important responsibilities at this time of year is gas safety – Boshers Ltd the UK holiday home insurance specialists says that agents and their landlords really must ensure that their gas appliances are safe. Landlords and holiday home owners can face large fines and potentially harm their tenants or guests if gas appliances don’t comply with gas safety regulations.

Recently a landlord was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay over £2,000 in costs after breaching Gas Safety regulations and failing to fulfil his responsibilities as a landlord, according to the Central Office of Information. 


Landlord Anthony Brownson persistently ignored requests by the council to produce a landlord’s Gas Safety Certificate and in the meantime his tenant had been left with a faulty boiler system and without a safely working fire during one of the coldest winters in recent times. 


The landlord pleaded guilty to a breach of gas safety regulations by failing to carry out an annual safety check on gas appliances between April 2007 and March 2011. He also admitted an offence of failing to comply with an Improvement Notice between December 2010 and March 2011. He was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay £2,089.25 in costs. 


HSE Inspector Dr Angus Robbins, who investigated the case, said, “In addition to the risks of fires and explosions from faulty gas appliances, many people are made ill, and some 20 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning every year owing to poorly-maintained gas appliances. Landlords’ duties are very clear – they must ensure gas appliances are checked for safety by a Gas Safe registered engineer and provide their tenants with a copy showing that the appliances and flues were operating operating safely at that time. HSE will not hesitate to bring landlords before the courts when they are prepared to risk their tenant’s safety for financial gain.”


Mark Lavington Cert CII, Director of Boshers Ltd, says, “Holiday home owners must, by law, make sure gas appliances in their rental properties are maintained and have a gas safety check carried out every 12 months by a registered Gas Safe engineer. If holiday home owners don’t ensure their gas appliances are safe, they could end up with a hefty fine, harm their guest's health or even potentially kill them through Carbon Monoxide poisoning.” Guidance on gas safety for holiday home owners can be found at www.hse.gov.uk/gas/landlords/index.htm 

Boshers Christmas Opening Hours

Our normal opening hours are Monday through to Friday from 8:30am - 5:00pm.


Throughout the Christmas and New Year break we will be open as usual except for the Bank Holidays when our office will be closed. 


For full details click: Boshers Christmas Opening Hours   

We hope that you will enjoy an incident free Christmas, however should you be unfortunate enough to need to claim on your home or holiday home insurance policy out of hours assistance is available. 


See your policy document for claims line telephone numbers or click here and scroll down to Claims.


Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all the team at Boshers.  

Reminder - Holiday Home Insurance Unoccupancy Condition

Mark Lavington Cert CII Boshers Ltd 

As Britain is once again being battered by rain, wind and snow we would like to remind our holiday home insurance policyholders of the conditions applying when your holiday homes are unoccupied.
It is likely that over the coming months your holiday home may be unoccupied for periods of time. It is for this reason that I would like to remind those of you who benefit from Boshers Holiday Home Insurance cover, of our Unoccupancy Conditions.
The wording is as follows:
Unoccupancy - It is a condition that whenever the premises are left unoccupied you will arrange that the premises are inspected at least every 14 days by you or by an authorised person responsible to you. In addition the following applies between the months of October to March inclusive: 
You will arrange that either:
(a) the heating system is brought into operation and a minimum room temperature of not less than 45°F or 7°C maintained throughout the property or
(b) the water is turned off at the stopcock inside the premises and the domestic water system drained and other services such as electricity and gas disconnected (other than as necessary to maintain the central heating or security systems).
If you fail to fulfil the above conditions cover will be restricted to damage by Fire lightning explosion earthquake and by any aircraft flying object (or items dropped from them) vehicle train or animal colliding with the buildings.


Full pdf policy wordings are available to download in the right hand column of the Holiday Home Insurance page on our website http://www.boshers.co.uk/

Should you have any queries please do not hesitate to phone our holiday home insurance team on 01237 429444.

Winter Risks Advice for property owners

Our holiday home insurance and household insurance underwriters, Ecclesiastical have produced these useful Winter Risks Advice guides to share with you.


The extremely cold winters of the last two years have led to many businesses and holiday home owners sustaining losses from burst pipes, weight of snow on roofs and ingress of water. There are a number of simple but effective steps businesses can take to both prevent and reduce the impact of cold weather on their operations.


