Hi All
We are new to house sitting and need some advice re car insurance. We live in rural Ireland so I would like to make my car available to our sitters but I’m not sure how it works re car insurance. Should I be adding the sitters to my policy or would they have their own insurance? I recall having fully comprehensive insurance myself once, which covered me in other cars, with the owners permission. Any guidance would be appreciated!
I’m pretty sure though, even if you have fully comprehensive insurance, you still only drive other peoples cars on a 3rd party basis. So if they crash your car into a post or fence etc, that is not covered.
My last fully comp insurance didn’t cover me to drive others cars though so don’t take it for granted
Your insurance company will provide better advice though and best to clarify with them.
2 Likes
Here in the UK you wouldn’t be able to add someone to your insurance unless they’re named I don’t think. Some years ago (40?) we had a commercial insurance which allowed anyone to drive our vehicles. But since I’ve lent my car to someone but had to add them for a cost and a time frame to my insurance. Ring them to get clarity.
@Jellybean you ring your insurers and ask for them to be added to your policy as a named driver.
2 Likes
Thank you I’ll see what they say
We lately went to England. The owner’s car insurer did not want to insure us as we are non residents in UK but foreigners living in France
We had asked the owner to let us his car in order not to pay a car rental
The owner accepted, found another company but was obliged to pay 100 pounds to insure us for 2 weeks. What we learnt on our departure.
On our side we were warned on our arrival that if we were involved in a claim, it would cost us 1000 pounds! When his old car value was only 2000 ( amount written on the contract given to us). We used it only 1 day . Prefered to use buses…
We had in the past driven owners’cars but did they ask their insurers we could drive their car ? I doubt. As nobody told us such a story.
Problem is many people ignore laws.
Once you’re involved in an accident, if you are injured or, worse if you kill somebody, what would happen if the insurance company refuses to cover the foreign driver ?
Better to know precisely before taking the wheel… .better to ask the right questions to the owner and require a contract where everything is precised ( insurance for the driver, the passenger, the cost in case of any claim etc.)
2 Likes