Community Insurance vs Home Insurance in Spain

If you own an apartment or a property on an urbanisation in Spain, you're already paying for insurance through your community fees. So do you really need your own home policy too? Almost always, yes — and this page explains exactly where the community policy stops and your own cover begins.

What is community insurance (seguro de comunidad)?

In a block of flats or an urbanisation, the comunidad de propietarios (community of owners) holds a single insurance policy for the building as a whole. It's paid for collectively through your community fees (cuotas) and arranged by the community's administrator. Spanish law (the Ley de Propiedad Horizontal) requires communities to maintain the building, and most carry a policy to back that up — in many regions it is effectively compulsory.

What the community policy DOES cover

The community policy looks after the shared parts of the building — the things no single owner owns alone:

• The structure — foundations, load-bearing walls, roof and façade.
• Common areas — entrance halls, stairwells, lifts, communal pools, gardens and parking.
• Shared installations — communal water, electrical and heating systems.
• The community's own liability — for example, if a roof tile falls and injures a passer-by.

What it does NOT cover

Crucially, the community policy stops at the door of your flat. It does not cover:

• Your contents — furniture, electronics, clothing and belongings inside your home.
• The interior of your home — your fitted kitchen, built-in wardrobes, flooring, tiling, decoration and improvements.
• Your personal liability — for example, if a leak that starts in your flat damages the neighbour below.
• Accidental damage and theft inside your home, or alternative accommodation if your flat becomes uninhabitable.

Who insures what — community policy vs your own home policy

Indicative only — exactly what each policy covers varies by insurer and policy, so always check your policy terms and your community's schedule.

Worked example: a burst pipe in your flat

A pipe under your kitchen sink fails while you're away. Water damages your units and floor, and seeps into the flat below. The community policy won't pay for your kitchen or belongings, and won't cover the neighbour's claim against you — but your own home policy's contents and liability cover typically would. This is the most common reason apartment owners are glad they have their own policy.

Where the two policies overlap — and who claims first

Sometimes both policies are in play. If a communal pipe in the wall bursts and damages your flat, the community policy should respond to the structural repair while your own policy handles your damaged contents and interior. In practice the two insurers liaise, but having your own policy means you have someone acting for you rather than relying on the community's insurer to treat your loss fairly. We manage that conversation in English on your behalf — see making a claim.

Special situations worth checking

• Ground-floor flats with a private garden or terrace — these are often your private responsibility, not the community's.
• Improvements you've made — a renovated kitchen or bathroom is rarely reflected in the community's sum insured.
• Holiday and non-resident owners — your flat may sit empty for months; your own policy can cover unoccupied periods (see holiday home insurance).
• Letting your flat — tenant and guest risks need landlord or holiday-rental cover.

The bottom line

Your community fees insure the building you share. Your own apartment policy insures everything that makes it your home — your belongings, your interior and your liability. For most apartment owners the two work hand in hand, and the cost of your own contents-and-liability policy is small next to the gap it fills.

General guidance only — not personal insurance advice. Last updated: May 2026.