The guides are available to view, download and print:
Winter Risks Advice - Commercial Property 
Winter Risks Advice - Residential Property 

Boshers are proud to offer Ecclesiastical home insurance as recommended by Which?

Which? Recommended Provider for home insurance

The UK’s leading consumer rights group Which? have awarded Ecclesiastical Recommended Provider status for their home insurance cover and customer service.

Their home insurance has been judged by Which? experts to be a quality insurance product backed by great customer service.  Strong positive feedback from Which? members who bought Ecclesiastical’s home insurance was a deciding factor.

Ecclesiastical Home Insurance

Ecclesiastical Home Insurance includes all the following benefits:

• Up to £500,000 limit as standard on Buildings Insurance
• Up to £60,000 limit as standard on Contents Insurance
• Contents Insurance includes Sentinel® card protection for lost or stolen credit & debit cards
• Up to £50,000 legal protection at no extra cost.
• High levels of cover as standard
• 5 Star Rated product by Defaqto, the independent financial research company

One of the UK's top ten corporate donors**. 

• 5 Star Rated

Ecclesiastical's home insurance cover is 5 Star Rated by independent research company Defaqto.

• Quality claims service

With Ecclesiastical, you can rely on a claims service that has a reputation for excellence.

Boshers are proud to be one of a limited number of brokers able to provide Ecclesiastical home insurance. Our holiday home insurance, property owner insurance and business insurance clients can benefit from this award winning cover for their main residences. 

Call 01237 429444 for a home insurance quote today or visit www.boshers.co.uk   

** Source: The Guide to UK Company Giving 2009/10, Directory of Social Change.

Winter risk advice for businesses including holiday home, cottage and cottage complex owners

Boshers holiday home insurance scheme underwriters, Ecclesiastical have produced an  informative video containing Winter risk advice for businesses and charities. 

The points raised are equally as important to holiday home and cottage complex owners. Please take a minute to watch Winter risk advice for businesses and charities   

Scottish Water Warn Holiday Home Owners To Be Prepared this Winter

Scottish Water are warning their customers including holiday home owners to "Be Prepared This Winter | heat, insulate and protect your home." Boshers support Scottish Water in their campaign to educate our holiday home insurance clients with holiday cottages in the Scottish Water authority area. Read their winter code and be prepared for Winter! 

Treat your holiday let to a maintenance check

Treating your holiday let to a maintenance check will help keep your holiday home safe for you and your guests and reduce the risks of holiday home insurance claims. 

1. GAS AND OIL SAFETY - Do you have Gas or Oil fired appliances? If yes; arrange for a registered gas or oil engineer to service your appliances in accordance with the manufacturers instructions and to carry out annual safety checks as applicable. Inspect and test your Carbon Monoxide detectors.

2. SWEEP CHIMNEYS - have your chimneys swept if you have an open fire, gas fire, stove, woodburner. As well as reducing the risk of chimney fires, keeping your chimney clean will prevent blockages and the build up of poisonous carbon monoxide in your holiday home.

3. ESCAPE OF WATER - Mains water tap – ensure you can turn it off and on. Check for dripping taps – repair them if necessary. Check your loft space, water tank & pipe lagging, is it sufficient? If unnocupied, programme your heating system in order to maintain a minimum temperature to prevent burst pipes and water damage, or turn off the water and drain the system.

4. UPDATE RISK ASSESSMENTS - Have you updated your risk assessment? Record your results. Include a visual check of portable electrical items, checking for damage such as fraying power cables. If in doubt have your portable items inspected by a qualified electrician or replace them with new ones as necessary.

5. STORM DAMAGE - Inspect the roof for signs of slipped slates or tiles and have repairs carried out where needed.

6. FIRE SAFETY - Have you checked your Smoke Detectors and replaced the batteries? Diary for periodic checks.

7. FLOODING - Have you cleared your drains, gutters and down pipes to keep them free of leaves and debris?

8. SECURITY - Repair broken fences, gates and boundary walls.

9. SLIPS AND TRIPS - Have you considered cleaning garden paths to remove build up of moss, lichen and algae, which can often be slippery?

10. FURNITURE - inspect your furniture to ensure that it is sturdy and fit for purpose. This should include your garden furniture which you should consider storing undercover for the winter to prevent it rotting or degrading in the cold weather. Replace as necessary.

