A brief guide to insurance for static caravans

Whether you use your static caravan yourself during the summer holidays or rent it out for an extra income, insurance for static caravans may be worth considering.
As with any insurance product, it’s a question of knowing where to start. If you follow the guidelines in this article, you may find some helpful hints to choose a policy that suits your individual needs.

Not necessarily the site owner’s!
As a static caravan owner, to a certain extent you are a captive audience to a site park owner. Some park owners may try to insist that you purchase insurance cover from them. However, you are not legally obliged to do so. This means you are free to shop around for cover and cherry pick the policy that provides what you consider to be good value.

Once you do buy your static home insurance elsewhere, the site owner can insist on seeing a copy of your schedule of insurance and charge you a fee for not taking their cover. However, you could still find that you are quids in on the cost of your static home cover, so it may be worth seeing what is on offer.
So how can you make sure that you are getting something at the most suitable price for your needs?

How much will the policy cost?
The cost of insurance for static caravans may vary according to a number of issues including:

• the location of the site (from the point of view of flooding and crime risks);
• the security measures the site owners have taken;
• your personal details such as age, any previous claims, etc;
• whether the caravan will be let out; and
• the make, model and age of your static home.

Depending on your circumstances, you may also be able to negotiate a discount. Some insurers may offer a discount on the basis of no claims bonuses you may have on other policies. Others may reward any extra steps you take to secure your caravan with up to date alarm systems.

Your obligations as a caravan owner
Given that insurance for caravans typically provides cover for the cost of repairs to the structure, as a caravan owner you may have certain responsibilities as set out in the policy. As a careful caravan owner you may maintain the caravan in any event, but you may also wish to check any specific requirements your insurer may have for maintenance and any other obligations. For instance, while the site may be closed for winter, insurance for static caravans may continue to be valid as long as you drain the heating system of your static home.

What you get for your money
Finally you may wish to consider the cover that is included in the policy. A typical list of risks covered may include events such as fire; flood; storm; earthquake; theft; and, with some providers, malicious damage. (Do note that with the latter event, we are unusual in that we will provide cover for this).

Whilst hopefully none of these terrible things will happen to your precious caravan, it may be better to be safe than sorry if the risks are covered by insurance for static caravans.