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.​

The Barcelona City Council and GHS visit the new public housing development in Trinitat Nova

07/07/2023 - 20:42

Housing. Representatives from the Barcelona City Council and the Association of Social Housing Policy Managers of Catalonia (GHS) firsthand visited the new development located at Palamós Street, in the district of Nou Barris.

In an event held on the morning of Thursday, July 6, technicians from the Municipal Institute of Housing and Rehabilitation of Barcelona (IMHAB) led the official visit to the new public housing development located at 70 Palamós Street, in the neighborhood of Trinitat Nova, in the district of Nou Barris.

The development, consisting of 67 housing units, will soon be delivered to its recipients under the surface rights sales format, in which the recipient acquires ownership for 75 years at a significantly below-market price, with the land ownership held by the Administration.

The visit also involved representatives from the responsible architecture team of Data Arquitectura i Enginyeria s.l.p + Joan Ramon Pascuets Iglesias and Maria Trullàs (UTE), as well as various housing cooperatives and other entities.

All of them are integrated within the Association of Social Housing Policy Managers of Catalonia (GHS), an organization that brings together public companies, municipal urban planning services, municipal offices, and social promoters in the housing sector, among others. Precisely, a collaboration agreement signed in November 2020 between the Barcelona City Council, the GHS, and various representative entities in the sector laid the foundations for jointly and more efficiently addressing the housing needs of the population of Barcelona.

Among the central objectives of the GHS are to enhance social housing policies, seek new formulas that guarantee the right to housing; establish a framework for collaboration where all social housing managers can share knowledge and experiences; and promote activities aimed at providing dignified housing for all individuals.

The site visit has also included a technical explanation of the development, which consists of a ground floor designated for commercial use, a two-story underground parking with 72 spaces, and five floors for the residential units, except for the southern end where there will be four floors. Among them, five units will be adapted for people with reduced mobility.

The building, which will also feature a walkable roof, takes into consideration passive energy-saving measures, environmental sustainability, and increased comfort to achieve the goal of nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB).