This category is for Boshers Insurance News and articles about Boshers the Holiday Home Insurance Specialists. They are of interest to owners of holiday homes, cottages and holiday complexes across the UK which are used for holiday letting.

Articles include updates on Boshers and news and notifications about the insurance market of interest to owners of holiday lets.

Check out these posts, using technology to give you a better insurance service, Boshers listed in the Top 100 Short Term vacation rental Blogs and Holiday Homeowners encouraged to take action as wintry weather takes hold.

water leaks

Preventing water leaks

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water leaksPreventing damage from water leaks

Each year, water leaks produce enough water to fill almost 4,000 Olympic sized swimming pools, and create millions of pounds of damage. As the weather gets colder, holiday homes are often left empty for longer periods during this time of year, hence the risk of water leaks is only increased.

FREE Water Leak Action Pack

To help you try to avoid leaks in your holiday home and to help your guests act quickly if one is discovered, we’re sending every one of our holiday home insurance policyholders a Water Leak Action Pack which contains:

  • Guidance on preventing water leaks
  • What to do if you, your housekeeper or guests discover a leak
  • Somewhere to record where your stopcock is to be found
  • Labels and stickers to clearly mark your stopcock
  • Somewhere to record contact numbers incase of a leak

Once you have used the contents and recorded the important numbers the Water Leak Action Pack can be slipped into your holiday cottage welcome folder as useful aide memoir.

New customers will receive the pack when you take out a holiday home insurance policy. Existing customers will be sent one with your renewal receipt. If you can’t wait until your policy is due for renewal or if we usually correspond with you by email, contact us now and we’ll behappy to post one to you without delay.

Common causes of water leaks

Here we explain some of the common causes of water leaks in your holiday home and how you can combat them to ensure your cottage is always ready for your visitors.

Pipework failure

One of the most common causes of water leaks is pipework failure. The issue will often occur at the joint at which one pipe meets with another. Most noteworthy is where flexible hose tails have failed. These are often used on wash basins, and to connect washing machines and dishwashers. Valves and ball cocks are also prone to failure, with all resulting in leaks that can have the potential to escalate quickly if not identified, which is an issue in unoccupied holiday homes that are not regularly checked.

Reasons for pipework failure

The failure can occur for a number of reasons; copper pipes are prone to corrosion over time, whilst poor workmanship can leave you with pipes that aren’t fit for use and ultimately cause big problems.  It’s important to state here that if any alterations or additions are made to the pipework of your holiday home then they should be carried out by a qualified and reputable professional.

Freezing pipes

The most common of all causes of damage to pipework is freezing, which is why it’s vital that your pipes are sufficiently lagged, the heating is left on to maintain a minimum temperature throughout your holiday home to prevent pipes freezing or your water is turned off and the system is drained.

The temperatures have already dropped so if your holiday home is currently unoccupied then ensure these steps have been taken.

What to do if you find a leak

If you discover a suspected leak, it is vital that you take immediate action. The potential water loss from a burst pipe can be as much as 400 litres every hour; that’s about 4 full bath tubs of water, which if left floating around your cottage is going to quickly begin doing some serious damage.

Step one: Turn off the water supply and electrics

First port of call is always to turn off your water supply at the main stopcock; make sure you know where it is located so you can get to it as quickly as possible and have clear instructions for anyone looking after your property to do so. You will also need to turn off the electrics and heating to prevent any further damage or risk of fire.

Step two: drain the water system and take safe action

Next, drain the water system using the taps within the property, ensuring that the system is empty and no more water can leak and cause damage and empty the contents that are at risk and move them into a dry area.

If water is coming through the ceiling, collect it in a suitable receptacle. Similarly, if the ceiling is bulging you can consider piercing it to release the water. Furthermore this may help prevent the ceiling from collapsing. With both of these situations, only carry out the action if it is completely safe to do so.

Preventing leaks

The best way to stop leaks is to prevent it from happening at all. There are several measures you can take to keep your holiday let safe from water damage.

