Home Insurance for Non-Resident Owners in Las Palmas

A house that sits empty for months behaves differently, insurance-wise, from one where tenants or holiday guests come and go. Spanish insurers ask owners to declare how a property will actually be used, and many policies reduce cover — or exclude certain claims altogether — once a home has been unoccupied beyond a set number of consecutive days. For a non-resident owner based in the United Kingdom, who may only visit a few times a year, this detail can matter as much as the price of the policy.

Renting out the same property, even occasionally, brings different obligations: public liability for anyone staying there, cover for loss of rental income if a claim forces a pause, and in many regions a tourist licence before you can legally advertise short lets. None of this is exotic, but it needs to be set out clearly with the insurer from day one, in writing, so that a future claim is not refused on a technicality.

Las Palmas covers the eastern Canary Islands, including Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura, known for their volcanic landscapes and year-round mild climate. Buyers are often drawn by the subtropical setting and the possibility of outdoor living outside the typical mainland Spanish seasons, including retirees and remote workers.

Airports on the main islands provide regular international connections, supporting both holiday visits and longer stays throughout the year. Property types include coastal apartments, villas, and traditional island houses, with tourism present year-round but often peaking during winter months.

This section sets out dated, sourced figures for Las Palmas (province) — residents, advertised prices, access and climate — so you can see the place as it is now. They help you judge, realistically, whether Las Palmas (province) suits what you have in mind, whether living there, holidaying or renting it out.

The province of Las Palmas as a whole, not merely its capital city, had 1,171,547 registered residents on 1 January 2025, according to the INE annual census. This figure covers every municipality within the province, from its largest towns to its smallest villages. In the province of Las Palmas, 171,235 residents hold a foreign nationality, about 15 of every 100 people registered there. That is a significant but not dominant share, and it varies considerably from one town to another within the province.

According to INE, 12,622 British nationals were registered in the province of Las Palmas on 1 January 2025. That is a noticeable but mid-sized community, smaller than the province's largest foreign communities. In 2021, 13,948 were registered, more than the current figure. The decline often reflects people leaving the area or dropping off the padrón rather than any sudden exodus. The table below lists the largest foreign nationalities registered in Las Palmas (province) on 1 January 2025, among those INE publishes for every municipality.

A further table sets out nationalities not broken down above, among them Germans, Italians, Dutch, Belgians and Scandinavians, registered throughout Las Palmas province. Unlike that earlier table, this one uses data from 1 January 2022, the latest edition with full nationality detail.

In our own price bank, the 4,501 homes currently advertised for sale across the province of Las Palmas show a median asking price of €2,750/m² and a median ticket of €250,000. That places the province in the middle of the range, close to the €3,135/m² median across the 130 towns we track across Spain. Half of the properties currently listed are priced between €1,840 and €4,020 per square metre, with cheaper and more expensive homes on either side of that middle band.

Taking €250,000 as the median asking price in Las Palmas (province), the resale transfer tax at 6.5 % amounts to about €16,200, and notary, land registry and gestoría costs add a further €3,000. The combined figure, close to €19,200, is what a buyer needs ready in savings, separate from any mortgage funds. All prices shown are asking prices from adverts active on 2026-11-01, not completed sales. The price eventually paid is always a matter of negotiation, shaped by condition, precise location and orientation.

This table sets out population, foreign residents per 100 people and median price per square metre for the towns we track in Las Palmas (province), highlighting how much local markets can vary.

In 05/2026, Las Palmas (province) had an estimated 26,998 tourist homes according to INE's experimental platform-based statistic, equivalent to 115,284 bed places and roughly 23 per 1,000 residents. The level is moderate, though letting a home to tourists still needs a regional licence. In 2024, 48,341 tax-declared long-term tenancies in Las Palmas (province) produced a median rent of €550 a month, according to the Ministry of Housing's reference system. It is historical data for long-term contracts, unrelated to holiday-let income, and rents can fall as well as rise. The same source shows that the middle half of all flats for long-term rent are priced between €450 and €690 a month.

