Holiday insurance - covering rented furniture, etc?

JimmyTheWig

Hi,

I posted this in the insurance board yesterday, but didn't get any answers. With hindsight it is probably more of a "holiday" question than an "insurance" question.

Has anyone come across anything similar before?


My parents have booked a villa in France. It's got slightly odd wording in the contract...

INSURANCE
The Lessee is bound to take out an insurance with an insurance company against fire, theft and water damage, so much for the Lessee's risks as for the rented furniture and the neighbours' complaints and to be able to give proof of it all at the first request of Lessor or his/her representative. Consequently the latter refuse to accept responsibility for any legal action their insurance company may take against the Lessee in case of an accident.

Does anyone know what this means and where they can get such insurance?
Is this really saying that if the villa burns down while they are staying there, my parents (rather than the villa owners) are responsible for the insurance to replace the villa owners' contents?


Thanks,

Jim

peachyprice

In all my years renting holiday properties I've never seen anything like that, surely it's down to the owners to have adequate insurance?

Having said that, most travel insurance policies have a hefty personal liability cover, I wonder if that would cover such circumstances?

zagfles

Presumably this is in case they cause the accident, eg if they fall asleep on the sofa with a lit cigarette or chip pan fire etc. This kind of thing may be covered by the liability section of their travel insurance, or even their home insurance, have a check.

I don't think they could be held responsible if the incident wasn't their fault, eg if there was an electrical fault or a storm. Although having said that - if you hire a car then you do tend to be responsible for anything that happens to it regardless of whether it was your fault or not... don't really understand the legal difference...

JimmyTheWig

peachyprice wrote: »

In all my years renting holiday properties I've never seen anything like that, surely it's down to the owners to have adequate insurance?

Well that's what we all think, too! But presumably not if the contract says it is required?

Having said that, most travel insurance policies have a hefty personal liability cover, I wonder if that would cover such circumstances?

They've found an AA policy with decent personal liability cover so phoned them. They spoke to managers in the call centre then the claims team. Who said they'd never been asked about it before! They said it should be ok but didn't sound very convincing.

Personally I don't see how personal liability insurance would cover someone else's property that got destroyed in a fire! But I might be wrong.

zagfles

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

Well that's what we all think, too! But presumably not if the contract says it is required?


They've found an AA policy with decent personal liability cover so phoned them. They spoke to managers in the call centre then the claims team. Who said they'd never been asked about it before! They said it should be ok but didn't sound very convincing.

Most travel insurance will have large personal liability cover (my one with Nationwide FlexPlus is £2million and does seem to cover occupation of "temporary holiday accomodation").

Personally I don't see how personal liability insurance would cover someone else's property that got destroyed in a fire! But I might be wrong.

If they were responsible for the fire then the insurance company would certainly sue them for it (ie hold them personally liable).

A bit like with motor insurance, if someone crashes into you, your insurance would pay out, but the insurance company would (or should) chase the person responsible to pay up.

peachyprice

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

Personally I don't see how personal liability insurance would cover someone else's property that got destroyed in a fire! But I might be wrong.

Well if your parents lit a bbq that got out of hand and burned the house down, then yes, but if your parents did absolutely nothing that could have started a fire it could result in a very expensive, long, French lawsuit trying to prove their innocence.

I think I'd be inclined to find somewhere else to rent!

JimmyTheWig

I see what you're saying.
If my parents are responsible for burning down the villa then the villa owner's insurance will pay out but then chase my parents for the money?
And if my parents have PLI then that insurance would pay the villa owner's insurance company?

So all they need is a travel insurance policy with a decent pursonal liability cover? Which, as you say, is most of them.

zagfles

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

I see what you're saying.
If my parents are responsible for burning down the villa then the villa owner's insurance will pay out but then chase my parents for the money?
And if my parents have PLI then that insurance would pay the villa owner's insurance company?

So all they need is a travel insurance policy with a decent pursonal liability cover? Which, as you say, is most of them.

That would be my understanding, but I'm not a legal expert! They say they want proof, so maybe if you send them the personal liability section of their travel insurance or email the URL if the policy document is online and ask them whether that covers it?

peachyprice

And in return I would also be asking to see THEIR liability insurance just to ensure that your parent's policy isn't going to be the only insurance in place!