Guide to prevent or report a home theft or burglary in Spain

Spain, although known as a country that is very safe and has a high quality of life, it also is unfortunately famous for its widespread theft cases. This is especially the case in big cities with a high demand for tourism like Barcelona.

Apart from the pickpockets, home theft can also happen since home appliances can be traded on the black market fairly easily. Homes left empty for long periods are easy targets of burglars. Experienced burglars usually use tricks like sending leaflets to detect highly vulnerable properties. In this article, we will discuss ways to prevent this situation and how to report a theft if it unfortunately happens. As a precautionary measure, we believe it is wise to protect your home with insurance. If you would like to see what we offer check out our home insurance. 

 

1. Can home theft be prevented?

2. What if the burglars have already taken away valuable belongings?

3. Advice from Adeslas

 

 

1. Can home theft be prevented?

 

Many people may think that it may never happen to them. Statistically, they may be right because the chances of it actually happening is low, but we can never be too sure. As the Spanish saying goes, “más vale prevenir que curar”, which means it´s more important to prevent than to cope with the aftermath if it happens. This is especially for Expats, who might not be as culturally aware as Spanish people. We will introduce some ideas to help with the prevention down below:

 

1. Know the location before renting a house:

 

This is the top one concern that should be considered before renting a house since not all districts in a single city are equally safe. This is one of the most important factors affecting the probability of home theft break-ins. You can do the following to lower the risk:

 

• Inform yourself of the better cities to live in. Big cities are more filled with opportunities but are also more prone to unexpected incidents. If you choose to live in a tourist and not-so-safe city, you should be extra careful about home theft.
• Inform yourself of the better districts of the city you want to live in. For example, el Raval in Barcelona is not recommended.
• Be careful about signing any long-term contract before visiting the house. The video tour is a new way to show interior design for people prospecting to rent or buy a property. But still, many people argue that it is not very helpful for them to get to know the whole district. It´s recommended to at least ask a friend to visit the property, rent a short-term Airbnb or stay several days in a hotel before visiting the property and signing the long-term contract.

 

2. Install some sort of barriers to warn burglars

 

 

Choosing an averagely safe location is not enough. Because burglars can sometimes travel from one district to another. They may follow neighbors upstairs or even jump from the balcony of a neighbor to the balcony of your house. In either case, it would be much better if you can implement some sort of barrier to stop the burglars from breaking in.

 

• Sound: Many properties in Spain have shutters like “personas”. Since it makes noise and burglars usually try not to draw the attention of other people, it may prevent the wannabe burglars from robbing the house with shutters.
• Visual: Another good idea is to install a PIB light, which works with sensing movement. It would be better if you can install a CCTV with a sign that every movement of the burglar is being recorded in real-time. This is a highly effective way, which most businesses have already implemented.

 

3. In cases where burglars finally break into your house, you still have opportunities to prevent robbery if you have proper safety control measures. The most known measures are as follows:

 

• Anti-robbery alarm with police intervention: Some Spanish companies such as SECURITAS DIRECT and PROSEGUR spotted the consumer pain point and designed anti-robbery alarms. Anyone who enters the house will need to remove the alarm by typing a password. If the people enter the house failed to type in the setting time, the alarm will notify the relevant police station automatically and they will come to the spot immediately. The subscription to this service is priced monthly at an average high level.

• Built-in cameras with apps: Many companies like Xiaomi also offers products like cameras connected with mobile apps. You can put the cameras wherever you want in the apartment and activate notifications on the mobile phone. The camera will detect any human movement and send clickable pop-up messages to the phone connected to the camera and can even record the scene if needed, which helps the owner can call the police in time. 

 

 

 

The above ways may sound very useful but sometimes if the burglar is very experienced, they can still get away with valuables without being caught.

 

 

• If unfortunately, you discovered the robbery afterward, you need to report it to the police quickly in the following ways without touching anything on the scene:
  • 091 for the Policía Nacional in large towns and cities
  • 062 for the Guardia Civil throughout Spain
  • The emergency services line is 112, which immediately notifies the appropriate authority.

 

• Make a compulsory “denuncia” within 48 hours to the police (Guardia Civil). The ¨denuncia¨ is a document that lets the relevant authorities know about the burglary and the list of the valuable properties stolen. You can go to the police station to present or complete it online here following the necessary steps.

 

When you go to the police station (Guardia Civil offices) to ratify your denuncia, be sure to take necessary documents including identity documents and any receipts or proof certifying the value of items stolen.

 

If you are not very confident with Spanish, try to have a translator accompany you to the police station.

 

You also need to probe the items you say were stolen and that you are the owner. You need to keep the photos and receipts. This is because:

 

• There are chances that your properties can be traced. If you have relevant proof, recovering them would be a straightforward process.
• If you have home insurance that covers home robbery, you need this proof to claim at your insurance company and get compensated.

 

 

3. Advice from Adeslas

 

Here at Adeslas, we offer home insurance with coverage of a robbery of possessions and cash inside the insured home, damages caused to insured possessions inside the insured home due to robbery or attempted robbery, and lock replacement in case of stolen keys.

 

In addition, we also cover robbery outside the home and robbery of important documents including a national ID card, passport, and/or driving license. We promise to serve you wholeheartedly and protect you completely.

 

If you contract with us, the next step you need to do is to contact us and claim your rights! We will manage the rest.

 

If you would like to know more about this topic, check out one of these other blogs:

• How to apply for a Golden visa/investor visa in Spain?
• Guide to taxes required when buying a house in Spain
• Guide to rent a house in Spain
• Guide to tenants' rights and obligations renting a house in Spain
• Guide to get a mortgage as a foreigner in Spain
• The best places to live in Spain for Expats with different needs
• Cost of living: Is it cheap to live in Spain?
• Guide to buying a house in Spain

 

Our content will be updated according to the most recent legislation. Last update: 12/07/2023