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.​

Details of the aid

Status: AVAILABLE

Addressees: Persons aged 65 or over with a rent agreement and at risk of social exclusion

Maximum monthly rent: €900

Family income limit: 3.05 times the IRSC for 2022, except in the case of victims of terrorism.

Administration granting the subsidy: Catalonia Housing Agency

Rent subsidies for persons aged 65 and over

Because senior citizens can be a vulnerable sector of society, a line of subsidies has been created especially dedicated to people aged 65 and over who live in a rented home and are at risk of social exclusion.

The purpose of this announcement is to help people who meet the requirements and who pay more rent than what is considered fair. 

What do you need to know to apply for this subsidy?

In these pull-down menus you will find the requirements and the steps to be followed to apply for this subsidy. The application can be submitted at any Barcelona Housing Office or via the website of the Generalitat.

Addressees

People aged 65 or over at risk of social exclusion and with a rent agreement for a habitual residence.

Requirements

In order to be eligible for the subsidies, adult individuals who apply for the subsidy must meet the following requirements:

  • Reside legally in Catalonia.
  • That the cohabitation unit has a regular source of income to be able to pay the rent and that it does not exceed €24,301.58 (3.05 times the IRSC for the year 2022, except in the case of victims of terrorism).
  • Be the holder, as the tenant, of the lease contract for the subsidized dwelling or room, or, as the assignee, of the use contract for the subsidized dwelling or room, which constitutes their habitual and permanent residence in the territory of Catalonia, and be registered as a resident in it. The lease agreement for a dwelling must be formalized in accordance with Law 29/1994, of November 24, on urban leases, and must include the tenant's obligation to pay the deposit to the landlord, in accordance with the aforementioned law. In the case of renting a room, it is not necessary for the agreement to be formalized under Law 29/1994, of November 24. However, if the tenant of the dwelling rents the room, the written consent of the landlord will be required, in accordance with Article 8.2 of Law 29/1994, of November 24, on urban leases.
  • Not pay a monthly rent or fee for the dwelling or room higher than the following amounts:
    • Monthly rent or fee for the dwelling: €900
    • Monthly rent or fee for the use of a room: €450
  • Have the subsidy payment domiciled in a financial entity.
  • Be up to date with the payment of rent or the price of transfer at the time of submitting the application.
  • Pay the rent or price of transfer of the house or room by bank transfer, direct debit, deposit into an account, Bizum, or receipt issued by the property administrator, which includes the following concepts: the identification of the payer, the identification of the beneficiary of the payment, and the corresponding monthly payment.
  • Not be subject to any of the prohibition cases for being a beneficiary of subsidies in accordance with Article 13 of Law 38/2003, of November 17, and, if applicable, not have been the subject of a revocation procedure for any of the aids established by Royal Decree 42/2022, of January 18, or the previous state housing plan, due to non-compliance or causes attributable to the applicant.
  • Fulfill tax obligations with the State and the Government of Catalonia and obligations with the Social Security.

Documentation

The necessary documentation to prove the requirements requested in the call, except for cases where the Administration can make the consultation (marked with an (*) ), is:

  • Identity documents:
    • Valid National Identity Card (DNI) (*).
    • European Union citizens: currently valid certificate of registration of European Union citizens.
    • Non-EC foreigners: valid NIE and foreigner identity card (TIE).
  • Proof of income of the applicant and each member of the household of working age. Income must be proven as follows:
    • Income Tax Return (IRPF) statement, corresponding to the immediately preceding tax period, with the deadline for submission expired on the date of submission of the application, in accordance with the provisions of regulatory bases 5.1, of the applicant and each member of the household of working age. To determine the income of the person or household, for the purposes of its valuation for obtaining the subsidy, the amounts of the general taxable base and savings, which are regulated by articles 48 and 49 of Law 35/2006, of November 28, corresponding to the declarations submitted by each member of the household, relating to the last tax period, with the submission deadline expired at the time of the application for the subsidy, will be used. 
    • In case the applicant or other members of the household of working age are not obliged to submit the Income Tax Return statement, they must provide a certificate of imputations provided by the State Tax Administration Agency (AEAT) or the corresponding certificate of tax-exempt pensions or benefits, or certificate of guaranteed citizenship income or minimum vital income.
  • In the case of persons included in section b) of the regulatory basis 3, exceptionally, when the applicant or any member of the cohabitation unit proves to have a working life from the year before the publication of the call for applications, the income of that year will be admitted. In this case, they will have to provide the certificate of allocations provided by the State Agency of Tax Administration (AEAT) and/or the certificate of income and withholdings of the company/s or the corresponding certificate of pensions or tax-exempt aid, as well as the work-life report.
    The income exceptionality can only be applied in the year of the current call, without being recurrent for successive calls.
  • Family book, if applicable.
  • The rental contract or assignment of use in the name of the applicant. The housing rental contract must include compliance with the obligation of the lessee to pay the deposit to the lessor, by Law 29/1994, of November 24, on urban leases, and Law 13/1996, of July 29, on the registration and deposit of deposits for urban property rental contracts, the Regulation that implements it and other concordant provisions. If the room rental is carried out by the tenant of the dwelling, it will be necessary to have the written consent of the lessor, by article 8.2 of Law 29/1994, of November 24, on urban leases.
  • If the grant applicant living in the dwelling is the spouse of the contractual holder or is included in the cases regulated by Articles 15 and 16 of Law 29/1994, of November 24th, they must provide documentation proving their right to use the dwelling, whether by subrogation, agreement, separation or divorce decree, or other valid legal titles. 
  • In the case of victims of gender violence who, as a result of a restraining order or judicial sentence, have been assigned the dwelling as their habitual and permanent residence, they may be granted the right to receive the subsidy if they prove that they are responsible for paying the rent of the dwelling.
  • To prove the status of victim of gender violence, the evidence must be provided by Article 33 of Law 5/2008, of April 24th, on women's right to eradicate sexist violence.
  • Rent or lease receipts for the year of the call paid up to the date of the application. In the case of dwellings managed by local public companies and non-profit entities, the managers of the dwellings may submit a certificate instead of paid rental receipts, which must include the names and surnames of the applicants, their ID number, the identifying data of the dwelling, and the months of rent paid. 
  • A sworn statement declaring compliance with the requirements established by these regulations and the absence of any of the exclusion grounds established by regulatory base 4.2.
  • Standardized form or equivalent document in the name of the applicant with the bank details of the account where the subsidy must be deposited.
  • Proof of being a former ward. 
  • Documentation proving that the conditions for eligibility under the Catalonia International Protection Plan, approved by the Government Agreement of January 28th, 2014, are met.
  • Large family certificate.
  • Single-parent family certificate. 
  • Declaration stating that no other public or private aid has been requested or obtained for the same purpose.
  • Certificate or proof of cohabitation and/or historical certificate of cohabitation proving the residence of the applicant and the members of the household.
  • Accreditation from the competent department in charge of social affairs, in the case of persons with disabilities. 
  • Certificate of not having any debts with the State Tax Administration Agency (AEAT), the General Treasury of the Social Security (TGSS), and the Tax Agency of Catalonia (ATC).
  • Employment history (TGSS). 
  • The accreditation of the status of a victim of terrorism or threatened person must be provided by submitting a resolution from the Ministry of the Interior or a firm judicial sentence. 
  • Certificate of receipt of guaranteed citizenship income. 
  • Certificate of receipt of minimum living income.

