Insuring a second home you rarely use
A second home used a few weeks a year needs the unoccupancy pattern declared to the insurer, because most policies restrict or exclude cover once a property has been continuously empty for a stated period, commonly thirty to sixty days.
gelisted editorial team · Updated 15 August 2026
The short version
- Cover is commonly restricted after 30 to 60 days of continuous unoccupancy.
- Declaring the pattern usually costs a modest premium adjustment.
- Letting the property changes the risk and must be declared separately.
- A visit frequency condition is often attached to unoccupied cover.
The policy that looked identical to the one on your main home is not, because the risk it was priced for assumes somebody sleeps there.
The unoccupancy clause
Most Spanish home policies contain a clause restricting cover once the property has been continuously unoccupied beyond a defined period. The consequences range from an increased excess to the withdrawal of theft and water damage cover entirely. It is not hidden, but it sits in the general conditions rather than in the summary, which is where most policyholders stop reading.
| Point | Main home | Second home |
|---|---|---|
| Unoccupancy limit | rarely reached | 30 to 60 days typical |
| Theft cover when empty | standard | may be excluded |
| Water damage when empty | standard | may be restricted |
| Visit frequency condition | not applied | often required |
| Premium adjustment for declaring | not applicable | modest increase |
| Letting the property | must be declared | must be declared |
| Alarm requirement | sometimes | more often |
| Excess when empty | standard | may be higher |
Declaring it properly
Tell the insurer how the property is actually used: 6 weeks in summer, 2 weeks at Easter, empty otherwise, with a caretaker visiting fortnightly. The premium adjustment is usually modest and the cover remains intact. An undeclared pattern is what allows an insurer to reduce or refuse a claim, and the moment it comes to light is invariably the moment a claim is being assessed.
Letting changes everything
A holiday let is a commercial use and a standard home policy does not cover it. It requires a specific product covering guest liability, damage caused by guests, and loss of rental income after an insured event. Letting under a standard policy typically voids cover for the whole claim rather than just the guest related part, which is the worst possible outcome from what feels like a small omission.
Long term letting also changes the position, since the tenant insures the contents and the owner insures the structure and liability.
The extras worth having
Emergency assistance with a call out included, which for an absent owner is the practical value of the whole policy. A generous third party liability sum. Cover for damage caused by leaks to neighbouring properties, which in an apartment is the most likely large claim. And, in coastal locations, confirmation of how storm and flood damage is handled, since the wording varies more between insurers than the price does.
The premium difference is small against the exposure. Declaring an unoccupancy pattern typically adds 30 € to 120 € a year, while a water damage claim in an apartment that reaches the flat below routinely runs 8,000 € to 25,000 €. On a policy costing 300 € a year, that is the whole argument for the phone call.
Frequently asked
+Does a normal policy cover an empty second home?
Often not beyond 30 to 60 days of continuous unoccupancy unless the pattern has been declared.
+What should I tell the insurer?
The real pattern of use, including how often someone visits or checks the property.
+Does declaring it cost much?
Usually a modest premium adjustment, far less than the cost of a reduced or refused claim.
+Can I let it under my home policy?
No. Holiday letting is a commercial use requiring a specific product, and letting without one can void cover.
+Which extras are worth having?
Emergency assistance with call out, a generous liability sum and clear cover for leaks reaching neighbours.
Sources
- 1Boletín Oficial del Estado, BOE (August 2026)
- 2Govern de les Illes Balears, Govern de les Illes Balears (August 2026)