• Over two-fifths (42 per cent) of people say they treat rented holiday accommodation with less respect than their own home
• A quarter (25 per cent) of holidaymakers do not admit to any damages they’ve caused to the property owner
• Spilled drinks and food on carpets or furnishings (19 per cent), damaging appliances (15 per cent) or furniture (14 per cent) are some of the most frequent types of incidents  

One in ten (11 per cent) holidaymakers have accidentally caused damage to a UK holiday home according to new research by Direct Line business insurance¹ , with one in five (19 per cent) causing accidental damage of £200 or more.

Worryingly, a quarter (25 per cent) of people who cause damage do not admit this to the property owner. Of these, almost a third (30 per cent) felt too embarrassed to own up, 29 per cent did not want to pay for the damage and over a fifth (23 per cent) did not think the damage was significant enough to warrant saying anything.

Among these, younger guests aged between 18 to 34 years old are the group most likely to cause accidents in rental holiday homes (25 per cent), with over-55s (3 per cent) typically being the most careful.

Many guests also admit to treating holiday homes differently to how they would their own, with over two-fifths (42 per cent) saying they treat them with less respect. Some of the main reasons are pre-assuming that the landlord’s insurance policy will cover potential accidental damage (44 per cent), not taking financial responsibility for any of the damage caused (30 per cent) or not wanting to worry about such issues while on holiday (27 per cent).

Types of incidents of accidental damage, Direct Line business insurance, 2022:

Source: Direct Line business insurance

According to landlord claims data from Direct Line business insurance² the priciest types of accidental damage in 2021 were as follows:  

• Carpets and flooring damage, the most common type of accidental damage, cost more than £940 on average
• Water damage, the second most common type of accidental damage, cost an average of £1,340
• Soft furnishings and fixtures and fittings damage, cost £940 on average.

Many households are opting for ‘staycations,’ with 28 per cent planning stay in a rented holiday home in the UK this year. Over a quarter (26 per cent) have attributed this to the increased cost of living restricting how much they can spend on travelling abroad and 23 per cent are remaining in the UK to save money. A third (33 per cent) are doing so to avoid ongoing issues with airports and airlines such as losing luggage, flight cancellations, and long queues.

Gary Holmes, Product Manager at Direct Line business insurance commented:

“Holidays are always an exciting and well-deserved time off for families, and it’s great to see households choosing to rent holiday homes in the UK and take a staycation. However, our research shows that accidental damage to holiday homes can become very expensive, with one in ten admitting to causing accidental damage and a fifth (20 per cent) of those guests causing damage of £200 or more.

“Most holiday homes are not covered by standard home insurance policies, so it’s important that landlords find a holiday home policy that suits what they need and consider adding on cover such as accidental damage, legal expenses or loss of rent, to help deal with the financial fall out of unforeseen issues.”

You can find out more about Direct Line’s holiday home insurance policies at the following webpage:https://www.directlineforbusiness.co.uk/landlord-insurance/holiday-home-insurance

 

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

(1) Opinium survey of 2,000 UK adults, 215 of whom did or had fellow guests that caused accidental damage in a rented holiday home, conducted 19^th-21^st July 2022

(2) Landlord accidental damage claims in 2021 from Direct Line business insurance.

For further information please contact:

Direct Line Group

Unni Henry

PR Manager

Email: [email protected]

About Direct Line business insurance

Launched in 2007 Direct Line business insurance now has over half a million customer policies, providing a flexible range of insurance products for the landlord, van and small business sectors.

Direct Line business insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Direct Line business insurance and U K Insurance limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.

Customers can find out more about Direct Line business insurance products or get a quote by calling 0345 301 4827 or visiting https://www.directlineforbusiness.co.uk