Can a property be insured against floods and other disasters?

Key rules

• Consorcio cover: It applies whichever insurer you use, if you hold a valid policy with property damage cover and pay the surcharge.
• Waiting period: A newly taken-out property policy has a 7-day wait; replacing a policy or raising the sum insured has none.
• Insurer refusal: An insurer can refuse ordinary flood cover, but that does not remove the Consorcio cover.
• Mortgage: Your lender cannot force you to buy its insurance and must accept equivalent policies.

Can you get cover?

Usually yes, but it depends on three things: you hold a valid home policy, the waiting period has passed, and the insurer agrees to take the risk. The state disaster fund, the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros, adds a separate layer of cover on top of the policy.

What the Consorcio cover does

The Consorcio covers extraordinary events such as major floods. It attaches to any policy that includes damage to the property, whichever insurer you use. You need a valid underlying policy and you must pay the Consorcio surcharge, which is included in your premium.

The Consorcio charges a uniform national rate. It does not rise for flood-prone addresses.

To see it in your policy, look in the condiciones generales, usually near the end, for a clause about risks covered by the Consorcio. The condiciones particulares often confirm it applies. The title and position vary by insurer.

When cover starts

Cover has no waiting period for most risks. It starts with the policy once you have paid the premium. The main exception is damage to the property: a new policy has a 7-day wait. There is no wait if the policy replaces an existing one or raises the sum insured. The wait also does not apply to terrorism. Policies arranged after a mortgage can be an exception, so check the policy.

If an insurer refuses

Insurers decide freely whether to take a risk. They may refuse a home policy or flood-related cover because of high flood exposure, claims history, an empty property, poor condition, or false answers on the questionnaire. They cannot discriminate unlawfully.

A refusal of ordinary flood or water cover does not remove the Consorcio cover, as long as you hold a valid policy with property damage cover. If one insurer says no, ask others, as criteria vary by company.

Price in flood-prone areas

Insurers price by postcode, building type and claims history. In flood-prone areas they may charge more, set higher excesses or sublimits, or exclude water and rain damage. This hits ground floors, basements and homes near rivers or ramblas hardest. Some insurers decline the highest-risk locations. Ask for the excesses, sublimits and exclusions in writing before you sign.

If you have a mortgage

You do not have to buy home insurance from your lender, and it cannot force a particular insurer. It can require that the property is insured against damage such as fire, explosion and water, for the loan amount or value. It usually asks for the policy to be assigned to it as beneficiary. Lenders must accept equivalent policies from other insurers. Life insurance can be required too, but again you can buy it elsewhere. Check your loan contract for any interest discount tied to bundled insurance.

If you rent

By common practice, the landlord insures the building and you insure your own belongings and civil liability. Your lease may say otherwise. In a block with a community of owners, the community's policy usually covers the building.

Checking the flood hazard itself

How likely your address is to flood is a climate question, covered in the climate content of this guide. For a quick look, search your address on the national flood zone map on the Ministry for the Ecological Transition site, or ask your regional river basin authority. The viewer address changes, so find it from the ministry's site.

The checklist, documents and warnings below walk you through the steps.

Timeline and deadlines

• Pay the premium, including the Consorcio surcharge, so the cover starts with your policy: when you take out the policy

• Wait out the 7-day wait before damage to the property is covered on a newly taken-out policy: 7 days from the start of a new policy

• Cover applies with no waiting period if the policy replaces an existing one or increases the sum insured: from the start of the replacement or increase

Documents you need

• Your home insurance policy, including the general conditions (condiciones generales) with the clause on risks covered by the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros, usually near the end, and the particular conditions (condiciones particulares), which often confirm the cover applies. The insurer issues both.

• If you have a mortgage, a home insurance policy that covers damage such as fire, explosion and water for the loan amount or value, with the lender named as beneficiary. It can come from any insurer the lender accepts as equivalent.

Checklist

• Find the Consorcio clause in the general conditions of your policy and confirm the particular conditions say the cover applies.

• Confirm the premium you pay includes the Consorcio surcharge.

• Note the start date of a new policy and the 7-day wait for damage to the property.

• Ask your insurer about higher excesses, sublimits or water and rain exclusions for your address.

• Ask your landlord or lease who insures the building, and insure your own contents and civil liability.

• Look up your address on the national flood zone map (SNCZI) on the MITECO site, or ask your river basin authority.

What to watch out for

• New policies have a 7-day wait: Damage to the property on a newly taken-out policy is not covered for the first 7 days. A replacement policy or an increased sum insured has no wait. Take out the policy well before you need it, and keep your old policy running until the new one is in force.

• An insurer can refuse you: Insurers can decline a home policy or flood cover for high flood exposure, a vacant or poorly kept property or false answers on the questionnaire. Without a valid policy there is no Consorcio cover. Answer the questionnaire truthfully and ask several insurers if one refuses.

• Flood-prone addresses can cost more or cover less: Your insurer may apply higher premiums, higher excesses, sublimits or exclusions for water and rain damage, especially on ground floors, basements and homes near rivers. Ask what is excluded or limited for your address before you sign, and compare quotes.

• The Consorcio clause is easy to miss: The clause on Consorcio cover sits in the general conditions, often near the end, and its title varies by insurer. Ask your insurer to point out the clause if you cannot find it.

Where to find Consorcio and insurer disaster-cover information

Where to look

• Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros (the state disaster fund): Submit a claim for floods, storms or earthquakes using the online claim form on the Consorcio website (the official website).

• Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros helpline: Call 900 222 665 from Spain, or 952 367 042 from abroad, to ask about or start a claim.

• Consorcio regional delegations: Visit a Consorcio office in Spain to speak to someone in person. Your insurer or insurance agent can also file the claim for you.

• Your insurer: Find the clause on risks covered by the Consorcio in your general conditions (condiciones generales), usually near the end.

• Ministry for the Ecological Transition (MITECO): Search for the national flood-zone mapping system (SNCZI) on the ministry website (the official website) to see whether an address lies in a flood zone.

• Regional river basin authority (confederación hidrográfica): Look at the flood maps published for your river basin. Some regional governments also publish their own.

Frequently asked questions

Can an insurer refuse to cover my home for floods?

Yes, an insurer can refuse a home policy or flood-related cover if it judges the risk too high, for example high flood exposure, a vacant property, poor condition or false answers on the questionnaire.

Will my premium go up if my home is in a flood-prone area?

Yes, your insurer may charge a higher premium, a higher excess or apply exclusions for water and rain damage, especially on ground floors, basements and homes near rivers. The Consorcio surcharge is a uniform national rate, so it does not rise for flood-prone addresses.

Does my mortgage lender require me to buy its home insurance?

No, the lender cannot force you to buy insurance from it, but it can require the home to be insured against damage such as fire and water. It usually asks for the policy to name it as beneficiary and must accept equivalent policies from other insurers.

If I rent, who insures the building and who insures my belongings?

Usually the landlord insures the building and you insure your own contents and civil liability. Your lease may say otherwise, and in a community of owners the building is normally covered by the community's policy.

References

1. consorseguros.es
2. miteco.gob.es