Built for your home away from home
Escaping to your vacation retreat should be stress-free. We build custom insurance policies that keep your investment secure year-round, whether you're there or away.
Getaway home protection
Essential coverage for cottages, cabins & chalets
Standard home coverage leaves critical gaps for seasonal properties. We tailor protection around your property’s location, access, and usage, delivering coverage across key risk areas.
Dwelling & structural
Safeguard the physical framework of your building against insured losses from fire, severe weather, falling trees, and structural damage.
Dwelling & building structure
Safeguard the main physical framework of your vacation home against covered losses. This includes damage from fire, severe windstorms, hail, falling trees, and heavy snow load whether you're there or away.
Contents & personal property
Protect furniture, electronics, appliances, outdoor gear, and cookware stored at your seasonal home. Replacement coverage helps pay for lost or damaged items resulting from insured break-ins, fires, or storms.
Detached outbuildings
Insure additional structures on your land, such as detached garages, gazebos, storage sheds, and guest cabins. This covers physical damage to structures that fall outside your main residence.
Premises liability
Shield your personal finances if a guest suffers injury or property damage on your premises, including docks, walkways, hot tubs, pools, saunas, and trampolines. Coverage manages legal defence and settlements.
Theft & vandalism
Guard your seasonal property against theft, forced entry damage, and vandalism during extended vacant periods. This helps pay for necessary building repairs and stolen contents replacement.
Emergency & cleanup costs
Cover expenses for site cleanup, debris removal, and emergency property stabilization. This applies following major insured losses from severe weather, falling trees, or wildfires.
Policy enhancements
Enhance your seasonal property protection
Not all vacation properties carry the same risks. Customize your policy with specialized endorsements designed to address seasonal, regional, and environmental exposures.
Watercraft & dock
Extend protection to attached docks, boathouses, small boats, and personal watercraft stored at your waterfront property.
Overland water
Shield your seasonal property against water damage caused by overflowing lakes or rivers, heavy rainfall, surface runoff, and rapid spring snowmelt.
Sewer & septic backup
Cover cleanup expenses for grey and black water damage and structural repairs if high water tables, drain failures, or septic systems back up into your residence.
Earthquake
Safeguard your building, outbuildings, and personal property against ground shaking and structural displacement, including temporary living expenses while repairs are made.
Short-term rental
Add commercial coverage for paying guests using platforms like Airbnb or Vrbo, protecting your building, contents, and liability during rental periods.
High-value contents
Secure full replacement coverage for high-value items brought to your retreat, such as e-bikes, sports gear, art, wine, and jewelry, beyond standard policy limits.
Vacancy & property care
Keeping your coverage valid
Standard seasonal policies require active care to protect your investment and maintain valid coverage during extended absences.
Shut off the main water supply and drain plumbing lines before leaving for extended periods, especially over winter, to prevent frozen or burst pipe claims.
Arrange for regular property inspections during the heating season. Most insurers require checks every few days unless water lines are fully drained.
Always notify your broker about major renovations, changes in frequency of use, or if you decide to list the property for short-term rentals.
Why choose Navacord
Specialized expertise for vacation properties
As an independent brokerage, we evaluate top Canadian insurance markets to deliver custom seasonal property coverage tailored to your location and lifestyle.
Leverage niche underwriters to secure coverage for hard-to-insure properties, including island retreats, lakefront boathouses, and off-grid cabins.
Receive step-by-step support from a dedicated claims team focused on securing prompt, fair settlements when issues arise.
Connect with experienced advisors who understand winterization rules, regional fire protection limits, and seasonal vacancy rules.
Looking for business insurance?
From small businesses to large corporations, Navacord delivers tailored commercial insurance and expertise across Canada.
FAQs for seasonal property insurance
A seasonal property (like a cabin or cottage) is used only during specific times of the year, often sits vacant for months, and typically receives named-perils coverage. A second home is occupied frequently year-round, fully serviced, and usually qualifies for broader comprehensive coverage.
No. Primary home insurance policies don’t automatically extend building or contents coverage to a second location. Seasonal properties require their own standalone insurance policy built around their specific location, occupancy, and risk profile.
Premiums depend on property location, building age and structural updates, frequency of use, proximity to fire halls, road accessibility (such as water-access or unplowed roads), heating sources (like wood stoves), and elected endorsements.
Extended vacancies increase the risk of undetected pipe leaks or flooding. Standard seasonal policies often restrict or exclude water damage, requiring homeowners to add specific endorsements for overland water, sewer backup, or frozen pipes.
Standard seasonal property insurance policies strictly exclude commercial rentals. If you host paying guests on sites like Airbnb or Vrbo, you must add a short-term rental endorsement. For long-term tenant rentals, you’ll need a dedicated landlord policy.