Measure one: Check your stopcock and systems on a regular basis

Checking your stopcock periodically can make things a lot easier if you do get a leak in the future. Check that it turns on and off easily; a stiff stopcock only adds extra worry to an already stressful situation.

Alongside checking the stopcock, regularly inspect and maintain your systems. Use an accredited plumber to inspect your pipework, in addition change washers and fix leaking taps without delay. You will also need to check water tanks and cylinders for any corrosion.

Measure two: Identify any high risk areas in your holiday cottage

Walk through your holiday home and identify any high risk areas and exposed pipework as these exposed pipes could be at risk of freezing, so will need proper insulation and lagging.

Measure three: Empty property procedures

If your holiday let is left empty for an extended period of time, isolate and drain down the water supply. Also, ensure that heating is properly maintained. Check that sink plugs are not left in, as water from any dripping taps could build up and cause issues.

Measure four: Helping your guests

We also recommend that you provide guests with important information on what to do should a leak occur, especially relevant:

  • Instructions of where to find the stopcock
  • Emergency contact information

Use your Water Leak Action Pack and follow these simple guidelines to prevent water leaks from turning into a bigger problem. Finally contact your holiday home insurance claims line without delay as they’ll provide you with advice and guidance and appoint specialists to help dry out and repair your property. Afterall you’ll want to get your holiday home up and running again without delay.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. We’re here to help and support you as a holiday homeowner. If you require advice or an insurance quote please give us a call on 01237 429444.

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Ecclesiastical Insurance

Meet our scheme underwriter | Ecclesiastical Insurance

Ecclesiastical Insurance We like to be upfront, which is why we’re clear about who underwrites our Holiday Home Insurance policy. We’ve worked with Ecclesiastical Insurance for over 25 years. We’re proud to have a great professional connection with one of the most ethical and trusted providers in the business.

It’s important that you know who Ecclesiastical are, so here is a list of facts about the insurer who provides one of the most comprehensive holiday home insurance policies in our industry:

  1. They have a high customer satisfaction rate

Ecclesiastical recently topped Fairer Finance’s home insurance customer satisfaction survey. They received a 73% customer happiness rating. This score is almost 15% higher than the Bank of Scotland, who came second.

  1. Insurance Company of the Year

Ecclesiastical were the proud winners of Insurance Company of the year at the 2016 Better Society Awards. The ceremony celebrates the efforts that commercial companies make in order to help create a better society.

  1. 93.5% claims acceptance

You will want an insurance policy that supports you when things go wrong. Ecclesiastical accepts 14.5% more claims than the industry average of (79%), most noteworthy 99% of UK customers are satisfied with how claims are handled*.

  1. One of the only companies with the CommunityMark

Ecclesiastical gives back to the community and do so in a number of ways. As one of only 34 companies in the UK with the Business in Community Mark, they are recognised for their leadership and excellence in community investment.

  1. They’ve donated £50million in two years

Ecclesiastical Insurance is a commercial business with a charitable purpose, granting a significant proportion of profits to their charitable owner the Allchurches Trust. As fantastic supporters of charity, between 2014 and 2016 they donated £50million to good causes and aim to give a further £100million by the end of 2020.

  1. Leading insurer for Grade I listed buildings

If your holiday let is a Grade I Listed building, then you really are in safe hands. No other insurer in the UK is better for protecting heritage properties, leading the way in listed buildings, meaning their specialist knowledge of a Grade I listed building’s needs is second to none.

  1. Chartered Insurer

Ecclesiastical is one of the few insurers awarded Chartered Status by the Chartered Insurance Institute which means that they are recognised as demonstrating a commitment to professionalism. Above all this places them in an exclusive group of less than 200 UK insurance businesses.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance underwritten by Ecclesiastical Insurance. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday cottage business give us a call on 01237 429444.

