Buildings insurance
Buildings insurance covers the physical structure of your home – the bricks and mortar – and any permanent fittings or fixtures
Second home insurance
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What is second home insurance?
If you own a second property (or a third, a fourth or a fifth), you probably want to make sure it’s insured as well as your main residence is to protect yourself financially from any damage caused to the property.
Second home insurance policies are tailored to handle the higher risk associated with unoccupied or part-time residences, and includes buildings and contents cover, and protection against risks like fire, storm damage, theft, vandalism, and water leaks.
Optional extras may include accidental damage, public liability (important if renting to guests), and loss of rental income.
Because second homes are often left unoccupied, many policies also include clauses requiring regular visits or certain winter precautions, like keeping heating on or draining water systems.
However, cover can be restricted or excluded if the property is left unoccupied beyond a specified period, or if security requirements aren’t met.
Exclusions often include general wear and tear, poor maintenance, or damage due to neglect. High-value items, holiday letting, and long unoccupied periods typically require additional cover or specific policy types.
Do I need it?
While second home insurance isn't a legal requirement, you can’t legally insure a second home with a standard home insurance policy.
In fact, second homes are treated differently by the law in all sorts of ways, including for the purposes of council tax and capital gains tax, as well as home insurance. So what makes a house a second home?
A second home, in insurance, legal, and tax contexts, generally refers to a property that is not your primary residence, but is used for personal holidays, rental income, or occasional stays.
For insurance purposes, a second home is a property you do not live in full-time. It might be a holiday cottage or a weekend retreat. It's typically left unoccupied for extended periods (e.g., over 30 days) and may be rented out sometimes.
Because it's higher risk (due to unoccupancy, irregular maintenance, or guest use), it requires specialist second home or holiday home insurance, not standard homeowner cover. If you have standard home insurance for a second home, you might find any claim is rejected.
Second homes are also treated differently by the tax system. When you buy a second home in England, you’ll pay a 5% Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) surcharge. When you sell a second home, any profit may be subject to CGT, unlike your main residence which usually qualifies for Private Residence Relief. Second homes generally pay full council tax.
What does second home insurance cover?
Second home insurance policies may vary depending on which provider you choose to take out insurance with, but the following is typically covered and excluded:
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Covered
Fire, lightning or explosions
Storms and flooding
Theft or attempted theft
Impact by vehicles and aircraft
Malicious acts or vandalism
Emergency services
Falling trees, telegraph poles, lamp posts or pylons
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What's not covered
General wear and tear
Damage caused as a result of poor workmanship or neglect
Accidental damage — this can be added to your policy for an additional cost
Electrical or mechanical breakdown — for example, a fridge comes to the end of its life and stops working
Deliberate damage
Damage caused by pets
What type of second home insurance do you need?
Second home insurance might use a different policy, but it covers the same main things as regular home insurance:
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Contents insurance
Contents cover protects the possessions in your home. Some policies also cover certain belongings out of the home
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Buildings and contents insurance
Combined policies offer maximum protection under one policy and are often cheaper
Why do second homes require specialist cover?
Certain risks like theft, vandalism, and storm damage are more relevant to second homes because these properties are often left vacant for extended periods or located in remote areas, both of which increase vulnerability.
When a home is unoccupied, it's a more attractive target for thieves or vandals, as there's less chance of being caught or interrupted.
Signs of vacancy – like uncollected mail, no lights, or overgrown gardens – can draw attention to the property. Likewise, if a break-in or act of vandalism occurs, it might go unnoticed for days or weeks, leading to more extensive damage or loss.
Similarly, remote locations often lack close neighbours or quick access to emergency services, so issues like storm damage or water leaks can escalate before anyone notices, increasing repair costs and risks like mould or structural damage.
These factors are why insurers classify second homes as higher risk and require specialist cover.
Other types of second home insurance
There are certain types of property which don’t count as second homes for insurance purposes – and which will need a different type of policy to get them covered. If you own any of the following, second home insurance is not the right choice:
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Holiday homes
Holiday homes are unoccupied for most of the year, and require dedicated insurance cover for the extra risks they involve
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Rental properties
If you’re a landlord, you need to take out landlord insurance, because your property is constantly occupied by others
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Unoccupied property
Lots can go wrong in unoccupied homes, and any problems can get a lot worse without anyone there to fix things
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Unoccupied rentals
Unoccupied buy-to-let properties are in an insurance category all of their own, so you need a very specific policy
Optional upgrades and add-ons
Below are some of the common extras you can add to your second home insurance policy to get comprehensive cover:
Home emergency cover
Covers urgent issues like boiler breakdowns, burst pipes, or electrical failures. Since second homes are often unoccupied, discovering these problems late can make them worse. Emergency cover ensures fast access to tradespeople and reduces long-term damage.
