Stay Safe and Insured This Holiday Season: A Guide for DMV Homeowners

December changes how a home gets used. More packages land on the porch, more guests come through the door, more families leave town, and more ladders come out for the lights. Each of those shifts brings its own risk, and each touches a different part of your insurance. This guide walks through the four that matter most for homeowners and renters in DC, Maryland and Virginia, along with what your policy typically does if something goes wrong.

Fire is the one holiday risk big enough to deserve its own page. For Christmas tree, holiday lighting, candle and space heater safety, read Protecting Your Home from Christmas Tree and Holiday Fires.

Package Theft and Holiday Deliveries

Porch theft peaks when delivery volume does. A few habits make your front step a much less attractive target:

• Ship valuable items to a pickup location, parcel locker or your workplace when that is allowed.
• Require a signature for expensive orders, or schedule delivery for a day you will be home.
• Leave delivery instructions that point drivers to a side door, garage or other spot out of view from the street.
• Use a doorbell camera and turn on delivery notifications so you can bring packages in quickly.
• Ask a neighbor to grab deliveries when you are away, and offer to return the favor.

What insurance does: Homeowners and renters policies generally cover theft of your personal property, and a package taken from your porch usually counts. The claim is subject to your deductible, though, and most packages are worth less than a typical deductible. In practice, the retailer or carrier is the faster first call, and some credit cards offer purchase protection. Save your policy for larger losses.

Hosting Guests: Liability Basics

Holiday gatherings put more people, more food and sometimes more ice on your property than any other time of year. If a guest is injured and you are found legally responsible, the personal liability coverage in your homeowners, condo or renters policy helps pay for their injuries and your legal defense. Most policies also include medical payments to others, a smaller coverage that can pay a guest’s minor medical bills regardless of fault, which often keeps a small accident from turning into a dispute.

You can lower the odds of needing either one:

• Clear and salt walkways, steps and driveways before guests arrive, and keep exterior lights on.
• Tape down or remove loose rugs and cords in high-traffic areas.
• Give pets a quiet room away from the crowd. Dog bites are among the most common homeowners liability claims, and busy, noisy gatherings can stress even calm animals.
• Keep holiday plants such as mistletoe and holly, along with chocolate and other treats, out of reach of children and pets.
• If you serve alcohol, offer food and nonalcoholic options, never serve minors, and help guests arrange a ride home. Host liability rules differ in DC, Maryland and Virginia, so do not assume you are shielded from a claim.

If you host often, own a pool or trampoline, or have significant savings to protect, a personal umbrella policy adds liability limits above your home and auto coverage at a relatively modest cost. Planning a company party instead? Our guide to holiday party liability for DMV employers covers the business side.

Traveling While the House Is Empty

Plenty of DMV families spend part of December out of town. An empty house invites two problems: break-ins and damage nobody notices for days.

• Put a few lamps on timers and pause mail with the USPS Hold Mail service.
• Ask a neighbor to collect packages, shovel if it snows, and check the house once or twice.
• Wait to post vacation photos until you are home.
• Keep the thermostat set high enough to protect your pipes during a cold snap, and consider shutting off the main water valve. Our guide to preventing frozen pipes has more detail.
• Unplug decorations, space heaters and electronics you will not need while you are gone.

What insurance does: A standard homeowners policy continues to cover your home while you are away on a normal trip. Problems tend to come from two places. First, many policies limit certain coverages once a home has been vacant for an extended period, often 60 consecutive days, which matters for second homes and long winter stays. Second, damage from frozen pipes can be denied if heat was not reasonably maintained. Policy language varies, so check yours or ask us before a long trip. Items stolen from your car at the airport garage are generally covered under your homeowners or renters policy, not your auto policy, subject to your deductible. For trip cancellations, delays and medical care away from home, see our guide to holiday travel insurance.

Decorations and Holiday Cooking

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that about 14,900 people were treated in emergency rooms for holiday decorating injuries in one recent season, and nearly half of those injuries involved falls. Use a sturdy ladder on level ground, have someone steady it, and never stand on chairs or furniture to reach a high spot. Outdoors, use only lights and extension cords rated for outdoor use and plug them into GFCI-protected outlets.

In the kitchen, NFPA data show Christmas Day and Christmas Eve ranked among the top days of the year for home cooking fires in 2022. Stay in the kitchen while you fry, grill or broil, keep a lid nearby to smother a pan fire, and keep children and pets clear of the stove. For food safety, the USDA advises not leaving perishable food at room temperature for more than two hours.

A Quick Year-End Coverage Check

The holidays are also a good moment to confirm your coverage still fits your household:

• New valuables: Jewelry, watches, art and high-end electronics can exceed the sublimits in a standard policy. Our guide to scheduling jewelry and art explains how appraisals and scheduled coverage work.
• A home inventory: A quick video walk-through of each room, including new gifts, makes any future claim much easier.
• Liability limits: If your household, assets or entertaining habits have grown, your limits may need to grow with them.

Capitol Benefits is an independent agency based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, serving families across DC, Maryland and Virginia. We compare options from multiple carriers and can review your homeowners, renters, umbrella and auto coverage together before the new year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does homeowners insurance cover stolen packages?
Usually, yes. Homeowners and renters policies generally cover theft of personal property, including packages taken from your porch. The claim is subject to your deductible, which is often higher than the value of the package, so the retailer or shipper is usually the better first call.

What happens if a holiday guest slips and falls at my house?
Medical payments to others coverage can pay a guest’s minor medical bills regardless of fault. If the guest makes a claim and you are found legally responsible, your personal liability coverage helps pay for their injuries and your legal defense, up to your policy limit.

Is my home still covered while I travel for the holidays?
Yes, a standard homeowners policy continues to cover your home during a normal trip. Some coverages can be limited if a home sits vacant for an extended period, often 60 consecutive days, and frozen pipe damage can be denied if heat was not maintained, so check your policy before a long absence.

Are gifts stolen from my car covered by auto insurance?
Generally, no. Personal belongings stolen from a car are typically covered by your homeowners or renters policy, subject to your deductible. Your auto policy covers damage to the car itself, such as a broken window, if you carry comprehensive coverage.

Related reading from Capitol Benefits

• Protecting Your Home from Christmas Tree and Holiday Fires
• Holiday travel insurance: what it covers
• Personal umbrella insurance from Capitol Benefits