Pitfall 5: Insurance and the “monitoring requirement”

This is article 5 in our series on the 6 pitfalls with alarm systems in Spain. It is about okupas (illegal occupiers) and what insurers actually ask for — not what is said on the doorstep. On how a monitoring centre works in practice: Pitfall 2.

1. “No cover without monitoring” — is that true?

Almost all major Spanish insurers offer optional cover against illegal occupation (ocupación ilegal): legal help, court costs, repairs, sometimes temporary housing or lost rent. Useful — but the terms rarely say: “you must have a monitoring centre subscription.”

What they often do ask for is a reliable alarm system as prevention. That wording is broad: a professional system with direct alerts on your phone fits — without a monthly call-centre contract.

2. 2025 law: your own report counts

Since April 2025, Spain’s Ley Orgánica 1/2025 (anti-squatter law) speeds up eviction noticeably. For allanamiento de morada (breaking into your own home — main or second residence): if you report to the police within 48 hours, they can often act faster.

• The law does not mention a monitoring centre. A direct report by the owner is enough for fast police action within those rules.
• For the insurer, ending occupation quickly is often better: lower legal costs and damage.
• Yet some still recommend an expensive monitoring subscription — while that law does not require it.

This is not legal advice for your specific case; it is the line of the statute. For your situation: police + insurer + a lawyer if needed.

3. Monitoring centre or you call — which is faster?

Sometimes people say: “The police do not respond to the owner.” When your home is being occupied, a direct report is priority — especially inside the 48-hour window.

• Monitoring: they must reach you first — in Spain a private centre often has to verify with you. Miss the call and the chain stalls. Explained: Pitfall 2.
• Jamming — if the radio signal is jammed, the centre often hears nothing. Pitfall 4.
• You call 112 / the police yourself — with a push alert on your phone you see sooner that something is wrong and can act without a middleman.

4. Five steps before you sign anything

• 1. Read the terms — search the policy for alarm, monitoring centre (central receptora) and illegal occupation.
• 2. Ask for written confirmation — does the insurer accept a professional alarm with direct alerts, without a monitoring subscription?
• 3. Watch exclusions — some policies limit cover for long vacancy. That is separate from “monitoring or not”.
• 4. Report occupation quickly — police, formal report, and the insurer the same day. Do not wait for a call centre that must find you first.
• 5. If they refuse a subscription-free system — ask why, in writing. Switching insurer can be an option.

5. Read the policy — not the sales story

A monitoring subscription is generally not a legal or policy duty for cover against squatters. The 2025 law supports fast action on your report. Yet agents and alarm salespeople keep pushing monitoring — often from partnerships, not from the policy text.

Choose an alarm that reaches you directly and helps stop break-in or occupation before someone is inside. How a house visit with us works: how it works.