Accidental damage
Protects against unintentional damage to your home or contents – for example, a cracked TV screen or spilt paint on the carpet. It’s especially useful if guests or renters use the property, or if you're not around to supervise repairs and upkeep.
Public liability cover
Public liability is essential if anyone visits or stays in the property (friends, guests, or paying renters). It covers you if someone is injured on your property or their belongings are damaged, and they make a claim against you – including legal fees and compensation.
Legal expenses
Covers the cost of legal advice or action, such as tenant disputes, boundary issues, or personal injury claims. Legal problems can be costly and complex, especially if you're not near the property or can’t deal with them personally.
Personal possessions cover
Personal possessions cover extends protection to items you take away from the second home (or keep inside it but use regularly), like laptops, jewellery, or sports equipment. This is helpful if you bring valuables on visits or leave them in the home between stays.
Alternative accommodation
Pays for temporary housing if your second home becomes uninhabitable due to fire, flood, or other insured damage. This is vital if you or guests are staying there at the time, or if you're relying on rental income and need to house tenants elsewhere.
Adding these extras gives you fuller protection and peace of mind – especially if the property is remote, often unoccupied, or used by others.
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How much does home insurance cost?
The cost of second home insurance varies depending on a number of factors, including:
Location
Second homes are often located in coastal or rural areas, which increases exposure to flooding, storms, or other natural risks.
Property type
Many second homes are period properties, cottages, or converted barns, which can be listed or built with non-standard materials (e.g. thatched roofs or timber frames). These buildings cost more to repair or restore.
Type of use
If you only use the home occasionally or leave it empty for long stretches, the risk of theft, water leaks, or undetected damage goes up – which raises premiums.
Level of cover
Second homes often benefit from additional cover like public liability (for renters), home emergency cover, and legal protection, especially if you're not nearby to deal with issues personally. These add-ons increase the premium but are often essential for the way second homes are used.
Claims history
A history of claims will increase your insurance cost. For second homes, claims are often higher due to late detection of damage, especially water-related incidents in unoccupied houses.
Excess
Choosing a higher voluntary excess can reduce your premium, but you’ll pay more out of pocket in the event of a claim. For second homes, where incidents might not be noticed immediately, this can be risky – insurers may also set higher mandatory excesses, particularly for escape of water or unoccupied periods.
Security devices
Second homes are more vulnerable to break-ins or vandalism, especially when left unoccupied. Lack of security could make cover invalid during long absences.
Rebuild value
Older or remote second homes often have higher rebuild costs due to specialist materials, labour shortages, or listed status.
Replacement cost (contents)
Many second homes are furnished with valuable but less-used items, such as second TVs, sound systems, or leisure gear. These may sit unused for months, increasing theft risk and requiring accurate contents valuations – higher replacement costs mean higher premiums.
The way you use your second home plays a major role in how much you pay for insurance.
If the home is used only for personal holiday stays, premiums tend to be lower compared to let properties. While unoccupancy still raises risks (like theft or leaks going undetected), insurers see less liability exposure since there are no paying guests.
By contrast, homes used for short-term rentals (like Airbnb) or long-term letting typically cost more to insure. Short-term lets involve a frequent turnover of guests, increasing the chances of accidental damage, theft, or liability claims.
Our expert says…
Second home insurance offers protection against risks such as fire, theft, and vandalism. While this type of insurance isn't a legal requirement, it's worth weighing up how much time you spend at the property, and whether or not you could afford to foot the bill for any damage yourself.
Our recent study found that the average settled claim amount for a fire was £16,102.88 between August 2023 and August 2024. When you consider that 51% of our customers paid £217.08 on average for an annual buildings insurance policy in July 2024, it makes financial sense to invest in a policy and give yourself peace of mind.
The latest claims data from the ABI also reveals that in the first three months of 2025 claims for damage to homes from adverse weather totalled £226 million, £80 million (55%) more than the weather-related claims payouts in the previous quarter.
David McDermottroe Insurance & Personal Finance Expert
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How to get cheaper second home insurance
Here are some of the ways you can save money on your second home insurance:
Increase your excess
Asking for a higher excess tells insurers that you’re less likely to make small claims, so you get a lower premium. However, be careful not to increase your excess so much that it becomes unaffordable. If an event happens where you need to claim for multiple incidents, you may need to pay your excess more than once, which is something to keep in mind.
Pay annually
Paying for your insurance annually usually works out cheaper than paying monthly, so it’s worth doing if you can afford to.
Build up your no-claims discount (NCD)
You can usually get a no-claims discount if you’ve gone several years without making a claim. Avoiding making small or frivolous claims can help you boost your discount and save on your insurance.
