Protection for second homes and holiday properties — including the months they sit empty.
A holiday home in Spain is a wonderful thing to own and a slightly awkward thing to insure. It sits empty for much of the year, it's often owned from abroad, and it may be let to friends or holidaymakers now and then — and each of those facts changes the cover you need. This guide explains how holiday home insurance in Spain works for second-home and overseas owners, what the empty months mean for your policy, and how to keep cover valid all year round.
The defining feature of a holiday home is that nobody is there most of the time. That single fact reshapes the risk. A dripping joint under a sink that an occupant would notice in a day can run for six weeks in an empty house, turning a €200 repair into a €6,000 ceiling-and-floor claim downstairs. Spanish insurers know this, which is why a standard owner-occupier policy isn't always the right fit for a property that's unoccupied for long stretches — and why telling the insurer honestly how the home is used is essential to keeping cover valid.
It's worth being clear about the three situations people lump together, because they're insured differently. A holiday home is a seasonal base you visit. A second home is an additional property you own and use yourself. An unoccupied property is one standing empty for an extended, continuous period. Tell us how you actually use the place and we'll match the cover to reality.
The core cover mirrors a normal home policy — buildings, contents, liability and home assistance — but with particular attention to theft and water damage during empty periods. The table shows how the main cover types compare:
| Typical cover | Contents | Buildings | Buildings & Contents | Holiday home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buildings / structure (continente) | ||||
| Contents / belongings (contenido) | ||||
| Public liability (responsabilidad civil) | ||||
| Water damage (daños por agua) | ||||
| Fire, theft & storm + Consorcio | ||||
| Home emergency assistance (24h) | option | option | ||
| Accidental damage / pool / solar | option | option | option | option |
Indicative only — cover, limits and exclusions vary by insurer and policy.
Two elements deserve special attention on a holiday home. Liability cover matters because a leak from your empty flat can still damage a neighbour while you're a thousand miles away. And home assistance is genuinely useful: a 24-hour line that can send a plumber or locksmith to a property you can't get to quickly is worth having when you're not in the country.
Cover can absolutely continue while your holiday home is unoccupied, but insurers may attach reasonable conditions: that the water be turned off at the mains during long absences, that the property has basic security (a decent lock, sometimes an alarm), and occasionally that someone checks on it periodically. These aren't hoops for their own sake — they're the simple steps that stop a small problem becoming a catastrophe. We'll tell you exactly what your insurer expects so there are no surprises at claim time.
Two worries come up constantly with a second home left empty: break-ins and okupas. The measures insurers expect — sound locks, an alarm, someone keeping an eye on the place — are also your best protection against both, and some policies offer legal-expenses or anti-okupa options that help if the worst happens. We cover the detail in alarms and home security and does home insurance cover squatters (okupas)?.
Most holiday-home owners are non-residents, and you don't need to live in Spain — or even be in Spain — to arrange cover. We set everything up from abroad, in English, with documents sent by email, so you can sort it from the UK, Ireland, the US or anywhere else. See non-resident home insurance for how that works.
The moment you let a holiday home — even occasionally to friends for a contribution — you introduce risks a standard owner policy may not cover, from guest accidents to liability and damage. If you let to holidaymakers you'll want holiday-rental insurance (or our Airbnb host cover); if you let long-term, see landlord insurance. Tell us your plans and we'll arrange a policy that genuinely responds.
General guidance only — not personal insurance advice. Cover, limits and exclusions vary by insurer and policy, so always check your policy terms. Last updated: May 2026.
Yes — cover is available for holiday homes including the months the property is unoccupied. Insurers may set reasonable conditions for long empty periods, which we'll explain.
Theft is typically covered, though some insurers ask for basic security on unoccupied properties. Cover varies by insurer and policy, so always check your policy terms.
Commonly: water turned off at the mains during long absences, basic security, and sometimes periodic checks on the property. We'll tell you exactly what applies to your policy.
Letting changes the risk and a standard owner policy may not respond — tell us and we'll arrange holiday-rental or landlord cover as appropriate.
Yes — most holiday-home owners are non-residents. We set everything up from abroad in English, with documents sent by email.
Tell us about your property and we'll recommend the right cover — in plain English, with no pressure.
