Does home insurance cover a cracked hob in Spain?

Does home insurance cover a cracked ceramic or induction hob in Spain? Glass breakage, shower screens, mirrors and worktops explained

A jar slips out of the cupboard, lands on the hob and you hear that unmistakable crack. Or the bathroom cabinet gives way and the shower screen shatters. Broken glass is one of the most common home insurance claims in Spain, and if you are new to the Spanish system the first question is always the same: will my policy pay for this? The answer depends on what broke, how it broke and which level of cover you chose.

Quick answer: the glass breakage cover (rotura de cristales) in Spanish home insurance pays for accidental breakage of flat glass in doors and windows, furniture mirrors, shower screens, sanitary ware and stone worktops. Ceramic and induction hobs are a special case: many insurers only include them in their higher levels of cover, they pay for the glass but not the electronics, and they apply a separate limit. Scratches, manufacturing defects and breakage during installation or building work are not covered.

In this guide:

1. What glass breakage cover is

2. What is covered and what is not: quick table

3. Ceramic and induction hobs in detail

4. If the hob stops working: fault, power surge or warranty

5. If you rent

6. What to do when glass breaks at home

7. FAQ

What glass breakage cover is

Glass breakage is the part of a Spanish home insurance policy that pays to repair or replace the glass, mirrors, marble and ceramic fittings in your home when they break accidentally, including the cost of fitting them. There is no need for a fire, a burglary or a leak: a knock, a fall or a dropped object is enough.

What it does not pay for is wear and tear, cosmetic issues or faults that were there from the start. The principle is simple: insurance responds to an accident, not to a badly made or badly fitted product.

Two details catch many people out:

• Only flat objects count. A window, a mirror or a glass table top, yes; a vase, a lamp, a light bulb or a round fish tank, no.

• Each policy has a closed list. If an item is not on that list, it is not covered by this section even if it is made of glass.

What is covered and what is not: quick table

This is how it works in Allianz Hogar, the Allianz home insurance policy we arrange at our agency. Other Spanish insurers use a similar structure, but the details vary, so always check your own condiciones generales (general terms).

And these are the situations glass breakage does not cover at any level:

• Scratches, chips, surface cracks, warping or discolouration. Scratched glass is not broken glass.

• Manufacturing defects. If the glass shatters on its own because of a fault, the product warranty applies, not your insurance.

• Breakage while fitting, assembling or removing the item, or during building or repair work at home.

• Objects that are not flat: curved glass, neon signs, bulbs, lenses or loose ornaments.

• Photo frames and the glass on small round tables (mesas camilla).

One more nuance: some policy levels pay to redo a whole wall if a discontinued tile cannot be matched (so-called aesthetic damage). That extra does not apply to glass: if your new shower screen does not exactly match the old one, the insurer will not pay the difference for looks.

Ceramic and induction hobs in detail

This is the item that causes the most confusion, because a new hob can be expensive and because it combines a glass surface with an electrical appliance. In Allianz Hogar:

• Only at Completo and Superior level. At Estándar level the hob is not on the glass breakage list, although it still counts as part of your contents for other covers such as fire.

• The glass is covered, the electronics are not. The cover is for breakage of the hob’s glass, not its working mechanisms, unless they form a single inseparable piece with the glass. On many touch-control hobs the controls sit under the glass; if they cannot be separated, the loss adjuster (perito) decides what is included.

• It has its own limit. The hob has a specific sub-limit, separate from other glass, shown in your policy. Worth checking if you have a high-end hob.

• You need contents cover. Because the hob counts as contents (mobiliario), this cover only applies if your policy insures contents. If you own the property and only insured the building (continente), it is not included.

• The cause matters. A falling object or a heavy cast-iron pan knocking the hob is an accident. Glass that cracks on its own on a brand-new hob may be a manufacturing defect, and scratches from dragging pans are wear and tear.

The pattern is the same as with phones: the higher the level, the more glass is covered. We explain it in does home insurance in Spain cover a cracked phone screen, and the solar panel case in solar panels and home insurance in Spain.

