An international conference invites reflection on the future of housing in Barcelona

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.

Conferences.City Council organises a conference with international experts to discuss the future of housing in the city.

Barcelona City Council is organising a conference on housing on 24 and 25 October, in collaboration with the Architects’ Association of Catalonia (COAC) and the Observatory – Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (DESC), during which various experts and professionals will be discussing new phenomena and trends such as building renovations, urban regeneration and cohousing.

The first day of the conference (Monday, 24 October) will be organised into seminars dealing with some of the challenges faced by citizens looking for access to decent housing: factors such as gentrification, the impact of tourism on the city and the present and future situations of the rented housing market.

The first day of the conference will also see the presentation of a Report on Housing in Barcelona for 2013-2016, offering an analysis of the current housing situation in the city and a deep examination of the models used in other European cities, such as Paris and Berlin, where the regulation of the rented housing market is much more evolved.

The second day of the conference (Tuesday, 25 October) will be structured into debates and round tables for discussing today’s new housing challenges: urban renovation and regeneration; the relationship between innovation and architecture and cohousing, among other things.

Each session will also feature a special ‘zero row’ for social entities, housing cooperatives and associated institutions, which will all contribute and help to make for a more in-depth debate. For these sessions, international case studies and experiences will be looked at as a way of comparing successful models, generating ideas and offering solutions which are useful to the current housing reality.

The conference is part of the Architecture Congress 2016, organised by the Catalan Association of Architects (COAC), which has played host to talks, exhibitions, contests and round table sessions for the last six months, with the aim of constructing a shared vision of architecture.

Registration for the City Council’s Housing Conference is free. Anyone wishing to attend should fill in this form.

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