The problem: your home policy does not know you rent
Home insurance is priced for a main or second home. Renting to tourists changes the risk: strangers come and go, there is more wear, more keys and more chance of damage to neighbours. Many policies limit or exclude cover when the property is used for an undeclared business activity.
Before you publish the listing, read your policy conditions and tell the insurer in writing about the holiday use. If you do not and there is a claim, the insurer may reduce or refuse the payout for an undeclared increase in risk.
What to cover
The essential part is liability as owner and landlord: the guest who falls on the stairs, water leaking into the flat below, a fire that affects the building. Check that the limit is high enough and that paying guests are not expressly excluded.
Then: damage to the building and contents caused by guests (including vandalism), theft, glass and appliance breakage, and emergency assistance (locksmith, plumber) so you do not lose bookings. Some insurers sell specific holiday-rental home products; others allow it as an extension of a standard policy. Comparing both is exactly a broker's job.
Is insurance compulsory for a holiday rental in Andalusia?
At the date of this guide, Andalusia's holiday-rental rules (Decree 28/2016 and its 2024 and 2025 amendments) do not set a specific compulsory insurance with a minimum amount. Not compulsory does not mean optional in practice: a liability claim without insurance comes out of your pocket.
The rules change often. If you are registering a new property, confirm the current requirements with the Andalusian Tourism Register before filing the declaration.
Owners' association: you now need its approval
Since 3 April 2025, the Horizontal Property Act (article 17.12, amended by Organic Law 1/2025) requires the owners' association to expressly approve holiday-rental use by a vote of three fifths of the owners representing three fifths of the shares. The association may also agree that the holiday let pays up to 20% more in service charges.
In practice, associations increasingly ask about the holiday flat's insurance before voting. A policy with solid liability cover is an argument in your favour.
Málaga city: new licences suspended
In 2025 Málaga City Council began amending its general urban plan (PGOU) to suspend new holiday rentals for up to three years, and in July 2026 it gave initial approval to another amendment limiting tourist uses on residential land. If your property is already registered, check with the City Council how it affects you; either way, it pays to keep your paperwork and insurance in order.
How we review it
Bring your current policy and the property details (size, year, number of guests, whether it is registered) and we will tell you what it really covers for holiday use, what is missing and what options exist on the market. Free, no-obligation quote.