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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.

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Work starts on Ca l’Ordit, the biggest cooperative and inclusive housing project

15/11/2025 - 16:56

Districte Sant Andreu

The new building with 62 flats will be housed in the former Casernes de Sant Andreu.

Ca l’Ordit is starting to take shape at the former Casernes de Sant Andreu. The promotion by the Sostre Cívic cooperative has 62 flats and adopts an inclusive residential model with nine homes for people with intellectual disabilities, in cooperation with the Grup Cooperatiu TEB. The site leasehold is part of the ESAL agreement with social organisations that provides municipal land for the promotion of protecting housing.

The project includes an inclusion project by Grup Cooperatiu TEB, which should set aside nine homes for some 14 people with intellectual disabilities. The flats have been conceived to be cognitively and physically accessible and to favour coexistence with the rest of local residents. Some of these flats will operate as supported homes with the rest as conventional flats for those with more autonomy.

The other 48 homes will share communal spaces such as rooftops, kitchens, laundry rooms and multi-purpose rooms. The project in the result of a participatory process of more than 18 months, where the future residents defined the internal organisation, shared spaces and model of coexistence. The work started in the spring and should conclude in 2027.

The ESAL agreement moves in the direction of 1,000 homes

The construction of Ca l’Ordit is part of the municipal strategy to increase the protected housing stock and consolidate collaboration with cooperatives and social promotors in the city. The deal has enabled 17 municipal sites to be activated since 2020, the goal being to reach 1,000 homes in ten years. Other developments in the programme continue to advance, such as the renovation of the block in Passeig de Borbó and the future promotion of 46 homes in C/ Binèfar.