Community Insurance Spain: Seguro de Comunidad

If you live in or own property within a Spanish apartment block, townhouse development or urbanisation, your comunidad de propietarios (community of owners) is legally required to hold community insurance. This is the seguro de comunidad or seguro de edificio — a policy that covers the shared structure and communal areas of the development on behalf of all owners collectively.

Is Community Insurance Required by Law in Spain?

Yes. Under Spain's Horizontal Property Law (Ley de Propiedad Horizontal, Article 22), every community of owners with a building of two or more floors must hold a policy covering civil liability arising from communal areas and common elements of the building. Many autonomous communities impose additional requirements.

What Does Community Insurance Cover?

Buildings and Structure

The structural elements of the building: foundations, walls, roof, stairwells, lifts, communal corridors, car park and communal terraces. Covers damage from fire, water, storm, explosion, subsidence and vandalism.

Communal Contents

Communal furnishings and equipment: gym equipment, pool furniture, letterboxes, reception area furnishings, CCTV equipment, communal lighting.

Civil Liability as Community

If a communal area causes injury or damage to a resident, guest or third party — a tile falls from the communal roof, a lift malfunctions, the pool area is slippery — the community's civil liability cover responds. This is legally mandatory.

Glass and Aesthetic Damage

Communal glass elements (entrance doors, pool enclosures, balustrades) and aesthetic finishing (tiles, mosaics) are typically included on comprehensive community policies.

Machinery and Lift Breakdown

Lift failure, pool pump breakdown and communal heating/cooling system breakdown can be covered as extensions.

Legal Defence

If the community faces legal action — for example, a personal injury claim after an accident in a communal area — legal defence costs are covered.

How Is Community Insurance Managed?

Community insurance is arranged by the presidente (president) of the community, often advised by the administrador de fincas (property manager). The annual premium is shared between all owners as part of the annual community service charge (cuotas de la comunidad).

We work with community presidents and property managers to arrange and renew community policies across Spain, with English-language documentation for expat-dominated communities.

How Much Does Community Insurance Cost in Spain?

A small 10-unit apartment block in a coastal area typically costs €800–€2,000/year for the whole community (€80–€200 per owner). Large urbanisations with pool, gym and extensive communal areas cost proportionally more.