Hosting at home? Your duty of care explained

When it’s done properly, hosting looks effortless. The food, the lighting, even the conversation – each of them works seamlessly with the other to create an unforgettable night.

But any good host knows that none of it is accidental. And while most hosts organising an event might be preoccupied with menus, guest lists and seating, there’s something else you need to consider – your responsibility for the safety of those you invite into your home.

We know it isn’t glamorous to think about, but taking precautions isn’t about dampening the occasion – it’s the opposite. A little planning will allow you to relax more and enjoy yourself on the day, knowing that everything – and everyone – is taken care of.

The phrase is tossed around a lot, but ‘duty of care’ does mean something for you as a host, in legal terms. According to the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957, if you invite someone into your home or garden, you should take reasonable steps to keep them safe.

Here, ‘reasonable’ is the key word. There’s no way to remove every single hazard, but you are expected to think ahead. If a risk is foreseeable – and preventable – then you should take measures to address it ahead of time.

Really, this is just an extension of what good hosts do anyway: making sure guests are comfortable and safe.

The truth is that when something goes wrong at a hosted event, it’s not usually because of something dramatic going wrong, but because of oversights like:

A polished floor that’s become slippery

A rug not quite sitting flat

  An extension cable trailing across the room

Or, if the event’s taking place in the garden:

Uneven paving or hard-to-see steps

Slippery decking or loose gravel paths

Dimly lit areas

These are the kinds of things hosts don’t usually notice – until someone gets hurt.  

Children don’t tend to see risk the same way adults do, so hosts are expected to take extra care when younger guests are invited. You’ll particularly want to think about:

Pools, ponds and hot tubs

Stairs, balconies and low windows

Fires, heaters and barbecues

Garden furniture and anything else that can be climbed

Don’t worry – you don’t need to take drastic action just because there are children on your guest list. Really, it’s just thinking about how a child might move through your space, and the sorts of things that might get their attention. You’ll also want to think about simple measures like covers, barriers, and proper supervision.

If there’s an accident involving alcohol at your event, it may be covered depending on the level of cover you have. But there can be a problem if an insurer thinks your poor judgment had something to do with the accident.

For example, let’s say your guest was served a bit too much to drink and you don’t intervene. An insurer might want to assess the situation and see how responsibly you handled the event – and, if they do find that there was some recklessness on your part, your claim may not be successful.

We’re not saying you need to police your guests. Instead, try to create the right tone for the evening straight from the get-go, so your guests have a guideline. Pace drinks, offer food, and keep an eye on how the evening progresses.

Some of the most avoidable issues are also the least obvious ones.

Take food, for example. Allergies, intolerances and dietary requirements are far more common than they were in the past, so it’s good to check what your guests can and can’t have before your event. It’s also a good idea to clearly label all food and drink.

If you have pets, that’s another thing you’ll want to think about. Even if your dog or cat has a kind nature and is usually good with people, they can find gatherings that change their environment quite stressful, meaning they may act out. The safest option, in our recommendation, is giving your pet their own quiet space for the night.

Then, there are your guests’ belongings – coats, bags, cars parked along the driveway, and anything else they leave in your house. As people first start to show up, it’s easy for things to become a little disorganised – but a bit of structure can really help out. Make sure there’s a clear space for coats and bags, and think through parking arrangements before your guests arrive.

No matter how carefully you prepare, the truth is that accidents can and do happen. That’s where the right cover comes in.

Did you know that most standard home policies include personal liability (or occupier’s liability) cover? That means you’re covered for situations where a guest is injured in your home, all the way up to the very unlikely possibility of a guest taking legal action against you.

But there are limits. For example, if you end up ticketing your event – which turns it into a commercial event – or your guests behave recklessly, standard cover may not be enough.

It’s also worth noting that features and benefits will differ between insurance providers, and that includes the terms, conditions and exclusions. That’s why, before you make a claim, it’s important to carefully go through your policy.

If you want to know how hosting can fit seamlessly into your existing home insurance, find out more here.

If your home’s on the higher value side and you love to host, find out how we can help here.

The information contained in this article is for general information purposes only. It does not constitute legal or other professional advice and cannot be relied upon as such. Should you have any queries, we recommend that you consult the appropriate professional adviser.