If the hob stops working: fault, power surge or warranty

A hob that will not switch on is not the same as a broken one. These are the three possible routes:

1. Power surge, external short circuit or lightning. If the hob (or the oven, or the fridge) fails after a power cut or a storm, the relevant cover is electrical damage, included at Completo and Superior level. You will need the incident number or your written complaint to the electricity company and your latest electricity bill.

2. Internal fault or wear. A component failing through use or age is not an accident, and home insurance does not pay for it this way. Nor does it cover a short circuit that starts inside the appliance itself.

3. Manufacturing defect. Under Spanish consumer law, the shop that sold you a new product is responsible for lack of conformity for three years from delivery. Keep the receipt.

The Superior level also includes accidental damage (todo riesgo accidental) for knocks and accidents that do not fit any other section. It does not cover wear or inherent defects, but it can help in borderline cases; the loss adjuster decides.

If you rent

If the hob, shower screen or mirrors came with the flat, they belong to the landlord, and they are normally insured under the landlord’s policy, not yours. So:

• Tell your landlord straight away so they can claim on their policy. If their level of cover includes the hob and they insured contents, it may be covered.

• If the breakage was your fault, the landlord can ask you to pay: Spain’s tenancy law (Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos) makes tenants responsible for damage they cause. Bear in mind that the liability cover in an Allianz tenant policy only covers damage to the landlord’s property from fire, explosion or water, not a broken hob.

• Things you own, such as a mirror or a glass table you bought yourself, are covered by your tenant policy if your level includes that item.

For the wider picture, see who pays for repairs in a rented home in Spain.

What to do when glass breaks at home

1. Stay safe and do not touch the hob. If it is a ceramic or induction hob, switch it off at the fuse box and do not use it: broken glass can expose live parts.

2. Take photos before you clean up: the broken item, whatever hit it, and the make and model (on a hob, usually a sticker underneath or in the manual).

3. Board up the gap if it is a window or door, especially in winter or on the ground floor. If you cannot secure your home, call your policy’s assistance line.

4. Report the claim within seven days, the general deadline under the Spanish Insurance Contract Act. Describe what happened simply and accurately.

5. Do not buy or order a replacement before checking. The insurer pays the repair or replacement the loss adjuster approves; if you go ahead first, the amounts may not match.

6. Keep the purchase receipt for the hob or screen: it proves the model and shows whether it is still under the legal guarantee.

FAQ

Does Spanish home insurance cover a cracked ceramic hob?

It depends on your level of cover. Many policies only include the glass of ceramic and induction hobs in their higher levels, with a separate limit. In Allianz Hogar it is included in Completo and Superior, not in Estándar, and you must have contents cover.

Will they pay for the whole hob or only the glass?

The cover is for the glass. The hob’s mechanisms are only included if they are inseparable from the glass, which the loss adjuster assesses. If the electronics fail after a power surge, it is handled as electrical damage.

Is a broken shower screen covered?

Yes. The glass of the shower screen is included in glass breakage at every level of Allianz Hogar, together with fitting costs. It is not covered if it breaks during installation or because of a manufacturing defect.

Is scratched glass or a small crack covered?

Not as breakage. Scratches, chips and surface cracks are excluded. If the glass is genuinely broken, even if it is still in place, the loss adjuster decides whether it is a covered breakage.

How we can help

At AMB Seguros, Allianz’s exclusive agency in central Murcia, we check your policy in English and tell you whether your hob, shower screen and windows are covered, with which limit, and whether a different level makes sense for you. Visit our office in the city centre or send us a photo of your policy on WhatsApp and we will go through it on a video call. You can compare options on our home insurance page, or see tenant insurance and landlord insurance if you rent or let a property.

Broken glass or a cracked hob at home?

Get in touch and we will review your policy with no obligation.

Sources

• Law 50/1980 on Insurance Contracts (Ley de Contrato de Seguro), BOE.

• Royal Legislative Decree 1/2007, Consumer and User Protection Act, art. 120, BOE.

• Law 29/1994 on Urban Tenancies (Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos), art. 21, BOE.

• Allianz Hogar: general conditions and cover brochure, Allianz Seguros.