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You may have a few questions relating to motorcycle insurance and that may be the case whether you are relatively new to two wheels or an experienced biker.

Should I opt for third party, third party, fire and theft or fully comprehensive insurance?

Ultimately, only you will be able to make that decision.

It may depend upon a number of factors, including the value of your bike and how much you wish to pay for your insurance.

Typically, the most cost-attractive option is third party cover, however, this will only provide insurance protection against claims from others against you, relating to damage or injury they believe you have caused to their property with your motorbike.

Fully comprehensive typically covers your bike for a wider range of potential problems including those that may severely damage it – but these policies are typically towards the upper end of the price spectrum.

Why must I pay more for motorcycle insurance because I am young?

All other things being roughly equal, younger riders may end up paying more than those that are older.

This is typically based upon two factors:

• an insurance company may believe that, statistically speaking, younger riders may be more likely to be involved in accidents and as a result, create claims;

• by contrast, riders with more experience may be less likely to have accidents and should, therefore, benefit from more advantageous rates.

This is a factor that typically applies to both motor vehicle and motor bike insurance and it may be something that you have to live with.

Of course, some insurance providers may be able to offer more attractive deals for younger riders than others.

How can I save money on my motorcycle cover insurance?

This may depend, to some extent, on your insurer but you may find that, typically, more cost-attractive prices may be found by:

• garaging your motorcycle overnight and use additional immobilisers, alarms, trackers and other security devices;

• riding smaller machines that insurers may be inclined to interpret as constituting lower risk;

• reducing your annual mileage, where possible;

• passing some form of recognised advanced motorcyclist test;

• avoiding radical modifications to your bike which result in it no longer conforming to its original certificate of type (remember, you must notify your insurers of any such modifications).

Isn’t all motorcycle insurance much the same thing and priced at much the same level?

No, nothing could really be further from reality.

Different insurers provide different motorcycle insurance policies and at different prices.  It may typically be in your best interest to ensure that you are selecting a policy based upon looking at several potential options.  This may enable you to find cover that is cost-effective and suitable for your needs.

The following questions are frequently asked with respect to let property insurance.

Is it required if I have a flat in a larger block?

Typically, yes, it is.

Just as if you were an owner-occupier in a flat or apartment, it may be advisable to have buildings and contents insurance for your property.

In some cases there may be common shared elements of insurance across a split property, nevertheless, if you are using your property for the purposes of income then you will need to ensure that your own cover (and any shared cover components) explicitly covers landlord properties.

What about if I only rent out my property for a few weeks per year?

It may be advisable to read your own policy for certainty, however; typically any use of your property for commercial purposes (including rental income generation) may require let property insurance in order to ensure that your buildings and contents insurance protection remains effective.

Supposing I am only renting out a couple of rooms and still occupy the property as my own residence?

Typically, such a situation may make no difference – though again, it may be useful to consult your policy to be sure.

Ordinary owner-occupier home buildings and contents insurance may be put at risk if you start to rent out sections of your own home.

Does landlords buildings insurance cover me for subsidence?

Some policies may do so but this is no longer something that you can assume to be a given, as may have been the case in previous decades.

Given the potentially catastrophic costs of rectifying a subsidence problem, it might be a good idea to search for landlords cover that does provide protection in these circumstances.

Will buy to let insurance cover unpaid rent arrears if tenants abscond?

That may be rather unlikely. Classic landlord insurance may also not cover you if you become embroiled in a legal battle trying to force eviction.

On the plus side, some let property insurance policies may cover you for wilful damage caused by tenants etc. The cover may also extend to third party liability damages awarded against you by a court.

If your home, or a dwelling you have bought to let, is going to be vacant for longer than a short period of time, you may need to consider getting an unoccupied property insurance quote.

Why?

When any building is left standing empty, it is likely to be vulnerable to considerably more risks and perils than when it is occupied either by its owners or by tenants. For this reason, many insurers of both owner-occupied and tenanted premises significantly reduce the scope and level of cover – or even invalidate cover altogether – after the building has been unoccupied for a given period of time.

When?

Although that given period of time may vary from one insurer to another, it might typically be as short as 30 days or one month.

Who?

If you seek an online quote, landlords insurance applications may or may not specifically refer to the need for special cover during those times when your let property is vacant. This may be because of the relatively frequency with which homes bought for let fall vacant – either through delays between one tenant leaving and a new one arriving or because the letting is undergoing redecoration, maintenance or refurbishment.

However, there may be equally numerous reasons for other types of residence to be unoccupied for similar periods of time (during which standard home building and contents insurance may be similarly affected).

You might wish to seek an unoccupied property insurance quote, for instance, if:

• your job takes you out of the area and away from home for several months at a time;
• your home is on the market to be sold and you have already moved into your new home;
• the property is awaiting probate before a decision is made about its disposal;
• the builders are in for major refurbishment or re-modelling; or
• the property is a second or holiday home, left empty for more than a month at a time.

Therefore, whether you live in the property you own, use it as a holiday or second home, or let it out to tenants, you may wish to give serious consideration to seeking a specialist unoccupied property insurance quote.