Home Insurance Glossary Spain
Essential Spanish home insurance terms explained in plain English. Understand your policy, know your coverage, and protect your property with confidence.
Terms by category
Policy Types
(4 terms)Seguro de hogar
Home insurance policy
Seguro de hogar is the general term for home insurance in Spain. It typically covers both the building structure and your personal belongings, though you can choose to insure just one or the other.
Why it matters for expats:
In Spain, home insurance isn't legally required for homeowners, but most mortgage lenders will require it. Even without a mortgage, it's essential protection for your property investment.
Continente
Buildings cover (structure)
Continente covers the physical structure of your property—walls, roof, floors, fixed installations like fitted kitchens, bathrooms, and built-in wardrobes. It protects against damage from fire, water, storms, and other insured perils.
Why it matters for expats:
If you own your property, continente is essential. The sum insured should reflect the rebuild cost, not the market value. Under-insuring can lead to reduced payouts under the 'regla proporcional' (proportional rule).
Contenido
Contents cover (belongings)
Contenido covers your personal possessions inside the home—furniture, electronics, clothing, appliances, and valuables. Some policies have sub-limits for specific categories like jewellery, art, or cash.
Why it matters for expats:
Renters should focus on contenido since the landlord insures the building. Make an inventory of your belongings and keep receipts for valuable items to speed up claims.
Seguro multirriesgo
Multi-risk/comprehensive policy
A seguro multirriesgo hogar is a comprehensive home insurance policy that bundles multiple coverages: buildings, contents, liability, legal assistance, and emergency home repairs. It's the most common type sold in Spain.
Why it matters for expats:
Multi-risk policies offer the best value and most complete protection. Individual add-ons purchased separately often cost more than an integrated package.
Financial Terms
(4 terms)Franquicia
Excess or deductible
The franquicia is the amount you pay out of pocket before your insurance covers the rest of a claim. For example, with a €150 franquicia on water damage, you pay the first €150 of repairs.
Why it matters for expats:
Home insurance in Spain often has different franquicias for different perils. Check the excess for water damage specifically—it's the most common claim type and often has a separate, higher excess.
Prima
Premium (insurance cost)
The prima is your annual insurance premium. Spanish home insurance is typically quoted annually, with options to pay in one lump sum, two installments, or monthly. Annual payment often includes a discount.
Why it matters for expats:
Home insurance premiums in Spain are generally lower than in the UK or Germany. Expect €150-€400/year for a typical apartment, more for villas or properties with pools.
Capital asegurado
Sum insured
The capital asegurado is the maximum amount the insurer will pay for a total loss. For buildings, this should be the full rebuild cost. For contents, it should cover replacing all your belongings at current prices.
Why it matters for expats:
Under-insurance triggers the 'regla proporcional'—if you insure for 50% of the true value, you only receive 50% of any claim. Review your sums insured annually, especially after renovations.
Valor de reposición
Replacement value (new for old)
Valor de reposición means your insurer pays to replace damaged items with new equivalents, without deducting for age or wear. This is standard for buildings but check your contents cover—some policies use 'valor real' (actual value) instead.
Why it matters for expats:
Always choose 'valor de reposición a nuevo' for contents. A 5-year-old TV replaced at 'valor real' might only get you €100, while replacement value gets you a new TV of similar specification.
Coverage Types
(7 terms)Daños por agua
Water damage cover
Daños por agua covers damage from burst pipes, leaks, overflows, and plumbing failures. This is the most frequently claimed peril in Spanish home insurance. Coverage typically includes finding the leak and repairing the resulting damage.
Why it matters for expats:
Water damage claims are extremely common in Spain, especially in older properties. Check your policy's sub-limits and franquicia for water damage specifically. Some policies exclude gradual leaks.
Búsqueda y reparación
Leak detection and repair
Búsqueda y reparación de averías covers the cost of locating hidden leaks (breaking walls/floors if necessary) and repairing the pipe or fitting that caused the problem. This is separate from repairing the water damage itself.
Why it matters for expats:
Essential coverage in Spain where hidden leaks in old piping are common. Without this, you pay for the plumber to find and fix the leak, even if the resulting damage is covered.
Incendio
Fire cover
Incendio covers damage from fire, including smoke damage and damage caused by firefighting efforts. It's a core peril in all Spanish home policies and usually covers the full sum insured without sub-limits.
Why it matters for expats:
Fire cover in Spain extends to wildfire damage—increasingly relevant in rural and semi-rural areas. Check if your policy includes temporary accommodation costs if your home becomes uninhabitable.
Robo
Theft cover
Robo covers theft of your belongings, including forced entry burglary, robbery with violence, and sometimes theft by deception. Policies typically require evidence of forced entry and have sub-limits for cash, jewellery, and electronics.
Why it matters for expats:
Theft claims require a police report (denuncia). Keep photos and receipts of valuable items. Some policies reduce or exclude cover if security measures (locks, alarms) aren't in place.
Responsabilidad civil
Public liability cover
Responsabilidad civil covers your legal liability for injury to others or damage to their property arising from your home. This includes guests injured in your property, water damage to neighbours below, or your dog injuring someone.
Why it matters for expats:
If your water leak damages the flat below, their insurer will claim against your responsabilidad civil. Standard limits are €300,000-€600,000—consider higher if you have a pool, dog, or rent to tourists.
Asistencia hogar
Home emergency assistance
Asistencia hogar is 24/7 emergency home assistance—plumber for burst pipes, electrician for power failures, locksmith for lockouts. Most policies include a number of callouts per year with parts and labour covered up to a limit.
