After having covered our one bed B&B activity for several years as part of our normal home insurance, SAGA's underwriters have suddenly decided they don't want to do it any more. There is no claims history, negative or otherwise.

Halifax, lloyds tsb and e-sure have also refused. Churchill have offered cover but will not include public liability cover in respect of our guests.

The problem with many insurers today is that if you don't fit the 'standard' model that they have on their quote screens, then they are not interested.

Do you know of anyone who will do an individual home cover policy that would include cover for the very limited risks involved in running a one bed B&B suite located in an annexe (former garage - properly converted etc) adjacent to the main house. Business activity level is only about 30-40% occupancy throughout a year.

Policies designed for B&B owners tend to be offered by hotel specialist insurers and cost almost as much as we earn in a year from our low level activity.

Hello

We also run a small B&B from home (sounds like a similiar arrangement as yours) & have found some quotes astronomical,... given the turnover we have. This year I used an insurance broker John Pieri, http://www.insuranceservices-johnpieri.com/ who found a far more reasonable buildings & contents package for us.

Good Luck!

Can I suggest trying the NFU Mutual. You can get the details of your nearest agent office on their web site. This means you are dealing with someone local who is usually better placed to give good advice

I'm sooo pleased to have seen these posts - I was beginning to give up!

I too have a (sadly) vacant grannyflat, and was thinking of a small b&b operation - and found that my insurers RIAS, like Saga won't consider it, though I can have non-paying guests 365 days a year. I currently pay £450pa.

Quotes from 'specialist' brokers range from £1000 to £2700 to replicate my RIAS cover plus b&b, so it's a non starter really, and, astonishingly, the cheapest did itemise the b&b risk - at £50pa! So, we know the value of the risk - it's tiny - so why can't the RIAS and Saga underwriters get their brains round it? I even offered to consider a 100% increase in my premium to stay, and was turned down.

There must be hundreds if not thousands of retired houseowners either put off, or worse, blissfully unaware that their insurance may be invalidated.

I'll certainly follow up the links above after the weekend and see what they can do.

Sybil

Its because they don't want to get their heads round it. And many of the cheapies only want to cherry pick the best risks.

Good luck to you and let me know how you got on

Ian

A bit of an update: both NFU and John Pieri have been very helpful and encouraging - they obviously know their stuff and it's so refreshing to get to talk to a real human with imagination and not some call centre bod working from a computer model. I'm confident I'll be in the tourist biz yet!

Sybil

I'm pleased to hear you have had some positive responses. There are decent insurance people out there its finding them that the trick.

Ian