Insurance for a tourist home: what it must cover and why normal home insurance is not enough
It is not required by law in Andalusia, but renting without declaring tourist use to the insurer can leave you without cover. What to ask for: buildings, contents, public liability and guest damage.
Reviewed on 22 September 2026 · By the team at Torremolinos Gestión Vacacional, more than ten years managing holiday rentals · Markdown version · Versión en español
Short answer: the Andalusian tourist dwelling rules do not require insurance, but renting with your usual home insurance, without telling the insurer, is a real risk: in a claim they can argue that the use was not the one declared. The right thing is a home policy that declares holiday rental use, with buildings, contents, public liability and, if possible, damage caused by guests. It costs between €200 and €400 a year.
What must it cover?
- Buildings: the structure and installations (pipes, electrics, windows). It is usually also in the association's insurance, but the association's does not cover the inside of your flat.
- Contents: furniture, appliances, bed linen. Value it properly: a flat equipped for tourists has more contents than it seems.
- Public liability: if a guest falls down a step, if a leak floods the neighbour below, if the air conditioning causes a fire. It is the most important cover and the cheapest. Ask for at least €150,000-300,000.
- Guest damage / vandalism: not all include it; some specific holiday rental policies do.
- 24-hour home assistance: an emergency plumber and locksmith are part of a holiday flat's daily life.
- Loss of rent from a claim: if the flat is unusable for two months because of a flood, some policies compensate the income.
Why isn't normal home insurance enough?
Standard home policies cover a main home or a second home for own use. Holiday rental is a different use, with more turnover of people and more statistical risk. If it is not declared, the insurer can reduce or reject the payout. The solution is simple: call your insurer, declare the use and ask for the change or a specific policy. Several Spanish insurers offer them under that name ("alquiler vacacional", "vivienda turística").
And the manager's insurance?
A professional manager has their own public liability insurance for their activity (for example, if their cleaner breaks something or hands over keys wrongly). It does not replace yours: the flat is yours and the one liable to the flooded neighbour is you. Ask the manager what their policy covers; it is one of the 20 questions in What to ask a manager before signing.
What do Airbnb and Booking cover?
- Airbnb: AirCover for hosts covers damage caused by guests and public liability under certain conditions, but it is a platform protection, with its exclusions and deadlines, not insurance you can use outside Airbnb.
- Booking: offers the option of a damage deposit, and in some markets a protection programme, but not general insurance.
Use them as the first line; insurance is the second.
How much does it cost?
For a 4-place flat on the Costa del Sol, a policy with tourist use declared, contents of €15,000-20,000 and public liability of €300,000 costs between €200 and €400 a year. It is deductible on your tax return in proportion to the rented days.
Three checks before signing
- That the policy literally states tourist or holiday rental use.
- That the public liability covers damage to third parties inside and outside the home (neighbours).
- That emergency assistance is 24 hours and without an unreasonable limit on call-outs, because holiday flat breakdowns happen on Saturday night.