Tanca Tanca

Housing Glossary

You will find information here on all topics relating to housing in Barcelona

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Accrued interest

The interest applied as a penalisation when the debtor does not comply with repayment obligations. The amount must be established in the contract.

Active supermortgage

This allows the client to choose their loan's benchmark index (MIBOR at three months, six months or a year) so that payment can benefit from lower interest rates sooner.

Adaptable instalment

Characteristic of UCI superloans that allow the borrower to not pay one instalment a year for the first three years if there are problems due to holidays, extraordinary expenses, etc.

Advanced cancellation fee

A commission arising from the financial risk involved in the advanced cancellation of an operation. The applied commission compensates the financial institution for its financial losses.

AEDE

Direct state aid for paying the deposit on a property.

Affordable housing

Group of social housing or dwellings from social renovation projects that are sold or rented at below-market prices.

Affordable rent

The cost of renting these dwellings is below market prices after being included in operations concerning the rented flat pool, social renovation or social housing promotions.

Amortisation

Payment made to repay a loan.

Amortisation period

The duration of the loan. The contract establishes the date of the first and last payments. The longer the period, the lower the payments are, but the higher the interest. You therefore pay more in the end. The monthly instalment should not exceed 35% of your net income.

API

Estate agent. A qualified professional who acts as an intermediary between the two interested parties to facilitate the signing of a real estate contract, which can be a rental agreement, a sales agreement or another similar contract. They usually charge a percentage of the sales price as compensation or commission.

Applicant

A citizen who makes a registration application to the Barcelona Social Housing Applicants Registry, and who represents the other members of the dwelling unit included in the application.

APR

Annual Equivalent Rate. Effective annual cost of the mortgage in terms of interest, commissions and the repayment period. To compare loans, it is not enough to just look at the lowest APR, you also have to compare the conditions, the repayment period and the distribution of instalment payments.

Arbitri municipal de plusvàlua

Former denomination of the capital gains tax on landed property.

Assessment

The value of a dwelling certified by a specialised assessment company, in accordance with the mortgage market law. This certificate not only indicates the real value of the property, it also serves as a reference for obtaining the necessary financing.

Authorisation

Document in which the owner authorises the tenant to carry out building work in the dwelling's interior.

Close glossary

Housing offices only offer face-to-face assistance by prior appointment, so check out the “Housing calls you” service here to receive the most appropriate personalised assistance. If you also need assistance in energy rights, book an appointment with an energy-advice point (PAE) by clicking here. On the other hand, if you reside in an IMHAB public dwelling you can consult our contact, management and processing channels here.​

Acquisition of the first homes through the urban planning regulation of 30%

22/10/2022 - 11:43

Housing. The purchase is for eight flats in the district of Sant Andreu, which will form part of the city’s public housing stock.

The Government Commission has approved the purchase of the first flats to be acquired through the regulation to allocate 30% of new-build homes and major residential renovations as affordable housing. Eight flats in the district of Sant Andreu will form part of the city’s public housing stock through this acquisition. After two years of exemptions and the pandemic, the measure currently accounts for the construction of 120 protected homes.

This first acquisition has been made using the right to preferential purchase which the City Council can exercise to acquire protected housing on sale in the city. The purchase is for eight flats with between 71 and 89 square metres of useful space, eight parking places and a storage room. The total cost of the purchase is 2,094,730 euros.

The flats are in a block with 27 homes in C/ Puerto Príncipe, in the neighbourhood of El Congrés i els Indians. The block is currently being renovated and the flats are expected to be available in 2024.

Thanks to this regulation allocating 30% of new-build homes and major renovation projects as protected housing, flats are being built in the districts of L’Eixample, Sants-Montjuïc, Gràcia, Horta-Guinardó, Nou Barris, Sant Andreu and Sant Martí, providing 120 new affordable homes in all.

After two years of exemptions and the pandemic, inspections have also started to detect possible cases of non-compliance. So far these have helped detect seventeen developments which do not comply with the regulation as they have not set aside 30% of housing and will be fined in accordance with the Catalan Act on the Right to Housing.