Boshers are proud to be one of a limited number of UK brokers to offer Ecclesiastical Home Insurance:

* souce Ecclesiastical claims satisfaction survey 2015

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UK Tourism to cut red tape following £40m investment boost

discover-england-fund-delivering-world-class-product-8-638The UK tourism industry is being given a big boost thanks to a £40 million investment by the Government. The announcement follows a record breaking year in UK tourism, during which 36 million overseas visitors spent £22.1 billon (2015 figures).

The first grants from the Discover England fund have been awarded to a range of projects across the country. The government wants them to join together and create offers that will attract visitors from around the world. Thus showing that there is more to do in England than just the typical tourist attractions in London.

The money will be spread across culture and sport. From festivals to golf courses, the grants will be used to support local businesses and ensure that Britain remains a top destination for visitors from across the globe. The focus is on attractions and things to do rather than facilities and accommodation.

Tourism Action Plan to boost UK tourism

This exciting investment comes alongside a new Tourism Action Plan which is comprised of new measures and initiatives to help Britain welcome more international visitors and increase “staycations” as Brits holiday at home. The initiatives include a tourism rail offer with five easy to book rail itineraries in order to encourage and help tourists to travel around the UK. The plan also addresses the seasonal nature of the industry, and a flexible apprenticeship scheme which takes place over 16-18 months rather than the traditional 12.

Holiday home owners will also be happy to hear that red tape will be be cut. Licensing will be changed to allow owners to offer guests a welcome drink, which has been a long time in the waiting for those of you who wish to supply these without in welcome packs with less legislative fuss. There will also be changes to vehicle licensing which will allow accommodation providers such as bed & breakfast and holiday cottage owners to pick up visitors from coach and train stations (subject to the approval of their car insurance provider of course). We’ll report the detail of these changes as the legislation is amended.

As well as grants and red tape cuts, the scheme to boost UK tourism is supported by industry partners. This includes a £10.2 million partnership between VisitBritain and Expedia to market Britain to key markets such as the USA, Germany, and France.

The boost is welcomed by Prime Minister Theresa May, “Tourism is vitally important to the UK and the sector goes from strength to strength. Our stunning scenery, centuries-old monuments and cultural traditions continue to draw visitors from both home and abroad.” She added “We will make sure Britain is even more attractive, accessible and welcoming to visitors.”

So what does this mean for holiday homeowners? Well, as you’ve probably realised, this is a great opportunity for an increased number of visitors and guests. The attractions and organisations around you will be marketing the area to potential visitors, whilst large companies such as Expedia will be marketing to a worldwide audience. Combine this with easier rail travel and red tape cuts and it’ll become much easier for you to do the special extras that will really make your property stand out to visitors. Also remember that we all need to pull together in marketing and promoting our destinations; we’re all in this industry together and the more we work with each other, the greater the impact of our efforts.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support you if you’re buying a holiday cottage to let, please give us a call on 01237 429444.

For further information on UK holiday home insurance visit the website page most relevant to you:

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Insurance Act Law

What difference does the Insurance Act make to me?

Insurance Act LawApplying to all commercial contracts of insurance and variations to existing contracts of insurance from the 12th August 2016, the Insurance Act 2015 introduces the biggest reform to insurance contract law in more than a century.

You have always had a duty to disclose all ‘Material Facts’, but the new Insurance Act changes this requirement to a ‘Fair Presentation of the Risk’, which means that, in addition to carefully answering any and all questions, you need to advise us of all the information an underwriter might need to evaluate the risks in your business and quote relevant acceptance terms and the premium.

Crucially, the Insurance Act increases the number and range of people that are ‘caught’ by this new requirement and you will need to ask, not only your Directors and Principals, but major shareholders and Senior Managers within your business to disclose criminal convictions, previous liquidations and bankruptcies, county court judgements and other adverse financial issues, as well as disclosing similar issues for the company itself that have or could in the future, affect the integrity or reputation of your business. This is called a Reasonable Search under the Act and would also include material information about your company which might be held by the company’s professional advisers, such as accountants and solicitors.

You know your business and the risks that your business faces. The underwriter does not know your business, but he is expected to have some general knowledge about the trades he writes insurance for, so you must make clear the things that he doesn’t know. This could be things specific to your business that increase the risk of a loss occurring; the processes or practices that make your business different (your USP); or your future plans for the business.

