The short answer
Second home insurance is cover for a vacation property such as a cottage, cabin, chalet or seasonal apartment. It protects the building, contents, and your liability, but insurers treat these properties differently because they are empty for long periods, may be remote and are often used for rentals. A licensed broker can explain the vacancy and winter conditions and find insurers that suit the property.
- Families who own a cottage on a lake, a river or in the woods
- Owners of a ski chalet or mountain cabin used in winter
- People with a seasonal property reached by boat or by a private road
- Owners who rent the property out for some weeks of the year
- Canadians buying or renting a winter retreat in another country
4 licensed brokers in the network handle this. In Alberta, Canada, a request for vacation and second home insurance can be offered to up to three of them, chosen because they are licensed for this line and place. They are test brokers while we are in demo.
See the brokers → Outside Alberta, Canada you can prepare and save a request today; sending opens place by place. Brokers answer with their own quotes. Broker.insure does not quote, advise or take commission.
01 / What it covers
The parts worth understanding
The building and structures
The main building and outbuildings such as a boathouse, bunkie, deck or dock. Docks and shoreline structures are often treated separately, with their own limits or exclusions.
Contents
Furniture, appliances, kitchenware, and recreational gear left at the property. Items brought in and out, such as electronics, may be treated differently from items that stay.
Liability
Your responsibility if a guest is hurt, if a fire spreads to a neighbour's land, or if a boat or a water toy leads to an injury at the property.
Seasonal and vacancy conditions
Policies often require winterization, a heating plan or a regular check when no one is staying. Missing the condition can limit what is paid after a frozen pipe.
Water access and location
A property reached by boat, a long gravel road or a place far from a fire hall can change what is available and how it is rated.
Rental use
Renting weekly or by the weekend usually needs to be disclosed and can require a different kind of policy.
02 / Get ready
Bring this, and expect these questions
Gather
- The property's address, how you reach it and how far it is from the nearest fire hall
- Year built, size, construction and how it is heated, including wood stoves and propane
- Whether the water is from a lake, a well or a municipal system, and the sewage setup, such as septic
- Months of the year it is occupied and how it is closed up for winter
- Who checks the property when you are away, and how often
- Details of any dock, boathouse, boat, or other structures and watercraft
- Whether the property is rented, and how often and to whom
- Whether ownership is shared among relatives or held in a trust or company
- Claims history on any property you own
A broker will ask
- In which months is the property used, and does it sit empty in winter?
- How is the property closed up for the cold, and does the water get shut off?
- Who looks in on it, and how often?
- How is it heated and what fire protection is nearby?
- Is the property reached by road, or by boat or ferry?
- Do you rent it out, and if so, to whom and for how long?
- What docks, boats or structures need to be included?
- Who owns the property, and is it held in a trust, a company or by several relatives?
Not sure of an answer? Leave it. "Not known yet" is a fine answer, and a broker will help you fill it in.
03 / Build your request
Answer a few questions. Get your own list.
Pick what fits. Your answers shape the list beside them, and they are saved to your request as plain facts a broker can read. "Not sure yet" is always a fine answer.
04 / Three situations
See which one sounds like yours
Siblings sharing a family cottage reachable only by boat
Three siblings inherited a lakeside cottage that the family has used for decades. It has no road access, a wood stove, a dock and a boat shed, and no one stays there from October to May.
First steps. Agree who will be the named owners and who manages the paperwork, then gather details on the boat access, heating and winter closing. Ask the broker how water access, the dock and the vacancy period affect cover, and whether any named party needs to appear on the policy.
A couple with a ski chalet rented through a platform
A couple bought a three-bedroom chalet near a ski hill. They use it several weekends each winter and list it through an online platform the rest of the time.
First steps. Document how many weeks it is rented, who handles check-in and cleaning, and any rules guests must follow. Ask the broker whether a standard second home policy allows rentals, and what liability protection exists for paying guests.
Retirees spending winters in a warm country
A couple in their sixties bought a small condo in a southern climate where they spend the coldest months. Their home policy in Canada has no mention of it.
First steps. Ask the broker whether a Canadian policy can respond to property in another country. Local insurers, a different rules framework and different legal requirements often apply, so gather the purchase documents and ask who can cover it properly.
05 / Words you will hear
The jargon, in plain words
- Winterization
- Preparing a seasonal property for freezing weather by draining pipes, shutting off water and locking it up. Some policies make this a condition of cover.
- Unoccupied
- A property where nobody is staying right now but the furnishings remain. Insurers treat this differently from a vacant property that has no contents at all.
- Water access only
- A property reached by boat or a seasonal road. Emergency services may be slower to arrive, so insurers ask more questions or narrow the options.
- Other structures
- Separate buildings and fixtures on the land, such as a dock, shed or bunkie. They usually carry their own limit, smaller than that of the main building.
- Fire protection rating
- A measure of how close a fire hall and a water supply are. A remote property generally rates differently from one in a town.
06 / Common mistakes
What trips people up
- Treating the cottage like a house that is lived in all year.
- Missing a policy requirement to drain pipes or have the property checked.
- Not telling the insurer about weekend or weekly rentals.
- Forgetting the dock, boathouse and outbuildings when listing what to insure.
- Assuming a Canadian policy automatically covers property outside Canada.
Ready when you are
Turn this into one clear request.
Save it, add what you know, and choose when to send it. A licensed broker who handles vacation and second home insurance takes it from there.
07 / Questions people ask
Straight answers
Can I use my home insurance for my cottage?
Not usually. A home policy assumes you live in the property year round. A cottage or cabin is occupied seasonally, may be remote and has different risks such as frozen pipes, wood heat and water access. Insurers use seasonal or second home policies for those, so ask a broker to describe the property as it is actually used.
What does second home insurance cover?
It generally covers the building and any outbuildings, the contents you leave there, and your liability. It can include seasonal conditions, such as requiring the property to be winterized. Docks, boats and rentals are often treated separately, so list each of them to the broker rather than assuming they are included.
Does insurance cover a cottage when it is empty in winter?
It can, but vacancy and winter conditions are common. A policy may require the water to be shut off and drained, the heat to be maintained or the building to be inspected on a schedule. If you do not meet a condition, a claim for a burst pipe could be reduced or declined. Ask the broker what yours requires.
Can I rent out my vacation property and keep my insurance?
Only if the insurer knows and agrees. Rentals change liability and the risk of damage, so many second home policies exclude them or require a rental endorsement. Tell the broker how often the property is rented and who stays. Hiding it can result in a claim being refused when something happens.
Do I need separate insurance for a dock or boat shed?
Often, yes, or at least a specific limit. Shoreline structures face weather, ice and water damage that some policies exclude or limit. A boat, motor and trailer usually need their own watercraft policy. List each structure, and ask whether the dock is covered for the causes that matter most at your site.
Can I insure a vacation property outside Canada?
Sometimes, but not always through the same insurers. Property abroad is governed by local rules and may require a local policy or a specialist. Gather purchase documents and ask a broker with cross-border experience what is possible. Do not assume your Canadian policy extends to it without written confirmation.
General information, not insurance advice. Broker.insure is a directory and request service: it is not an insurer and does not quote, bind or advise. Policy terms, availability and what is required where you live depend on your situation and on licensed professionals. Updated 2026-10-31.