Boshers Ltd have compiled this list as an aide memoir for owners of commercially let holiday homes in the UK. It is not designed to be exhaustive and Boshers Ltd will not be held responsible for errors or omissions.

Boshers are Independent Insurance Intermediaries and have been arranging specialist holiday home insurance for owners of commercially let UK holiday homes since 1990. For further information and quotes visit www.boshers.co.uk/holiday-home-insurance or contact the holiday home insurance team on 01237 429444.

Scared Of Listed Holiday Homes? - Not Us!

Whether your holiday let or holiday cottage letting complex is a Grade 1 or 2 Listed Building in England or Wales or a Grade A or B Listed Property in Scotland our holiday home insurance may meet your needs. Subject to standard underwriting factors including post code area and property construction being acceptable we will endevour to help. 


Holiday Home Insurance for Listed Properties

Our Holiday Home Insurance Policy includes extra cover to meet the local authority conditions made under the Planning ( Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and amending legislation (or equivalent legislation in Scotland and Norther Ireland) following damage by any of the insurable events should these costs exceed the cover provided within the buildings  sum insured. Subject to a maximum payment under this extension of 20% of the sum insured.

Treat yourself to a quote for your listed holiday home!   

   

WARNING - Holiday Accommodation Phishing Scams

No doubt holiday let owners who take bookings direct and holiday letting agencies alike get phishing emails on a regular basis.

We just wanted to make you aware of this one that has just landed in our holiday home insurance quote enquiry inbox on the basis that forwarned is forearmed..

Sent: 13 October 2011 19:49


Subject: booking

Sir / Madam,

I have a booking request from 2 couples (4 persons) scheduled to spent their holiday in your area starting from 5th to 19th January, 2012 (14 nights). If you can host the guests, kindly provide the total cost of your 2 double rooms or equivalent for 14 nights for 4 people. This must include all taxes and service charge except meals.

Payment for this transaction will be made fully in advance using my credit card or bank check as am currently away from town hence advise if you accept credit card or bank check for prepayment.

In the event you do not have availability for the stated date, please advise next available 14-day period in February, 2012.

Like I mentioned above, preferable payment method will be pre-payment via my credit card or bank check and note that am not disposed to make bank transfers due to my present location.

Thank you and looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards,
Luis Jacobson
Leeds,
West Yorkshire, England

My understanding is that payment is made with a cheque and subsequently the booking is cancelled and a refund is given, only to discover the original payment had never cleared thus leaving the holiday home owner or agent out of pocket..!

If you have examples of scams that you would like to share with other holiday home owners please drop an email to: cottagesATboshers.co.uk with the details and we'll compile a post to warn others.

Tips To Avoid Burst Pipes - Protect Your Holiday Home NOW

Don't get caught out by the freezing weather this winter!

Last years prolonged big freeze affected thousands of holiday homes, with freezing temperatures leading to burst pipes and extensive property damage throughout the UK.

Escape of water can devastate a holiday home and is one of the most common causes of holiday home insurance claims...

Please take every precaution to reduce the risk of escape of water claims at your holiday home this winter..

Visit our new blog page Tips to avoid burst pipes to read on click here...

Boshers Top Ten Holiday Home Insurance Blogs of 2011

Boshers are pleased to bring you their top ten holiday home insurance blogs from 2011. These articles will be of interest to owners of UK furnished holiday lets. Enjoy reading them....   


1.Top Tip To Deter Holiday Home Thefts 

2.Free Impartial Advice On Energy Saving For Home Owners 



3.Visit England Launches Free Guide On Accessible Tourism   

4.Holiday Home Insurance - FAQ's

5.The UK's First Police Approved Key Safe

6.Holiday Home Insurance - improved wording and increased cover  

7.Holiday Home Maintenance Checklist

8.Theft Of Heating Oil From Holiday Homes

9.Seven Tips For Safe Holiday Home Letting 

10.Holiday Home Winter Maintenance Checklist 


Holiday Home Insurance



Second home owners forced to cut prices

Price reductions are becoming an increasingly common occurrence in the popular second-home market of the South West, as sellers find themselves forced to cut asking prices to achieve a sale, according to property agents. Read on here