Fair Presentation of Risk also requires that you ensure sums insured, indemnity limits and any other figures, such as wageroll or profit figures are accurate and provided in good faith and, although we cannot value your property for you, we will advise you of the basis of calculation for sums insured and will, on request, give you details of external experts, such as surveyors and valuers, whom you may wish to consult.

Taking the time and effort to gather this information will enable us to assist you in preparing a presentation to insurers in a clear and accessible form. You must ask us if you don’t understand any questions asked of you, or if there is any information that we provide to you which you feel is unclear. The changes in disclosure requirements mean that there is a greater breadth & scope of information that you need to provide if we are to obtain cover to protect your business and provide you with peace of mind that you are properly covered.

There are pros and cons to the new Law, but simply put, if you tell your insurer everything they need to know and comply with the terms of your policy, then they will have to pay your claim.

Because this is a new piece of Law, as your Agent, we need to help to make you aware of the change and understand the increased disclosure requirements. That is the reason for this briefing notice, and also the reason we will read to you our disclosure script prior to providing you with an insurance quotation. It’s important that you understand your new obligations as our named contact within your business who will take on the responsibility for ensuring that your disclosure obligations are being met.

The positive side of the Insurance Act is that, if you have given the insurer all of the information required, then you should receive fairer treatment in the event of a claim.

If, despite your best efforts, something arises to suggest that the risk presentation to underwriters was not fair, as long as you were not reckless* or deliberately withheld information in the presentation, Insurers will now have to consider whether the change in information would have affected the premium, terms, or their decision whether to accept the risk.

Previously such incidents would have invariably led to the policy automatically being cancelled, even if the information was unrelated to the loss, but under the Insurance Act a range of ‘proportionate remedies’ will apply, which means;

  • if they would have charged a higher premium, then your claim would be reduced

in proportion to the amount paid;

  • if they would have applied different terms, then those terms will apply back to

the inception of the policy;

  • if they would have refused to offer insurance, then your policy would be cancelled

and the premium refunded to you

BUT, if the non-disclosure would not have affected their decision to insure you, and the rate and terms would have remained unchanged, then your claim will be paid in full.

*Reckless means you didn’t check information when giving it, and fraudulent (deliberate) non-disclosures will still enable the insurer to, not only void the policy, but also to keep the premium you have paid, so it is important that you make sure that all material information and facts are properly and clearly disclosed.

The customer’s position is also generally improved in the event of a claim in which a totally unconnected warranty or policy condition has been breached

The position on warranties is also changed under the Act to achieve a fairer outcome and, although you must still comply with these strict conditions throughout the policy term (and advise us or the insurer if at any time you are unable to do so!), a claim would only be refused if the breach of warranty affected the risk of the loss occurring, in the circumstances in which it occurred. This is an improvement on the previous legislation which permitted insurers to void the policy for any breach of warranty.

However, breach of a warranty which IS related to the loss, such as failure to set a burglar alarm under an alarm warranty in which the burglary may have been prevented had the alarm been operating, would still mean your claim would not be paid. Under these circumstances, the cover related to the breach of warranty would be suspended so that the claim is not covered, however when the breach is remedied (i.e. the alarm is reactivated) cover would be reinstated from that point.

Insurers will also have to pay claims promptly

Another improvement is that, from May 2017, Insurers will have a legal obligation to pay claims ‘promptly’ or suffer possible damages claims. This doesn’t prevent an insurer from properly investigating a claim, but does mean that other delays should be minimised.

