INSURANCE FOR YOU | PROPERTY

Second Home Insurance

Many people take out a home insurance policy on their second home without telling the insurance provider that the property isn’t their main residence. This can be a real problem because of the terms and conditions on standard home insurance policies.

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Why choose us?

45 years' Experience

Expertise of arranging cover for second homes and understand pitfalls.

Accurate Sum Insured

Rebuild Valuation service that ensures the building sum insured is accurate.

Dedicated Claims Service

Our claims department will help you every step of the way.

Issues Insuring Second Homes

Very often, you’ll want to do things with your second home that you wouldn’t with a full-time residence. For example, you might:

  • Leave your second home unoccupied for long periods
  • Let or lend out your property as a holiday home
  • Rent out your second home on a longer term basis.

These things might break the terms of an ordinary insurance policy, so you wouldn’t be covered if something happened. We’ll work with you to understand your needs and ensure the cover is on the right basis and with correct insurer.

Issues Insuring Second Homes

Very often, you’ll want to do things with your second home that you wouldn’t with a full-time residence. For example, you might:

  • Leave your second home unoccupied for long periods
  • Let or lend out your property as a holiday home
  • Rent out your second home on a longer term basis.

These things might break the terms of an ordinary insurance policy, so you wouldn’t be covered if something happened. We’ll work with you to understand your needs and ensure the cover is on the right basis and with correct insurer.

Second home insurance covers

Standard covers to consider in all circumstances will probably include:

Building Insurance

Buildings insurance covers the physical structure of your property – essentially the bricks and mortar of the building, and any permanent fittings or fixtures.

Contents Insurance

Contents insurance covers the items in your home if they’re damaged or stolen – and some policies also cover your contents while you’re away from home.

Legal Protection

This covers you for almost any legal expense that results from owning a home, from conveyancing, inheritance and probate, to disputes with neighbours or tradespeople

Home Emergency

Home emergency protects you against flooding and fire, but an emergency add-on includes callouts or replacement parts if the plumbing or heating breaks down, or if you snap your key off in your lock

Accidental Damage

Accidents do happen, but they’re not always covered. Accidental damage protects your possessions from everyday mishaps.

Unoccupied

Many home insurance policies don’t cover homes that are unoccupied for more than 30 days. This is because there’s likely to be a higher risk of theft or of damage going unseen. If you only plan to visit the premises at the weekends or to leave the property unoccupied for longer periods than 30 days then you need to make sure that your policy is with an insurer that is comfortable with this.

Holiday Let

If you plan to let out your second home as a holiday home, you need to tell the insurers as this is seen as a different risk. People who stay in other people’s property tend not to be as careful. Also, as the owner of the property you could be held responsible if a holidaymaker got injured on your property and so will need Property Owners Liability Insurance to cover you for damage or injury to another person or their property and to cover the associated damage and legal costs. You may also want to add in some Loss of Rent cover. This will protect your income from rentals if something happens at the property that means it cannot be rented out.

Long Term Let

Landlord insurance is designed to cover you for the specific issues that landlords face.  Additional covers that you might need to consider include Property Owners Liability Insurance, Loss of Rent cover and Alternative Accommodation.

Overseas Properties

In these circumstances you will need to deal with an insurer who specialises in the insurance of overseas properties. RK Henshall can help you with this.

Simply pick up the phone today and contact one of our personal lines account handlers on 01270 758070 who will talk you through all requirements. Or contact us here. Feel safe in our hands.

‘I have insured my holiday home for a number of years with RK Henshall and Co Ltd. When I first approached them, they did a full review of my current cover and advised me that I needed to add in cover for Loss of Rent. I now feel comfortable that I am fully insured on the correct basis’

Carol Godfrey

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Telephone: +44 (0)1270 758070
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R.K. Henshall © 2025

R K Henshall & Co Ltd are Independent Intermediaries and are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registration Number: 308865. Directors: J.R. Henshall B.A.(Hons) ACII Cert CII (FS), A.J.Simpson ACII, A.Brown FCCA. Written quotations, policy terms, conditions and exclusions are available on request.
Company Secretary: A.Brown FCCA. Registered No. 01285024

R K Henshall are very proud to support Lupus UK. Lupus UK is a charity very close to our hearts. Unfortunately, Nita Davies who had been a stalwart of our company from it’s very beginning lost her battle against this terrible illness in 2013. Lupus UK is the only National Charity which supports people with the immune system illness. (Registered charity nos. 1051610, SC039682) Click here to read more about Lupus UK.