26% say, according to data released by Direct Line business insurance, that the increased cost of living restricting how much they can spend on travelling abroad is driving their decision to remain in the UK. 33% are doing so to avoid ongoing issues with airports and airlines such as losing luggage, flight cancellations, and long queues.
Great news for landlords and owners of holiday lets then?
Perhaps not, as further research highlights that with growing numbers opting for a domestic break, the likelihood of damage to UK holiday homes also increase.
11% of holidaymakers have accidentally caused damage to a UK holiday home according to, Direct Line business insurance, with 19% causing accidental damage of £200 or more.
Worryingly, 25% of people who cause damage do not admit this to the property owner. Of these, 30% felt too embarrassed to own up, 29% did not want to pay for the damage and 23% 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%), with over-55s (3%) typically being the most careful.
Many guests also admit to treating holiday homes differently to how they would their own, with 42% 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%), not taking financial responsibility for any of the damage caused (30%) or not wanting to worry about such issues while on holiday (27%).
According to landlord claims data from Direct Line business insurance the priciest types of accidental damage in 2021 were as follows:
1: Carpets and flooring damage, the most common type of accidental damage, cost more than £940 on average
2: Water damage, the second most common type of accidental damage, cost an average of £1,340
3: Soft furnishings and fixtures and fittings damage, cost £940 on average.
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.”