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Storms flooding

Feeling the impact of UK storms

On the 8th September 2015, the Met Office announced they would begin naming storms expected to affect the UK and Ireland. Few of us could have quite expected the pace at which we would run through the alphabet; the nation braced itself for Abigail on 10th November, and before the end of the year we were already feeling the full force of Storm Frank! As I write this Storm Gertrude is battering our shores.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has now revealed the full scale of the impact devastating floods caused by Storm Desmond, Eva and Frank have had on the UK:

  • 3,000: The number of families currently in alternative accommodation whilst their homes are repaired.
  • £50,000: The average expected pay out for each domestic flood claim.
  • £24,000,000: The amount of emergency payments already made to domestic customers (£9m) and businesses (£15m) to help them recover from flooding.
  • £1.3bn: The estimated figure expected to be paid out by insurance companies to those affected by flooding damage.

How does this compare to the storms of 2013/14?

For many the tidal flooding and storm damage experienced two winters ago will still be fresh in the memory. The storms, which hit the South West of the country particularly hard, led to an estimated £6.7m in claims per day.

The projected damage of these recent storms is already expected to hit £1.3bn, a staggering £300m more than in 2014, with the average cost of flood damage per household going up from £31,000 to £50,000.

Here’s an interesting infographic on the damage caused in 2014 – Flooding 2013/14 – The Numbers

Storms flooding

Why you need specialist insurance

If you’re a holiday homeowner and have been affected by the storms or flooding it’s important that your insurance policy is there to support you and your unique set of circumstances.

The impact of storms and flooding will be felt by those affected for many weeks and months after the television cameras have packed up and gone home.

For holiday homeowners’ the consequences can be potentially catastrophic; what happens to those bookings you’ve already gained? Will you be back up and running by Easter, or even the start of the summer season? When will you be able to put an exact date on when you’ll be back in business and be able to accept bookings?

Loss of rental income

Our Loss of Income cover means you’ll not need to fit the bill for the potential loss of bookings or cancellations you have to make while restoring your holiday home to its former glory.

We’ll even be able to look at the bookings taken for a similar period in previous years in order to make sure you get the right amount of cover for the losses you’re incurring.

We also appreciate that things can’t be achieved overnight; for that reason our own indemnity extends to two years, which is plenty of time to get you back on your feet.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday home business, please give us a call on 01237 429444.

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Insurance Premium Tax

Insurance premium tax increase

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Insurance Premium Tax In the Summer Budget, announced 8th July 2015, the Chancellor confirmed an increase of 3.5% in the standard rate of insurance Premium Tax (IPT). The increase is effective for new policies and renewals due on or after the 1st November 2015.

The standard rate of Insurance Premium Tax – the tax paid each time an insurance policy is purchased in the UK – is rising from 6% to 9.5%.

This change will affect the majority of insurance policies purchased by private individuals and small businesses for risks located in the UK.

Affected insurance policies with a start date after 31 October will have IPT charged at the new rate. This will increase the cost of a Holiday Home Insurance policy with a net premium of £500 by £17.50 bringing the total premium to £547.50 including Insurance Premium Tax at 9.5%.

If you are an existing Boshers holiday home insurance customer, with a policy start date before the 1st November 2015 and you need to make a change to your policy mid-term, you will continue to have the 6% rate applied until 1st March 2016. After this date, the rate will be 9.5%.

Higher rate IPT remains unchanged at 20% and applies to:

  • travel insurance
  • warranties for some mechanical and electrical goods

According to the Treasury the IPT increase will bring in an additional £8.1bn for the Treasury by 2021*. This was the second largest revenue raiser in the Summer Budget.

Insurance Premium Tax was first introduced to the UK in 1994. The rise on 1 November is the 4th increase in the standard rate since its introduction.

  • From 1 October 1994, a single rate of 2.5% was charged
  • 1 April 1997: increased to 4%
  • 1 July 1999: increased to 5%
  • 4 January 2011: increased to 6%
  • 1 November 2015: increased to 9.5%

*This is according to HMRC’s own figures summarising the impact of the move

The IPT increase is one of the chancellors more controversial revenue raising measures and the government has come under fire from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) who will continue to lobby to halt further increases. One of the justifications made by Mr Osbourne to justify the increase was that the UK’s insurance premium tax is well below that of other countries, for example Germany levies 19%.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday home business, please give us a call on 01237 429444.