Improve your home security
Investing in security measures like a safe to keep your jewellery in can help reduce your premiums. Enhancing your home security is especially important if you live in a burglary hotspot.
Review your cover
Overinsuring yourself is a common way that people end up overspending on their insurance. By accurately calculating the value of your jewellery you can avoid making this mistake.
You should also take time when renewing your policy to make sure the value hasn't changed. Your cover won't change with inflation, so you will need to check that your policy still covers what it should.
Shop around
Prices vary between insurance companies, so get a range of quotes from different insurers to see how much you could save. Be clear about the level of cover you need to get accurate quotes and once you’ve found the best deal, don't forget to shop around when it's time to renew insurance.
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Can I have two home insurance policies?
Yes, you can have two home insurance policies, for two different properties. You can’t use a single home insurance policy to cover multiple properties. Each property must have its own separate policy.
This is because every home is unique in terms of structure, location, risk level, and usage. One might be your main residence in a city, while the other is a remote holiday cottage used only occasionally or rented out. These differences affect everything from rebuild cost and security needs to how often the home is occupied.
If you own two homes – your main residence and a second home – you’ll need two separate home insurance policies, each reflecting how that particular property is used.
Why do you need a different type of policy for second home insurance?
Even if you visit your second home regularly, you live in it for a lot less of the time than your main residence. This means there are certain additional risks.
For instance, a home that’s often unoccupied can be more attractive to thieves. What’s more, if anything goes wrong, like a broken window or a burst pipe, you might not be around to catch it early – meaning the repair bill could be much higher. Insurers take account of that in the premiums they offer you.
Can I insure a house I don't live in?
Yes, you can insure a house you don’t live in, but the type of insurance you need depends on how the property is used and how often it’s occupied. Insurers classify properties based on this, and it directly affects the kind of policy you’ll need.
A second home is a property you own but use occasionally for personal stays or holiday visits. These homes require second home or holiday home insurance, which covers risks associated with periodic occupancy and short-term absences.
If a property is completely unoccupied for an extended period (typically more than 60 days), with no intent to use it regularly or rent it out, it’s considered an unoccupied property. This requires unoccupied home insurance, which specifically covers the increased risks of long-term vacancy – like vandalism, undetected leaks, or squatters.
What makes somewhere your 'main residence'?
Everyone’s situation is different, but in law you must have a main residence. There are a few considerations for deciding on what constitutes this, including:
Where you live for longest
Where your family lives for the longest
Where you are registered to vote and pay tax
Where you keep your personal possessions
Is it more expensive to insure an empty house?
Yes, because there are many more things that can go wrong in a house that’s empty for a while. A burst pipe over winter can cause massive repair bills if you don’t see it for six months, for instance.
Houses need constant maintenance, and your insurance policy will reflect the additional potential costs.
What do I need to get a quote?
When you apply for a home insurance quote, insurers will ask you to provide your personal details and any existing policy documents, if applicable.
You will also be asked a number of questions about your house. Here are some things you will need to know:
Your home address and property type e.g. flat, terraced, or semi-detached house
Number of bedrooms
The structure of your home
Year the property was built
Whether the roof is flat or pitched
Details of any security alarms or systems
Total rebuild cost and value of the contents within your home
How does home insurance comparison work?
We do our best to make home insurance comparison easy. So, we go away and do all the hard work – we take the information you provide us, and we bring together all the quotes from our providers that are relevant to you.
We then allow you to compare policies on price, excess, Defaqto ratings, brand, the amount you’d be covered for, and you’ll also be able to see if any add-ons are included as standard with each policy.
Our quotes will take you through to the provider website, but you can always call the numbers provided if you’d prefer to speak to someone about the policy you’re interested in.
How do I insure items I take between homes?
To insure items you take between homes - like laptops, jewellery, cameras, or clothing - you’ll need to add personal possessions cover (also called personal belongings cover) to your home insurance policy.
This optional add-on extends your contents insurance to cover items outside the insured property, including when you carry them between your main home and second home, or use them while travelling. It protects against loss, theft, or accidental damage anywhere in the UK - and sometimes abroad, depending on the policy.
Do I need special insurance if my second home is unoccupied for long periods?
Yes – if your second home is unoccupied for long periods (typically more than 30 to 60 consecutive days), you’ll likely need specialist unoccupied home insurance or a second home policy that specifically allows for extended vacancy.
Standard home or second home insurance often comes with unoccupancy limits. After a certain number of days, cover may be reduced or excluded altogether for key risks like theft, escape of water, vandalism, or storm damage, since these problems can go unnoticed and worsen over time.
What insurance do I need for a buy-to-let property?
For a buy-to-let property, you’ll need landlord insurance – not standard home insurance – because the property is used to generate rental income and is occupied by tenants, not you.
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