Insuring a second home, empty property or holiday let

Key rules

• Declared use: Tell the insurer if the home is a second home, often empty, or let to tourists, because wrong details can cut or reject a claim.
• Tourist letting: Standard policies usually exclude commercial use, so a holiday let normally needs a specific holiday-rental policy.
• Long absences: Theft and water-damage cover can be limited when the home is empty, so check the absence limit and shut off the water when you leave.
• Non-residents: You can insure a Spanish home from abroad, and a correspondence address abroad is usually accepted.

Tell the insurer how you really use the home

A standard home policy is priced for a main home that someone lives in. If your property is a second home, sits empty or is let to tourists, say so when you buy the policy. Wrong information about use or occupancy can lead to a reduced payout or a rejected claim.

Can you insure it if you live abroad?

Yes. Many insurers and brokers sell to foreign owners, and some offer English-speaking service. A correspondence address abroad is usually fine. The policy papers will be in Spanish, though some insurers give English copies. The insurer will ask how often the home is occupied and whether you rent it out. The documents you need are in the list below.

Clauses to check for absences

Insurers treat a second home (segunda residencia) as higher risk and often cover it more narrowly. Read the particular conditions for these points:

• Theft while empty. Cover may be limited or excluded once the home has been unoccupied for a set period, often 60 to 90 days in a row. Some insurers also want proof of forced entry, or security such as reinforced doors, locks or shutters.
• Water damage. A burst-pipe claim may be reduced or refused if you did not shut off the water supply during a long absence. Get into the habit of turning it off whenever you leave.
• Valuables and cash. Cover is often capped, and the excess (the part you pay on each claim) may be higher.
• Empty or uninhabited homes. These may need a specific policy rather than a standard one.

The day limits and conditions differ between insurers. Compare them before you choose on price alone.

If you rent to tourists

Renting a home as a vivienda turística must be declared. Standard policies usually exclude or limit commercial use, so an undeclared let can leave you uncovered.

• Insurers typically ask for your tourist-let licence or registration. That means your regional register number and, since 2025, the national registry number for short-term lets.
• Ask for a specific holiday-rental policy. It normally covers the building, the contents and your liability to guests and neighbours. Some also cover cancellations or lost rent.
• Size the liability cover for guests, not for a single owner.
• Look at the exclusions. Common ones are deliberate damage by guests, theft without forced entry by guests, lets without a licence, and contents you did not declare.

Licence rules differ by region, so confirm with the insurer what they need for your area.

Before you sign

1. Write down how many days a year the home is empty and whether you let it.
2. Ask the broker for quotes on a second-home or holiday-let policy, not a main-home one.
3. Check the absence limit, the water clause, the valuables limit and the excess.
4. Make sure the declared use matches the real use, and update it if that changes.

Documents you need

• Your NIE (foreign identity number) or your passport, as the owner's identification.

• The escritura (title deed) or other proof of ownership of the property.

• The property details: address, size, year built, construction type and use, including whether you rent it out.

• A Spanish IBAN bank account for direct debit of premiums; some insurers accept a non-Spanish account through SEPA.

What to watch out for

• Theft cover may stop when the home is empty: Theft cover can be limited or excluded if the home is unoccupied for more than a set period, often 60 to 90 days in a row. Some insurers also require signs of forced entry and security measures such as reinforced doors, locks or shutters. Find the absence limit in your particular conditions, fit the security measures the policy asks for, and arrange a visit before the limit is reached.

• Water damage claims can be refused after long absences: A burst-pipe or water-damage claim may be refused or reduced if the water supply was not shut off while you were away. Turn off the water at the mains whenever you leave for a long stay.

• Wrong declared use can cut or reject a claim: If the use or occupancy you declared does not match reality, the insurer can reduce the payment or reject the claim. Empty homes may need a specific policy. Tell the insurer exactly how the home is used, including long empty periods and any tourist letting, and ask for a policy that fits.

• Valuables and cash cover are limited: Some insurers limit cover for valuables or cash and apply a higher excess on second homes. Check the limits and the excess before you sign, and keep valuables out of the home.

Frequently asked questions

Can a non-resident insure a Spanish second home?

Yes, non-residents can insure a Spanish second home, and many insurers and brokers sell to foreign owners, some with English-speaking service. A correspondence address abroad is usually acceptable.

Can I pay the premium from a non-Spanish bank account?

Sometimes, but a Spanish IBAN account for direct debit is the usual requirement. Some insurers accept a non-Spanish account through SEPA, the euro payments system. Ask your broker before you buy.

What happens to my claim if the water was left on while I was away?

Your insurer may refuse or reduce a water-damage or burst-pipe claim if the water supply was not shut off during a long absence. Shut off the water before you leave for a long stay. Check the absence wording in your particular conditions.

Do I have to tell my insurer if I rent the home to tourists?

Yes, you must declare tourist letting (vivienda turística) to your insurer, because standard home policies usually exclude or limit commercial use. Insurers typically ask for your tourist-let licence or registration and offer a specific holiday-rental policy.