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Richfords Fire and Flood

Holiday home insurance claim from the restoration companies perspective

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In this article we look closely at a holiday home insurance claim from the restoration companies perspective.

Holiday Home in Cornwall

Richfords Fire and Flood

The property is a terraced house split into 3 holiday flats, all of which had suffered a vertical Escape of Water (clean) in April. All three of the flats are used as holiday properties and had summer bookings, therefore the property needed to be restored as soon as possible to minimise the loss of rental income.

The Holiday Home Insurance Claim | Escape of Water causing a Vertical Flood

On the 7th of April a vertical flood was discovered as a result of a leaking pipe under the bath in the 2nd floor bathroom (Flat 3); Water escaped downwards in to 1st floor (Flat 2) and ground floor (Flat 1).

As a result of this leak there was a lot of work that needed to be carried out to restore the apartments, one of the first things being a check of the electrical circuit. This was to ensure that the electrics were safe and that water damage had not compromised them. If it had been found that they had been affected by the water, a temporary board would have been installed so that there was no further risk of electrocution or fire, as well as enabling the drying equipment to run safely and the occupants to have a safe electricity supply.

First response

The loss adjusting company first called Richfords in the morning of the 8th of April. Within two hours Richfords senior technician attended site with a fully equipped response vehicle and was immediately able to assess the incident.

Upon arrival our technician carried out a thorough survey of the property and found that the construction of the floors in the apartments could trap moisture from the incident leading to secondary damage.

Initial Concerns and Damage Limitation

The technician removed the wet and damaged carpets as soon as possible, to prevent any further damage to the flooring. Also trying to save the carpet so it can be cleaned and refitted rather than being left wet, which could result in the carpet being written off and having to be replaced. We also lifted the kitchens vinyl so save the cost of replacement. As this an uncommon kind of floor insulation, it would be a challenge, but one that we are capable of dealing with.

Standing water was extracted to prevent secondary damage from happening. The technician quickly installed state of the art dehumidifiers to reduce the humidity, followed by specialist injection drying. This technique is used to release trapped moisture and avoids the disruption and cost of removal of the insulation and screed.

Installation | Ground Floor Lounge and Kitchen

  • In both the Lounge and the Kitchen we Installed Kruger Air drying into the plasterboard to release any trapped moisture, once the walls had been dried we would then fill the holes in preparing them for redecoration.
  • Installing Kruger Air drying into the floating floor and filling of the holes once dry, to save the cost of replacement.
  • We also refitted the carpet and underlay once the building was dry and cleaned the carpet to save the cost of replacement.

First Floor Lounge and Kitchen

  • Unfortunately we were unable to save the Vinyl, Carpet.
  • In both the lounge and the kitchen we Installed Kruger Air injection drying system into the plasterboard to release any trapped moisture, once the walls had been dried we would then fill the holes in preparing them for redecoration.
  • Installing Kruger Air drying into the floating floor and filling of the holes once dry, to save the cost of replacement.
  • Removal of kitchen units/breakfast bar and bookcase. Lifting of existing chipboard floor plus two layers of plasterboard and insulation layer (approx 25sqm) and replace. Refit kitchen units, breakfast bar and bookcase.

Second Floor Bathroom

  • The floor had bowed therefore we had to remove the entire floor and replace it.

Conclusion

In total the drying project took 20 days. The quick response by the owner of the property in notifying the claim to their holiday home insurers resulted in Richfords being able to respond to this incident within hours.

The use of modern drying equipment and specialist injection drying resulted in a short project time scale and helped to keep the financial loss to a minimum. In addition the use of injection drying has reduced the possibility of trapped moisture causing further building issues in the future. All three of the holiday letting apartments were up and running again by the 25th May and occupied by paying guests.

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday home business, please give us a call on 01237 429444.

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For further information on UK holiday home insurance visit the website page most relevant to you:

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Boshers support annual Gas Safety Week

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Boshers are delighted to announce that we’re supporting Gas Safety Week (15th – 21st September)

Gas Safety Week

Gas Safety Week is an annual safety week to raise awareness of gas safety and the importance of taking care of the gas appliances in your home, holiday home or buy-to-let property.

