Letting Guests Use Bicycles
Providing extras for guests at your holiday let can be a great way to secure bookings and stand out from the competition. Supplying bicycles for guests to use is one such way, as cycling to the local bakery in the morning for some fresh bread is all part of the perfect holiday experience for many.
After all, why shouldn’t you let guests use your bikes when you are not there? Because there is the risk that holiday let insurance may not cover the use of bicycles away from the insured premises.
With some insurance policies, the use of bicycles at the insured holiday home may be covered under the contents section of a policy, for theft and third party liability. This should cover you if a guest had an accident at your property due to a problem with the bike.
If it could be reasonably proved that any injury was due to your negligence, then the public liability insurance should cover you if the guest sought compensation.
Note that liability for the use of bikes is likely to only cover use at the insured holiday home. Therefore, if you neglected the maintenance of a bike and a guest sustained an injury whilst going to the shop, due to mechanical failure (wheel falling off etc.) and decided to sue you, you may not be covered.
Also, there is the risk that both the owner and anyone using the bikes may not be covered under your second home insurance policy for injury to third parties away from the insured home. For instance, if you rode into someone at the shops and injured them, then this might not be insured. However, travel or main residence insurance may cover this under the legal liability section.
Before lending or hiring bikes (and other items, such as windsurfers, canoes, golf clubs etc.) consider the consequences of exposing yourself to claims for which your holiday home policy may not provide an indemntity.
Rather than be personally liable for injury to guests using your bikes, why not arrange discounted hire at a local bike shop.
And finally, with regards to theft of bicycles, check any restrictions as they may not be covered unless locked to an immovable object when not in use, or away from the holiday home.