Why an Insurer with a Control Room Requirement Might Deny Your Claim

Hikvision AX PRO Alarm System: Your Reliable Security Solution in Spain

As experts in home security, we understand that English-speaking expats in Spain want assurance about the effectiveness and legal compliance of their alarm systems. The Hikvision AX PRO alarm system, which we proudly offer, meets all relevant legal requirements in Spain and provides comprehensive protection for your home.

Legal Requirements for Alarm Systems in Spain

In Spain, there are no specific national regulations governing the installation and use of alarm systems in private homes. However, it’s essential that any installed system adheres to general safety standards and respects privacy laws. This means the system must be reliable, function correctly, and protect the privacy of individuals.

Compliance of the Hikvision AX PRO Alarm System

The Hikvision AX PRO alarm system is designed with advanced technologies that meet the highest standards of safety and privacy. It uses wireless communication, supports various detection methods such as motion sensors and magnetic contacts, and integrates with cameras for real-time video surveillance. Plus, you can control it remotely via a mobile app, enhancing both convenience and compliance with privacy regulations.

These features ensure the Hikvision AX PRO system aligns with general safety standards and legal privacy requirements in Spain.

Insurance Requirements and Private Control Rooms

While there’s no legal obligation for private homeowners in Spain to connect their alarm system to a control room, some insurers may require this for specific policies or premium discounts. We recommend checking your insurer’s policy terms carefully. If your insurer demands a control room connection and you’d rather avoid it, consider switching to an insurer with more flexible conditions.

Why You Should Absolutely Avoid Insurance with Control Room Requirements

When an insurer requires your alarm system to be linked to a private control room, it introduces serious risks. This setup could leave you without coverage in critical situations – exactly when you need it most. Far from protecting you, such insurance can make you more vulnerable.

The False Sense of Security from a Control Room

Many insurers suggest that a control room boosts your safety and strengthens your claim in case of damage. This is misleading – in fact, the opposite is true. A mandatory control room offers no guarantee that alerts are processed timely or correctly, and insurers can exploit this to deny claims.

Specific Risks: When Won’t You Get a Payout?

1. You Forget to Arm the Alarm → No Coverage
   Even with the best alarm system, if you forget to turn it on, the insurer has a perfect excuse to reject your claim. A required control room works against you here, as they can easily prove no alert was received.

2. Burglars Use a Signal Jammer → No Coverage
   More and more criminals use jammers to sabotage alarm systems, preventing the signal from reaching the control room. Insurers can then argue your system didn’t work, denying your claim outright.

3. Control Room Delays or Technical Issues → No Coverage
   A control room doesn’t guarantee timely police response. Delays or technical glitches can stop your alert from being processed, giving the insurer grounds to say there was no proper alarm and reject your claim.

4. Insurer Changes Policy Terms → Increased Risk of Denial
   Even if your current policy seems fine, insurers can alter terms later, adding requirements like certifications or checks. This could leave you unexpectedly uncovered.

Squatters and Misleading Insurance Coverage

In Spain, the so-called squatter law (“Ley de Okupas”) can make it tricky to evict squatters quickly. Some insurers use this as a selling point, claiming a control room-linked alarm system offers extra protection by covering legal costs to remove squatters.

Squatters and Misleading Insurance Coverage

In Spain, the squatter law (“Ley de Okupas”) can complicate evicting squatters fast. Some insurers push this as a reason to opt for an alarm system with a mandatory control room, suggesting it ensures legal cost coverage for squatter removal.

Why a Control Room Offers No Extra Protection Against Squatters

The reality is different. A control room provides no guarantee that your insurer will cover you in squatter cases. Its operation can be disrupted easily, allowing insurers to dodge legal cost payouts:

1. Signal Jammers → No Alert, No Coverage
   Squatters or organized groups increasingly use jammers to block alarm signals to the control room. If no alert is received, insurers can claim there’s no proof of entry and refuse to cover legal costs.

2. Control Room Delays or Glitches → No Coverage
   Delays or technical issues at the control room can delay or lose alerts. Insurers might then say there’s insufficient evidence of a break-in, denying legal cost coverage.

3. Insurer Sets Coverage Terms → Risk of Denial
   Even if squatters trigger the alarm, insurers can impose extra conditions – like approved legal steps – to avoid paying, leaving you with the costs.

Choose a Reliable Solution Without Control Room Dependency

Given insurers’ flexibility to deny claims when no control room alert is received, a mandatory control room offers no real guarantee of coverage against squatters. It’s unwise to pick insurance with a control room requirement based on promises of legal cost coverage for squatters. Jammers, glitches, and policy terms make this highly unreliable.

An alarm system like the Hikvision AX PRO, which meets all legal security standards without needing a control room, offers far more certainty. It puts you – the homeowner – in direct control of your security, avoiding reliance on third parties that insurers could use as an excuse to deny coverage.

Certifications of the Hikvision AX PRO Alarm System

The Hikvision AX PRO alarm system complies with the European EN 50131 standard for intruder alarm systems and is certified at Grade 2 security level. This certification is verified by Telefication, a recognized authority (source: Telefication).

The EN 50131 standard is a European benchmark setting requirements for intruder and hold-up alarm systems. Grade 2 security level suits medium-risk settings like homes and small businesses, requiring the system to detect skilled burglars with alarm system knowledge.

These certifications and standards ensure the Hikvision AX PRO alarm system meets industry benchmarks for safety and reliability, making it an ideal choice for securing your home in Spain.

Summary

The Hikvision AX PRO alarm system meets all legal requirements in Spain and delivers a top-tier security solution for homes. Certified to the European EN 50131 standard, it ensures reliability without control room dependency.

Insurers requiring a control room create unnecessary risks for homeowners, making it easier for them to deny claims under the pretext that no alert was received. Plus, a control room offers no extra protection against squatters, as signals can be jammed, leaving insurers free to avoid legal cost payouts.

That’s why it’s highly unwise to choose insurance with a control room mandate. English-speaking expats in Spain are better off with a policy free of this unnecessary requirement, ensuring insurers have fewer excuses to withhold coverage.