It is co-ordinated by Gas Safe Register, the official list of gas engineers who are legally allowed to work on gas.

Why are we supporting Gas Safety Week?

  • There were 219 reported gas safety incidents in the UK last year.
  •  343 people suffered injuries as a result of those incidents.

10 people died from gas accidents in 2013, with nine of those related to carbon monoxide poisoning.

CO (carbon monoxide) poisoning is one of the most common causes of injury, accounting for nine of the 10 UK deaths in the past year.

As an invisible gas it can often be too late; the consequences of not being thorough and on top of gas safety in your holiday home can be fatal and tragic.

Checks for holiday home owners to complete at the end of the summer season 

  • Check your CO alarm

This should be checked on a regular basis and the batteries replaced. This also applies to systems that are hard wired to your holiday home, which will in most circumstances have back up battery power.

Keep a log of when you change batteries and inspect the alarm for future reference.

  • Where are your gas appliance instructions? 

Instructions to all gas appliances, including barbeques and your CO alarm, should be readily available and easy to find.  Ensure they’re still available for guests and that they are in a legible form and free from any damage incurred during the summer. 

  • Get your appliances inspected by a Gas Safe Registered Engineer

Any gas boiler or other gas appliance in your holiday home should undergo a gas safety check by a Gas Safe Registered Engineer every year.

The Gas Safe Register is the official list of gas engineers who are qualified to work safely and legally on gas appliances. By law, all gas engineers must be on the Gas Safe Register, which replaced CORGI registration.

Before any gas work is carried out always check the engineers ID card and make sure the engineer is qualified for the work you need doing.

You can find a local registered engineer by visiting www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk or by calling 0800 408 5500 and speaking to a Gas Safe advisor.

  • Review the way you communicate gas safety with your guests

Holiday homeowners are perhaps in a unique position, where they often live away from their property but have people regularly inhabiting their home and using their gas appliances.

Remember that the appliances in your holiday property will likely to be different to those that your visitors use in their own home. This means communication on how to use them safely is vital.

Be proactive; resolve any issues that have arisen from your procedures but don’t wait for incidents to happen. Always look to improve the way you communicate gas safety with your guests.

  • Ensure future checks are in place

The summer is an incredibly busy time for our property owners. With bookings, arrivals, change-overs and a multitude of other tasks on the to-do list things can fall through the cracks as there’s not enough hours in the day.

Make sure that you schedule your gas checks now to ensure they’re still a priority when things get busy.

We hope that you and your guests enjoyed a very good summer season and are already looking forward to the next!

Boshers offer specialist holiday home insurance to owners across the UK. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday home business, please give us a call on 01237 429444.

*Please note that the list included within this article is not exhaustive.

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Opportunity for holiday home owners to protect from the threat of hackers

iStock_000013656730MediumInternet access via personal computers, tablets or mobile devices is an essential communication tool for all those letting their holiday homes to guests whether owner managed or let via a holiday home letting agency. Any disruption caused by computer viruses or malware is at the least a real inconvenience and worst, very costly. There is an opportunity for holiday home owners to protect from the threat of hackers, read on to learn more.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) is urging individuals and businesses to protect themselves against powerful malicious software (malware), costing UK computer users millions of pounds.

The NCA in collaboration with other agencies, led by the FBI in the US has weakened a  global network of infected computers, giving UK computer owners a unique, two-week opportunity to rid and safeguard themselves from two distinct but associated forms of malware known as GOZeuS and CryptoLocker.

Members of the public can protect themselves by:

  • making sure security software is installed and updated
  • running regular scans
  • checking that computer operating systems and applications are up to date
  • think twice before clicking on links or attachments in unsolicited emails

GOZeuS has been responsible for the fraudulent transfer of hundreds of millions of pounds globally. By disrupting the system used by the infected computers to communicate with each other, and the criminals controlling them, this activity aims to significantly reduce the malware’s effectiveness.

