Alarm Systems on Mallorca: Burglary Protection for Houses and Fincas

An alarm system on Mallorca is the first reaction of many owners after a break-in somewhere in the neighbourhood. Often that is the right decision, but the system replaces neither a solid window nor an attentive neighbour. Hardest hit are remote fincas and second homes that stand empty for a large part of the year. There a burglar has time, and nobody hears the glass. What you should know about the security situation in general is in the guide to burglary protection on Mallorca. This post is about the technology, the prices and the Spanish rules, which differ from what you may know from home.

How often burglaries really happen on Mallorca

The Spanish Ministry of the Interior publishes the figures quarterly in its Balance de Criminalidad. In the Balearic Islands, 2,050 residential burglaries were recorded in 2024, an increase of 5.8 percent on the 1,973 cases of the previous year. In 2025 the number then fell by 12.7 percent. You can find the figures in the crime statistics portal of the Ministry of the Interior, broken down by province and quarter.

These statistics say little about your specific risk, though. What matters is location and use: a fourth-floor apartment in Palma with a doorman is a different case from a detached house on the edge of Santa Maria that stays dark from October to May. If you are only there in summer, assume that your absence is known in the village.

Alarm system with or without monitoring

A monitored alarm system is one whose alerts go to a licensed alarm receiving centre, the Central Receptora de Alarmas. The centre verifies the alarm by audio or camera image, calls you and, if the break-in is confirmed, notifies the police. Without monitoring, only the siren wails and your phone vibrates.

The difference matters more on Mallorca than in a suburban row of townhouses. At a finca in the interior nobody hears the siren, and a push notification on your phone while you are abroad is of little use. In a residential complex with neighbours all around, a system without a centre can be perfectly adequate, because the noise alone drives the intruder off.

Anyone who installs or maintains a monitored system in Spain needs a licence. This is governed by Ley 5/2014 de Seguridad Privada: companies must be entered in the Registro Nacional de Seguridad Privada of the Ministry of the Interior. Ask for the registration number before you sign a contract. An electrician who wires up a cheap system for you may not connect it to an alarm receiving centre, and in case of doubt the insurer will not recognise it.

The prices of the big providers are close together. Market leader Verisure, formerly Securitas Direct, charges around 49.80 euros a month as of 2026 after a discounted introductory phase, with installation between 0 and 499 euros depending on the property. Prosegur and Tyco are in the same range. Pay less attention to the starting price than to the minimum term, the notice period and the question of who owns the equipment when the contract ends.

What cameras on your property are allowed to do

Video surveillance is the point where most owners leave themselves open to trouble. The competent authority is the Spanish data protection agency AEPD, the legal basis is the GDPR and Organic Law 3/2018. The rules are simple but regularly ignored.

• Your cameras may only cover your own property. The public street is off limits, apart from a narrow strip immediately in front of the front door.
• You may not film neighbouring plots or communal areas. Not even partially, not even with a wide-angle lens.
• Recordings must be deleted after one month at the latest, unless they document a crime and are with the police.
• As soon as other people are captured, you need a visible sign at the entrance.
• A camera on the facade of a multi-unit building is a matter for the owners' association and needs a resolution of the junta, not your decision alone. How resolutions are passed is explained in the guide to neighbour law on Mallorca.

Details and sample cases are in the AEPD FAQ on video surveillance. Anyone who points a camera at the neighbours' driveway risks a complaint and a fine, regardless of whether anything was ever recorded.

Mechanical security that really counts

Most burglaries on Mallorca happen through ground-floor windows and terrace doors. Rejas, the wrought-iron grilles, are standard on the island and work better than any app. Anchoring is what matters: a grille that is only plugged into the render can be pushed out with a car jack.

For roller shutters, an anti-lift device is worthwhile; for lock cylinders, a version with drill and pull protection to DIN EN 1303 class 6. Sliding terrace doors need mushroom-head fittings or an additional bolt, otherwise they can be lifted off the rail in seconds. For a finca with four to six openings to secure, budget 1,500 to 3,000 euros, depending on the size and finish of the grilles.

What security measures the insurer requires

Spanish policies list under medidas de seguridad which security measures they require. If a high-security cylinder or a monitored alarm system is listed there and you have neither, the insurer can reduce the payout. For jewellery and cash there are also separate limits, often a few hundred euros for cash and a low four-figure amount for valuables without a safe. How a Spanish policy is structured is explained in the post on home insurance in Spain.

After a burglary you always need a police report, the denuncia. Without it no insurer pays. Photograph valuables in advance and store the pictures together with the receipts in the cloud; that saves the argument about current values in the event of a claim.

Does an alarm system lower the insurance premium? Usually yes, but moderately. Many insurers give a 5 to 15 percent discount if the system is connected to a licensed alarm receiving centre. A system without monitoring is rarely recognised. Ask about the exact clause before signing the contract.

Do I need a permit for an alarm system? Not for the system itself. Only the company that installs it and connects it to an alarm receiving centre must be registered with the Ministry of the Interior. In an apartment building you additionally need the consent of the comunidad if the siren or camera is mounted on the facade.

Conclusion

The most effective burglary protection on Mallorca is a combination: solid grilles and cylinders on the ground-floor openings, a monitored alarm system for houses in isolated locations, and a neighbour or service provider who checks on the place when it is empty. Cameras help with solving crimes but are the trickiest component in terms of data protection and need to be aimed properly. If you are taking out or switching a policy, read the medidas de seguridad first and set up the technology accordingly, not the other way round.