Vacation and Second Home Insurance
A home you don’t live in year-round has different risks, and carriers insure it differently. Whether your second home is in upstate New York, the Poconos, Florida or down the shore, Stonebrook places coverage in all 50 states through our carriers and partners, so one agency can look after every home you own.
Reviewed by Nate Feuerman, High Net Worth Insurance Producer at Stonebrook
Last updated
Quick answers
Can a New Jersey agency insure my home in another state?
Yes. Stonebrook places home coverage in all 50 states through our carriers and partners.
Is a vacation home insured differently?
Yes. Carriers ask how many months it is occupied, who checks on it, and whether it is ever rented, and they price and write it accordingly.
What if I rent it out?
Tell us. Short-term rentals are often excluded on standard policies and need an endorsement or a different policy.
What is the most common claim on a second home?
Water damage, often from pipes that freeze while the home is empty. Keeping the heat on or the water off matters.
What carriers look at for a second home.
Your primary-home policy doesn’t automatically cover a second home. Each property needs its own policy, built around how you use it.
Seasonal occupancy
Whether you are there all summer, on weekends or a few weeks a year changes how carriers write the home.
Freeze and water
Pipes that freeze in an empty house cause many of the largest second-home claims. Policies often require you to keep heat on or drain the system.
Vacancy rules
Many policies limit coverage, such as for vandalism and glass breakage, after a home has been vacant for a set period, often 60 consecutive days.
Theft and vandalism
Alarms, caretakers and neighbors who check on the house can lower risk and price.
Rental use
Renting the home, even occasionally, can change which policy is needed.
Wind and flood
Shore and Florida homes often carry separate wind or hurricane deductibles, and flood always needs its own policy.
Every home you own, with one agency.
Many families we work with own a summer home in the Catskills or elsewhere in upstate New York, a place in the Poconos, an apartment in Florida, or a house at the Jersey Shore.
We place coverage for those homes in all 50 states through our carriers and partners. Keeping them with one agency makes it easier to coordinate liability limits, add every property under one umbrella, and avoid gaps.
For high-value second homes, our Private Client carriers can often insure all of your homes, cars and valuables together.
There every weekend? Tell your carrier.
Insurance companies want to know whether a home is a primary residence, because the more a home is occupied, the more likely the owner catches a problem, like a leak, before it becomes a claim.
A weekend house is a different risk from a vacation home that sits empty for months. If you are there every weekend, simply tell the insurance company how often you are there. Some carriers may treat it more favorably and give it better pricing.
Be accurate about occupancy. Overstating how often you are there can create problems at claim time, and some policies limit coverage when a home is vacant for long stretches.
Five ways to protect a home you’re not in.
- Keep the heat on or the water off.Follow your policy’s requirements when the house is empty in cold weather.
- Install a low-temperature and water leak sensor.An alert on your phone can turn a disaster into a small repair. Some carriers give credits for them.
- Have someone check on it.A neighbor, caretaker or property manager visiting regularly helps with vacancy rules and early warnings.
- Tell us before you rent it.Rental use changes the coverage you need.
- Review flood and wind.Especially at the shore and in Florida. See flood insurance.
Stonebrook is an independent insurance agency.
We don’t work for one insurance company. We work with more than 25 carriers, so we can compare second-home coverage across carriers and states instead of selling you a single company’s policy.
Since 1982 we have helped New Jersey families from our office in Lakewood, and we place coverage in all 50 states through our carriers and partners. When something changes, or when you have a claim, you call people who know you.
Coverage that works together.
Most families need more than one policy. Here is how the pieces fit.
Vacation home insurance questions, answered.
Can Stonebrook insure a vacation home in another state?
Yes. Stonebrook places home coverage in all 50 states through our carriers and partners, including second homes in New York, Pennsylvania and Florida. Our deepest expertise is in New Jersey, where we have been since 1982.
Does my homeowners policy cover my vacation home?
No. Your primary-home policy covers that home. A second home needs its own policy, although your primary policy’s liability may extend to it in some cases, which is worth checking with us.
Is vacation home insurance more expensive?
It often costs more per dollar of coverage than a primary home, because a home that sits empty is more likely to have an undiscovered leak, freeze or break-in. Alarms, leak sensors and regular check-ins can help.
What happens if my second home is vacant for months?
Many policies limit coverage after a home has been vacant for a set period, often 60 consecutive days, and may require heat to be maintained or water shut off. Tell us how the home is used so the policy fits.
Is a weekend house insured differently from a vacation home?
It can be. Carriers price homes by how much they are occupied, so a house you use every weekend may qualify for better pricing than a second home that sits empty for months. Tell your carrier exactly how often you are there.
Can I rent out my vacation home?
Yes, but tell us first. Many standard policies exclude short-term rental activity, and you may need an endorsement or a different policy, plus higher liability.
Do I need flood insurance for a vacation home?
If it is near the shore, a lake or a river, it is worth considering. Flood is excluded from homeowners policies and needs its own policy, usually with a 30-day waiting period.
Can my vacation home go under my umbrella policy?
Yes, if the vacation home’s liability coverage is scheduled underneath the umbrella. We coordinate the limits so every property is included.
How do I insure a bungalow or summer home in a colony or association?
Ask the association what its master policy covers, then insure your unit and belongings to match. Ownership structures vary, so send us the association’s insurance details.
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