Individuals in the UK may receive notifications from their Internet Service Providers that they are a victim of this malware and are advised to back up all important information – such as files, photography and videos. Businesses should test their disaster recovery systems and work with their IT suppliers to educate employees on the potential threat.

Get Safe Online is providing advice, guidance and tools on its website at www.getsafeonline.org/nca to help internet users understand more about the malicious software and how to protect themselves and their computers from attacks. A number of cyber security companies have supplied remediation tools, which can be accessed via Get Safe Online, to help clean up infected machines.

GOZeuS and CryptoLocker

Users are typically infected by clicking on attachments or links in emails which may look like they have been sent by genuine contacts and may purport to carry invoices, voicemail messages, or any file made to look innocuous. These emails are generated by other victims’ computers, who do not realise they are infected, and are used to send mass emails creating more victims.

If the file or link is clicked on an unprotected computer, GOZeuS is downloaded and installed and it will then link the victim’s computer to a network of already-infected machines, known as a BotNet.

The malware waits silently, monitoring the user’s activity until the opportunity arises to capture banking or other private information, which is then transmitted back to the criminals via the BotNet infrastructure.

Where a computer infected with GOZeuS turns out not to offer a significant financial reward, it can ‘call in’ CryptoLocker, to give the criminal controllers a second opportunity to acquire funds from the victim.

CryptoLocker works unseen in the background, encrypting the user’s files. Once that process is complete, the victim is presented with a pop-up telling them what has happened and a timer appears on their screen, which starts counting down. That is the time the victim has in order to pay a ‘discounted’ ransom, currently one Bitcoin (£200-£300 approximately) for UK users.

The NCA has been working with international law enforcement partners including the FBI and Europol, as well as partners from the banking, internet security and ISP sectors.

Information on ensuring security software is up to date can be found at Get Safe Online and Cyber Streetwise

Members of the public who think they have lost money through malware such as P2PZeus and Cryptolocker should report it to Action Fraud.

Boshers are specialist providers of insurance to holiday homes and cottages. For more information on how a specialist insurer can help and support your holiday home please give us a call on 01237 429444.

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Why using a specialist is key

The benefits of a holiday home insurance specialist

Boshers Ltd Holiday Home Insurance Team

Specialist is a word that is often used and it’s one that means a lot to us as a company.  We are specialists; we’ve been specialising in offering insurance to holiday homeowners across the UK for more than 20 years. Here are our thoughts on why using a specialist is key.

We believe that with specialism comes an understanding of the issues holiday homeowners are facing and it’s this level of familiarity that means we strive to be a value added service to your holiday home; a trusted adviser rather than just a service provider.

After all, life as a holiday homeowner isn’t always plain sailing.  Dealing with issues from a distance, the increasingly volatile nature of the seasonal weather and an industry in which a large percentage of trade is done during the summer months means you’ll have plenty on your plate.

Having the right insurance cover can become another on a long list of things to do and to get right.  What we strive to do is make sure this item on your list is very much ticked off so you can focus your time and commitment on offering your visitors the very highest level of standards you provide.

With 396 years of combined experience we know the industry

On average each member of the Boshers insurance team has in excess of 30 years experience working with holiday homeowners.

We think we’ve seen pretty much everything we could do over the years and that gives us a unique opportunity to be proactive, to understand what it is you need from your insurer and identify the insurance you need, along with things you might not have thought of.

With insurance it’s no good flagging up issues once they have happened.  You want to know you’re covered for what you need to be and that your insurer understands your needs.

Speaking to the same person each time

What this experience also brings is a level of continuity to our service.  The likelihood is that the person you spoke to last time is the person you’ll speak to next time.  You’ll never be passed from pillar to post.

Developing long-term relationships is a key factor in attracting people back to your property time and time again.  These same long-term relationships are the bedrock for our insurance services, and along with the level of service we provide holiday homeowners with has helped us to have one of the best retention rates in the insurance business.

We believe in specialism and we believe in helping property owners.

We look forward to helping you.

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