Household Insurance spain / insuring against theft whilst renting

Certainly the owner of the apartment could include your property in his cover.   As an owner that is what my son has done for a friend who he has allowed to live  rent free in his apartment here.

Or, you could just ask the same company which insures the apartment, or any broker. They WILL know the answer,

Hi Petra,



Yes it is possible to insure your personal items renting an apartment.

All you need is contact an insurance company, state the value of the items and they will quote you. Any theft insurance is calculated the same as back home: placement, area, value of items etc. A good thing is to include an extra insurances in case of you being the cause of water damage, fire or the like (not a big price tag BTW).

Many spanish owner claim to have an insurance covering the basics, but you'll never be 100% sure unless you're have it yourself, right? I wouldn't do as Johncar suggested in his comment and leave it up to the owner, even if you know the person...

I'm not selling insurances nor advising you what to do. This is my personal take and the 'better safe than sorry' approach I use living in Spain...

By the way, this question cannot be classified as ignorance. Acting upon opinion not supported by fact - now there lies true ignorance 




Carsten Hansen

Well thanks Carsten for saying ignore what I said. 

Just for the record I have owned property in Spain since 1983 and have let properties as an owner and on behalf of others. I have lived here for 30 years. I was a  senior detective in UK retiring after 30 years.  For 20 years I have been a volunteer working with the National Police assisting victims of crime.

Maybe I have just a little more experience on the subject and at the sharp end than Carsten, but who knows.

If you ask the owner you may find he/she already has the cover you require and if so I am sure they will supply you with a copy of the policy so you can check. 

It may also be the case that the owner has a legal responsibility for his/her tenants and their property. Again you may be wise to check with the owner before you do anything

@Johncar: Not questioning your formal education, years of experience nor trying to cross swords with you, mate. I gave my opinion and I'm not saying you're wrong - I simply don't agree with you.

Should we focus on what Petra is asking and give her some different opinions or would you rather we use our energy on agreeing to disagree?

I wish you a fantastic day Johncar!

And Petra: may any answer given so far (hopefully more will come) have led you to a solution that works out for you!


Carsten Hansen

Hi Petra,

Yes insurance companies can provide insurance for renters for their own personal contents and it is recommended to take out your own content insurance.

Owners have their own insurance, but may not cover sufficiently for personal contents in the event of an accident, they tend to focus more on the building/construction for water, fire damage, etc. In the event of fire or theft of your personal contents it would also become difficult to claim against your landlords policy when the possessions are yours not theirs and obviously the owner would be claiming for their losses as a priority. **

Kind regards,
Vicki.