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.​

Temporary hospitals and healthcare hotels boost the response to the Covid-19 crisis

03/04/2020 - 13:36

COVID-19. Municipal facilities and hotels have been converted to care for Covid-19 patients.

Municipal centres and city hotels have been converted into temporary medical facilities to help hospitals provide care for Covid-19 patients. The boost to capacity was possible thanks to coordination between administrations, municipal services and the Barcelona Hotel Guild, with guidance from Metges sense Fronteres.

More resources and more beds to avoid the city’s hospitals being overwhelmed. Barcelona City Council has transformed various municipal facilities into temporary medical centres, providing support for the city’s main hospitals with 550 extra beds for Covid-19 patients.

The four field hospitals have been set up in the following municipal facilities:

  • CEM Olímpics, in operation since 29 March, attending to 132 patients from the Hospital Vall d’Hebron. 
  • CEM Claror, in operation since 2 April, offering 72 places for patients from the Hospital del Mar.
  • CEM Guinardó, in operation since 5 April, providing extra capacity for the Hospital de Sant Pau with 100 beds. 
  • Institut Nacional d’Educació Física de Catalunya (INEFC), in operation since 15 April, able to take 252 patients from the Hospital Clínic.

Municipal services were made available to the Barcelona Health Consortium to get the temporary hospitals ready, with guidance from Metges sense Fronteres.

The Barcelona Hotel Guild also helped arrange for twelve hotels to be used for non-critical patients and by medical staff for resting. The Hotel Catalonia Barcelona Plaza, which has been operating as a medical facility since 30 March, also offers capacity for up to 300 patients from the Hospital Clínic.

A municipal technical office is coordinating logistics and material to enable the centres to operate as medical facilities, while the Government of Catalonia’s Ministry of Health is providing staff and care criteria.