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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.

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.​

The Gòtic welcomes the residents of a property acquired by the Barcelona City Council

16/11/2022 - 13:57

Housing. The building, consisting of 11 apartments and located on Arai Street in Ciutat Vella, will be used entirely for social rental housing, in addition to being completely renovated.

After confirming the purchase on May 6, on Tuesday, November 15, the Barcelona City Council officially welcomed the residents of the property located on Arai Street, in the Gòtic neighborhood of Ciutat Vella, which will expand the supply of public housing, especially in a dense area with a lack of social rental supply.

The Councilor for Housing and Renovation of the Barcelona City Council, Lucía Martín, as well as the Councilor of the Ciutat Vella district, Jordi Rabassa, and the manager of the Municipal Institute of Housing and Renovation of Barcelona (IMHAB), Gerard Capó, led the reception. Among other important messages, the public representatives emphasized the clear will of the City Council to work to make Ciutat Vella a district for the neighbors, since neighborhood associations and organizations have been mobilizing for years to resolve this situation.

In this sense, the purchase and subsequent refurbishment of this building will immediately expand the public housing stock in the Gòtic Quarter, which is particularly lacking in this type of supply. Currently, there are already seven families living in the building, which thanks to this operation will ensure that they will be able to stay in the neighborhood, while the remaining four homes will become part of the public housing stock.

The multi-family building at C/Arai consists of a ground floor, main floor, three floors, first floor and general roof, and is intended for residential use, except for the first floor, which consists of commercial premises. The approximate year of construction is 1910 and the built area is 2,114 square meters, where the renovation of the main and rear facades and the interior courtyards is planned, as well as the waterproofing of the roof, the cleaning and painting of the premises and the installation of an elevator.

More than 180 homes acquired in the district since 2015

In this line of growth of the public housing stock, since June 2015 the Ciutat Vella district has seen a total of 185 homes acquired (15% of the total), coming from the sum of 8 homes acquired individually and 177 homes from 12 entire estates, also acquired. All this between the neighborhoods of Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i la Ribera, Raval, Barceloneta and Gòtic.

Specifically, the purchase of the C/Arai estate is the second in the district in 2022, together with that of C/ Jaume Giralt, consisting of 15 homes.

Regarding the overall data for the city, also since June 2015, up to 1,172 homes have been purchased, coming from the sum of 234 homes purchased individually and 938 homes from 43 entire estates acquired. And specifically, since 2022, 127 dwellings have been added from the acquisition of 8 single dwellings in the city and 119 dwellings from 6 whole estates acquired.