Home and contents insurance

This topic is for anyone considering, planning or carrying out a move to Spain, whether you rent or own. It shows you which policy to hold, how much cover to set, and how second homes, rental properties and moves change the answer. It also covers the cover a mortgage bank asks for.

Start with "What a standard Spanish home policy covers and excludes". It explains the usual cover, the optional extras and the common exclusions, and every other page builds on it. Then move to the page that matches your situation: renting, owning, a mortgage, a second home or a move.

Filing a claim, renewals, car insurance and mortgage mechanics are not covered here.

Key rules

• Underinsurance: If the sum insured is lower than the real value at the time of a loss, the insurer pays only that same proportion of the loss, so a home worth 200,000 euros insured for 150,000 euros pays 7,500 euros on a 10,000 euro loss.
• Carrier liability: On international road moves the carrier's liability is limited to about 10 euros per kg, which is often far below the real value of your goods.
• Mortgage cover: Your lender can require building cover with a sum insured at least equal to the rebuilding value, but it must accept an equivalent policy from another insurer.
• Landlord's policy: It covers the building, not your belongings or your liability.
• Legal duty: You only have to insure if your lease has a clause requiring it.
• Continente: The landlord's policy covers the flat and its fixtures; the community covers only shared parts.

Home and contents insurance: the whole process, step by step

• Arrange goods-in-transit cover before the movers load (Insuring your belongings in transit and storage when moving): before the move starts

• Report damage to the carrier when your goods arrive (Insuring your belongings in transit and storage when moving): on delivery for visible damage, and within 7 days for damage you find later

• Start any lawsuit against the carrier (Insuring your belongings in transit and storage when moving): within 1 year

• Check whether the lease requires insurance before you take out a tenant policy (Do you need home insurance (seguro de hogar) as a tenant?): before you sign the lease

• Rental landlords: wait out the policy's waiting period (carencia) for unpaid rent cover (Insurance for a property you rent out, including unpaid rent): usually 1 to 3 months after signing; claims begin after one or two unpaid months

• Second home owners: shut off the water and secure the home before a long absence (Insuring a second home, empty property or holiday let): before any absence, as theft cover may be limited after often 60 to 90 days unoccupied

• Give notice to replace the bank's home policy with an equivalent one (Home insurance your mortgage bank requires and your alternatives): at least 1 month before the annual renewal date

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Your NIE — Insuring a second home, empty property or holiday let

Income and work

• Recent payslips of the tenant — Insurance for a property you rent out, including unpaid rent, Does insurance cover squatters (okupación)?
• Your tenant's employment contract showing a stable job — Does insurance cover squatters (okupación)?

The home and the lease

• The signed rental contract for the property — Insurance for a property you rent out, including unpaid rent

Payments and receipts

• Purchase invoices for your valuables — Insuring jewellery, electronics, bikes and other valuables at home
• Proof of renewal and of premium payment — Home insurance your mortgage bank requires and your alternatives

Guarantees

• A home insurance policy covering the building against fire — Home insurance your mortgage bank requires and your alternatives

Other documents

• A valuation certificate for jewellery — Insuring jewellery, electronics, bikes and other valuables at home
• A police report — Insuring jewellery, electronics, bikes and other valuables at home
• Proof that the bank is named as beneficiary — Home insurance your mortgage bank requires and your alternatives
• Inventory of your goods with a value for each item — Insuring your belongings in transit and storage when moving

Each article lists the other documents it asks for, where you need them.

Home and contents insurance: questions that cross several articles

Does my landlord's insurance cover my belongings as a tenant?

No, a landlord's policy normally covers the building and fixed elements, not your own belongings. Clothes, electronics and personal furniture need your own policy. Read Who insures what between landlord, tenant and community (comunidad), then Do you need home insurance (seguro de hogar) as a tenant?.

Can my landlord force me to take home insurance?

Only if your lease has a clause requiring it, because the tenancy law itself does not oblige you to insure. See Do you need home insurance (seguro de hogar) as a tenant?.

Whose insurer pays when a water leak damages a neighbour's flat?

Usually each insurer pays its own client up to a set limit, whoever is at fault. Above that limit, the insurer of the responsible party pays. A leak from a common pipe goes to the community policy, and one from a private pipe goes to the owner's policy. Read Who insures what between landlord, tenant and community (comunidad) and What the building's community insurance covers and special charges (derramas).

Does the community policy cover the inside of my flat?

No, the community policy covers common parts such as the structure, roof, facade and lifts, not your interior finishes or contents. Private parts are covered only if the policy says so. Read What the building's community insurance covers and special charges (derramas), then What a standard Spanish home policy covers and excludes.