Do I need cottage insurance during the winter months?

Every fall, as Ontario cottage owners close up their properties for the winter, some question whether they need to maintain insurance coverage during the months the cottage sits empty. The reasoning seems logical: if no one is using the property, what is there to insure? The answer is that winter is actually when your cottage is most vulnerable to certain types of losses, and maintaining continuous coverage is essential.

Winter Risks Your Cottage Faces

The off-season in Ontario cottage country — typically November through April — brings a distinct set of risks that your cottage policy is designed to cover.

Frozen and burst pipes are the most common winter cottage claim. Even if you winterize your plumbing system by draining it, residual water can freeze and cause damage. If you maintain heat instead of draining, a furnace failure or power outage during a cold snap can lead to frozen pipes throughout the cottage. The resulting water damage can cost tens of thousands of dollars to remediate.

Snow load and ice damming damage roofs, gutters, and structural components. Heavy snowfall — common across Muskoka, Haliburton, and Parry Sound — can exceed a roof’s design capacity, particularly on older structures or flat-roofed additions. Ice dams form when heat loss through the roof melts snow that refreezes at the eaves, forcing water under shingles and into the structure.

Wind damage from winter storms can tear off shingles, break windows, topple trees onto structures, and damage docks and boathouses. Winter storms in cottage country can be severe, and with the property unoccupied, damage may go undetected for days or weeks.

Theft and vandalism are elevated at vacant properties. Break-ins at unoccupied cottages during winter are a recognized problem in Ontario cottage country. Thieves target appliances, electronics, copper wiring, and tools. Without insurance, the loss is entirely out of pocket.

Fire remains a risk year-round. Electrical faults, propane leaks, and even lightning (which does occur in winter, though less frequently) can ignite a fire at an unoccupied cottage. Without anyone present to call the fire department, and with potentially delayed fire response times in winter conditions, total losses are more likely.

Why You Cannot Simply Cancel Winter Coverage

Most insurers do not offer seasonal cottage insurance that can be turned on and off. Cottage insurance is written as an annual policy providing continuous coverage. Cancelling the policy in October and re-applying in May would create several problems.

First, re-applying each spring means going through underwriting each year, with no guarantee of acceptance or the same premium. Second, any loss that occurs during the gap period is completely uninsured. Third, mortgage lenders require continuous coverage — cancelling triggers a default provision in most mortgage agreements. Fourth, many insurers view gaps in coverage history negatively, which can affect future premiums and eligibility.

Some cottage owners have considered requesting a coverage reduction during winter — lowering dwelling limits to save premium during the off-season. This is generally not available as a mid-term adjustment and creates a risk that the property would be under-insured if a major loss occurred during the reduced period.

Preparing Your Cottage for Winter Coverage

Maintaining your cottage insurance through winter requires meeting your policy’s vacancy clause conditions. These conditions are your contract with the insurer: in exchange for continuous coverage during vacancy, you agree to take specific precautions.

The most common requirements are draining the plumbing system, shutting off the water supply, and having someone inspect the property at defined intervals. Some policies offer the alternative of maintaining heat above a minimum temperature, which avoids the need to drain the plumbing but introduces the risk of furnace failure.

Documenting your winterization and inspection compliance is important. Keep records of when the cottage was winterized, who did the work, and the dates and findings of each inspection. If you ever file a winter claim, this documentation supports your position that the vacancy conditions were met.

Contact Luca at 705-996-1116 to review your policy’s winter vacancy requirements and ensure you are properly covered year-round.