A second home is not immune to the same risks as the main dwelling. In this context, it is imperative to take out home insurance that covers any claims. How to subscribe to such coverage? What guarantees must be included in the contract? Answers.
A secondary residence is the property of an individual who already owns a main dwelling. The law does not require owners to have home insurance for this type of property. Nevertheless, it is strongly recommended to consider the subscription because the house is not immune to suffering a disaster even if it is not inhabited. Among the main risks to which it is exposed are acts of burglary, theft and vandalism. As the dwelling is unoccupied, it is much more exposed to these problems and the damage can be very significant, especially if it is a large residence located in an isolated place.
In this context, do not hesitate to find the right insurance that allows you to obtain compensation after a claim. Note that if the property is rented, it is up to the tenant to subscribe to a civil liability guarantee and moreover the law obliges him to do so. In addition, he can also opt for a guarantee against rental risks protecting the property when occupying the house. But in the event that the tenant does not have any coverage, it is possible for the owner to subscribe to a non-occupant owner's insurance which replaces the tenant's insurance. The cost of the contributions will be reflected in the amount of the rents.
Generally, owners have two options to protect their second home:extend the guarantees of their multi-risk home of the main dwelling or take out specific insurance. The first solution is certainly the simplest since it is not necessary to set up a new contract. All you have to do is insure the second home via the warranty extensions for the first home. In this context, it is necessary to contact the insurer in order to ask him for the most relevant guarantees to choose.
Then, an amendment to the contract will be put in place. In principle, the process only takes a few days. On the other hand, it is to be expected that an increase in the premium will be applied given that there are now two houses to be insured and that the risks increase because a secondary residence is usually unoccupied for several months and weeks, which increases the problems of theft, vandalism and burglary.
It is also interesting to consider taking out home insurance specifically dedicated to your second home. The most important thing in this context is to choose the appropriate guarantees. Among the most essential is the property damage guarantee, which protects against snow, fire or water damage.
As mentioned, a second home is a favorite target for burglars. The theft guarantee is then required. Before granting this protection, the insurer may request the installation of security devices such as specific locks or an alarm. Please note that home insurance contracts generally contain an uninhabited clause which assumes that no compensation is possible if the accommodation is uninhabited for 60 or 90 days. It will be necessary to ensure that this mention does not exist for the contract dedicated to the secondary residence.
Finally, concerning the civil liability guarantee, it is not necessary to subscribe to it since it already exists in the insurance of the main dwelling.