Commercial airports within the province of Las Palmas include Aeropuerto de Gran Canaria (LPA), Aeropuerto de Lanzarote (ACE), Aeropuerto de Fuerteventura (FUE). Which one suits best depends on routes available from your home airport at the time of year you travel, so this is worth checking directly. The climate figures below were recorded in or near Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the provincial capital, and conditions elsewhere in the province, inland, at altitude or on other islands, can differ noticeably. Winters here are mild: the January mean is 17.9 °C, with an average daily minimum of 15.0 °C, while August averages 24.6 °C with a daily maximum around 27.5 °C. Outdoor life stays comfortable through most of the colder months. The climate here is dry, with around 151 mm of rain annually falling on about 22 days. Climate data come from AEMET's 1981-2010 normals, recorded at its Gran Canaria Aeropuerto station around 24 km away; the actual spot may vary a little, particularly further inland or higher up.

INE recorded 13,337 home sales in Las Palmas (province) in the year to 07/2026. That level of activity typically gives buyers more comparables to judge a fair price and a broader pool of properties to choose from. These figures describe the province of Las Palmas as a whole and can change considerably from one town to another, and from one property to the next. Tell us what you are looking for and we will go through the numbers together.

The transfer tax on a resale home is set by each Spanish region. In Las Palmas the general rate is 6,5 %, and on top of it come notary, land registry and gestoría (roughly one more percent). On a new build you pay 10 % VAT plus stamp duty instead of the transfer tax. This money is not lent by the bank.

If you plan to use the property only for your own holidays in Las Palmas, a standard multi-risk home policy is usually the base, but ask specifically about the “unoccupancy” clause. Many standard policies assume someone is in and out regularly; if the house is empty for long stretches between your visits, some insurers reduce cover for water damage, theft or storms unless you have paid for an extended unoccupancy endorsement.

It is also worth checking who can legally access the property to check on it while you are back in the United Kingdom — a neighbour, a keyholding service or our after-sale support — since insurers sometimes ask for evidence that the home is checked periodically, especially after storms or in winter.

Once you let the home to guests or long-term tenants, the insurance conversation changes. You will usually need a policy that explicitly allows third-party occupation, with public liability cover for anyone staying there, and ideally cover for loss of rent if a water leak or similar incident makes the property unusable for a period. Ordinary owner-occupier policies often exclude claims linked to paying guests altogether.

Short-term tourist lets add another layer: most regions, and many individual buildings, require a specific licence before a property can be advertised for short stays, and insurers will usually ask to see it. If you plan to let the home in Las Palmas, it is worth confirming the licensing position before you sign any rental contract, not after the first booking.

Before comparing quotes for a property in Las Palmas, it helps to have a short checklist ready: your NIE, proof of ownership or the arras/reservation contract, an estimate of the rebuild cost (not the purchase price), and a clear answer to how many weeks a year the home will stand empty. Insurers price risk on these answers, not on guesswork.

A local tax adviser can also confirm how any rental income or future gains should be reported to HMRC under the double taxation agreement between Spain and the United Kingdom, which sits alongside — but separate from — your insurance obligations.

Spain is a relatively short flight away from most UK airports, making regular visits to a Spanish property straightforward for owners based in Britain. Many British buyers are drawn to Spain for its climate, coastal lifestyle and established expatriate communities. One practical point to bear in mind is that Spanish inheritance law differs from UK rules, so it is worth taking specific advice on how it may affect the property and one's estate. Currency movements between sterling and the euro can also affect the overall cost of purchase and ongoing expenses.

Spain and the United Kingdom have a double taxation agreement in place, and a local tax adviser should confirm how rental income or gains from Spanish property must be declared and reported to HMRC.

As the United Kingdom is no longer an EU member state, British citizens may stay in Spain for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa, and must apply for a visa or residence permit for longer stays.

Since the United Kingdom uses the pound sterling (GBP) rather than the euro, buyers should factor in exchange-rate movements and currency conversion costs when paying for a property or transferring funds to Spain.