The Catalonia Housing Agency may directly request or through collaborating entities managing these subsidies, complementary documentation to expand the knowledge about the submitted application.

Amount and application period

  • Amount: The subsidy consists of a one-time payment that will subsidize the annual rent for the year of the call. With a minimum total amount of €240 and a maximum of €2,400, its amount will be: 
    • 20% of the rental amount or annual transfer price when the effort to pay the rent or transfer price is equal to or less than 30% of their income, weighted according to what is provided in section 1 of this regulatory base.
    • 30% of the rental amount or annual transfer price when the effort to pay the rent or transfer price is higher than 30% and lower than 40% of the weighted income, according to what is provided in section 1 of this regulatory base. 
    • 40% of the rental amount or annual transfer price when the effort to pay the rent or transfer price is equal to or greater than 40% of the weighted income, with a maximum limit of 2,400 euros per year per household, and a minimum of 240 euros per year per household when the resulting subsidy amount is less than this amount.
  • To calculate the subsidy, the income of the cohabitation unit, which must not exceed 3.05 times the IRSC, must be multiplied according to the number of members of the unit.
  • To determine the amount of the subsidy, the amount of the last rental receipt or transfer price paid at the time of applying will be taken into account. For this purpose, the amount of the rent or transfer price is included, as well as the arrears and the amounts corresponding to the repercussion of improvement works, the property tax (IBI), and the garbage collection fee.
  • The subsidy is granted for the year of the call. For people who hold rental contracts signed between January 1 of the year of the call and the deadline for submitting applications, the amount of the subsidy will be for the amount corresponding to the monthly payments included between the month following the validity date of the contract submitted at the time of making the application and December of the year of the call, with a maximum monthly amount of €200 and a minimum monthly amount of €20.
  • Term: The subsidy is granted for the year of the call. This year, the application period starts on 27 February 2024 at 9.00 and ends on 27 March 2024 at 15.00.

Incompatibilities

These subsidies are not compatible with receiving other aids that come from any public administration or public or private entities for the same monthly payments of the same year and that have the same purpose. In the case of compatible subsidies, the total sum of the amounts to be received in the same calendar year cannot exceed 4,500 euros.

They are also incompatible with benefits and/or aid for the payment of rent from the Barcelona Housing Consortium, unless the benefit and/or aid for the payment of rent from the Consortium ends within the calendar year of this call for applications and there is no possibility of renewing it under the call for applications for benefits for the payment of rent from the City of Barcelona for the monthly payments not covered by this aid.

Other information

Computable incomes:

  • In the case of individuals included in this assistance, the computable incomes of the household unit will be taken into account. 
  • In cases of gender-based violence, only the applicant's personal income or earnings will be taken into account, and in the case of renting or subletting a room, the incomes of other persons who have their habitual or permanent residence in the dwelling will not be included, and only the income of the tenant or lessee of the room will be considered.
  • The incomes taken into account for obtaining the subsidy are those corresponding to the amounts of the general taxable base and savings, regulated in articles 48 and 49, respectively, of Law 35/2006, of November 28, on personal income tax, corresponding to the declaration or declarations submitted by the applicant or each member of the household unit, in accordance with the provisions of the previous section, relating to the last tax period, with the deadline for submission expired, at the time of applying for the subsidy.
  • In the event that the applicant or any member of the household unit is not obliged to file the personal income tax return, the amounts accredited with the documentation established in regulatory base 8.1.b.2) will be taken into account.
  • In the calculation for the determination of incomes, the amounts of pensions and/or tax-exempt earnings that the applicant or any member of the household unit may receive are included. 
  • In the calculation for the determination of incomes, the aid received by the applicant or any member of the household unit, in application of Law 39/2006, of December 14, promoting personal autonomy and attention to people in situations of dependence, will not be taken into account.

The amount of the subsidy received for rent payment in the corresponding year, which appears as a positive net balance in the personal income tax return, is also not included in the above calculation.