Why it matters for expats:
Invaluable when you don't speak Spanish or know local tradespeople. Keep the emergency number saved in your phone. Check the maximum callout value—typically €100-€200 per incident.
Fenómenos atmosféricos
Weather/storm damage
Fenómenos atmosféricos covers damage from storms, wind, hail, rain, and flooding. In Spain, catastrophic events (major floods, earthquakes) are covered separately by the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros, a state-backed insurer.
Why it matters for expats:
Spain's climate means storm damage is less frequent than water leaks but can be severe in coastal areas. The Consorcio covers major natural disasters—your policy handles everyday weather damage.
Claims & Process
(3 terms)Siniestro
Claim or incident
A siniestro is any covered incident that may result in a claim—water damage, theft, fire, liability incident, etc. 'Declarar un siniestro' means to report a claim to your insurer.
Why it matters for expats:
Report claims promptly—most policies require notification within 7 days. Take photos before cleaning up, and keep damaged items until the perito (assessor) has seen them if possible.
Perito
Insurance assessor/surveyor
A perito is the insurance company's assessor who evaluates damage after a claim. They determine what's covered, assess repair costs, and report to the insurer. For larger claims, they'll visit your property.
Why it matters for expats:
You can request your own independent perito if you disagree with the insurer's assessment. Keep all documentation—photos, receipts, repair estimates—to support your claim.
Consorcio
State catastrophe insurer
The Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros is a Spanish state entity that covers extraordinary risks—major floods, earthquakes, terrorism, riots. A small portion of your premium goes to the Consorcio automatically.
Why it matters for expats:
If a major natural disaster damages your home, you claim through the Consorcio, not your regular insurer. They have their own assessment process but generally pay promptly.
Property Types
(3 terms)Vivienda habitual
Primary residence
Vivienda habitual is your main home where you live permanently. Insurance for primary residences is typically cheaper and has fewer restrictions than for second homes or rental properties.
Why it matters for expats:
Be honest about occupancy—if you declare a property as your vivienda habitual but it's actually empty most of the year, claims may be rejected or reduced.
Segunda residencia
Second home/holiday home
Segunda residencia is a property you own but don't live in full-time—a holiday home, weekend retreat, or property kept for future use. These require specific policies as they're higher risk when unoccupied.
Why it matters for expats:
Standard policies often exclude or limit cover if the property is empty more than 30-90 consecutive days. Specific segunda residencia policies handle long vacancy periods and typically cost 20-40% more.
Comunidad de propietarios
Owners' community (building insurance)
The comunidad de propietarios is the homeowners' association for an apartment building. They hold communal building insurance covering shared structure and common areas. This is separate from your individual home insurance.
Why it matters for expats:
Community insurance typically covers the building structure but NOT your apartment's interior fixtures, decorations, or contents. You need your own policy for everything inside your four walls.
Documents & Valuables
(2 terms)Nota simple
Property registry extract
A nota simple is an official extract from the Property Registry showing ownership details, property description, and any charges (mortgages, liens). Insurers may request this to verify ownership and property details.
Why it matters for expats:
You'll need a nota simple when taking out buildings insurance or making large claims. It's obtained from the Registro de la Propiedad and costs around €10.
Objetos de valor
Valuables/specified items
Objetos de valor refers to high-value items that need to be specifically declared on your policy—typically jewellery, art, antiques, collections, or electronics above a certain value. Standard contents cover has sub-limits for these categories.
Why it matters for expats:
If you have items worth more than the policy's automatic limit (often €1,500-€3,000 per item), you must declare them separately. Undeclared valuables may not be fully covered in a claim.
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Get Home Insurance QuotesCommon questions
What's the difference between continente and contenido?
Continente covers the building structure—walls, roof, fixed installations. Contenido covers your personal belongings inside—furniture, electronics, clothing. Property owners typically need both; renters usually only need contenido.
Does my community's building insurance cover my apartment?
Community insurance (seguro de comunidad) typically covers the building structure and common areas only. It usually doesn't cover your apartment's interior finishes, fitted kitchen, bathroom, or contents. You need your own seguro de hogar for complete protection.
Why is water damage cover so important in Spain?
Water damage (daños por agua) is by far the most common home insurance claim in Spain. Older plumbing, hidden leaks, and the dry climate (which can crack pipes) all contribute. Check your policy's water damage excess carefully—it's often higher than for other perils.
What happens if I under-insure my property?
If you insure for less than the true value, the 'regla proporcional' (proportional rule) applies. If you insure at 50% of the real value and claim €10,000 in damages, you'll only receive €5,000. Always insure for full replacement value.
Do I need special insurance for a second home in Spain?
Yes. Standard policies often exclude or limit cover if the property is unoccupied for more than 30-90 consecutive days. Segunda residencia (second home) policies are designed for properties that are empty for extended periods and cost 20-40% more than primary residence cover.
What does the Consorcio cover that my normal policy doesn't?
The Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros covers 'extraordinary risks'—major floods, earthquakes, terrorism, civil unrest, and actions by the Armed Forces. A portion of your premium automatically goes to the Consorcio. For major natural disasters, you claim through them, not your regular insurer.
Related guides
Learn more about insurance in Spain
Buildings vs Contents Insurance
Understand the difference between continente and contenido—and which you need.
Second Home Insurance Spain
Specialized coverage for holiday homes and properties left empty for extended periods.
Landlord Insurance Spain
Protection for rental properties—buildings, liability, and rent guarantee options.