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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.​

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Relationship with citizens

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    • Our housing policies are for our citizens

    On this site you can find several channels for citizen participation in housing policies, an interactive space in order to build new guidelines together.

    All people wishing to participate and interact with the Municipal Administration may do so. With regards to housing policies, citizens may send their opinions via several channels and participate in the opportune spaces provided.

    Sharing views with regards to housing is fundamental in order to implement both the prioritisation of problems and opportunities, and the design of plans and programmes.

    We also provide citizens with the Housing Services List, that allows them to be informed of the citizen attention channels that Barcelona City Council offers.

    We encourage you to consult the various links and to be informed of all the tools at your disposal in order to actively participate in the construction of a Barcelona for everyone.

    Highlights

    Related links

    More information

    Citizen participation and Housing

    Housing Services List

    The Housing Services List is a document that explains the services provided by the Institute of Housing, the commitments undertaken in terms of efficacy and quality of the service and in the channels for citizen and user participation for the improvement of the service.

    Participatory process for the drafting of the right to housing plan

    During the process of drafting the Plan for The Right to Housing in Barcelona 2016-2026 there arose the need to involve and engage the citizenship in its creation.

    This moment of participation took place within the participatory process of the Municipal Action Plan: Deciding Barcelona. This decision was made in order to optimise resources provided by the City Council, not overwhelm the citizens and to provide more coherence to both plans.

    In the fourth Annex of the Right to Housing Plan, you’ll find all the information with regards to the participatory process initiated by the drafting team:

    Participation body: Council for Social Housing

    Barcelona’s Council for Social Housing (CHSB) is the consulting and participatory body of the housing policies in the city that seeks to be an originator of opinions and proposals, and their promotion.

    The Council for Social Housing is organized via a plenary of more than 60 members. It’s integrated by representatives of the Catalan Government, of the City Council, all the municipal groups and the sector councils of municipal participation.

    It is also integrated by members of non-profit organizations, associations, social support entities for access to housing, cooperatives, syndicates, professional collages and members of neighbourhood movements, among others.

    More information about CHSB.

    Attention to citizens: complaints and suggestions

    Barcelona City Council provides citizens with a specific channel in order to communicate service incidents, complaints and suggestions regarding the functioning of housing services.

    The most important aspect of filing a petition is to classify its content correctly. You’ll be able to check its status and make a claim. Use this link to send us your complaints and suggestions.