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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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  3. Public Housing Stock
  4. Accessible housing with social developers and cooperatives

Accessible housing with social developers and cooperatives

The City Council’s alliance with social and cooperative housing organisations will accelerate the expansion of the public housing stock.

Public-private and social collaboration

Promotion of protected rent and the cooperative sector

Barcelona City Council signs an alliance with the most significant cooperative housing organisations to create one thousand flats over the next few years. With this alliance, the execution times for the works will be accelerated to provide a quick response to accessible housing needs. 

The most significant social and cooperative housing management organisations have signed the alliance: the Association of Social Housing Managers (GHS), the Social and Solidarity Economy Network (XES), the Federation of Housing Cooperatives and the Coordinator of Social Housing Foundations.

60% of the flats will be rented and a third of these will be reserved for young people and 5% for people with intellectual disabilities. The other 40% will be right of use housing and will include co-housing initiatives for the elderly and people with disabilities.

The cooperative housing and protected rent projects will be assessed by the City Council and must meet the following criteria:

  • Speed and industrialisation of processing and construction or renovation of housing.
  • Technical and economic capacity to guarantee execution of the work.
  • Protected rental prices and right of use fees.
  • Avoidance of projects all being given to a few developers.
  • Climate emergency criteria.
  • Fostering of community ties.

Highlights

Related links

More information

Who can apply for this housing?

The people awarded the housing, whether rented or under the “right of use” model, must be entered in the Register of Barcelona Official Protection Housing Applicants.  

Rented housing

Rented housing of foundations and rental cooperatives will be awarded to the people entered in the Register of Barcelona Official Protection Housing Applicants following the normal process.

If the awarded housing belongs to a cooperative, the recipient must become a member of said cooperative. They will be bound to pay a share of the capital which is often around 100 euros and which will be refunded when they leave the housing, but they will not be bound to pay any fee for the housing development.

Rental agreements will be for 15 years, renewable, and will have a social rent fixed in the official protection legislation set by the Government of Catalonia.

Right of use housing

For right of use housing or co-housing, the cooperative will award it from among its members who are also on the Register of Barcelona Official Protection Housing Applicants. More information on co-housing and how to become a member of a housing cooperative can be found here.

Those awarded the housing will acquire the right to use the housing for 99 years and must pay the housing construction cost. They must make an initial contribution of 20% of the total cost and the remaining 80% will be paid through monthly instalments. These instalments cannot exceed the amount set by the Government of Catalonia for rent.

Assigned plots and buildings

Barcelona City Council will assign the first 15 plots and 3 buildings to construct and renovate, this represents a total of 497 properties. According to the planning, these projects may begin works in the middle or at the end of 2022 and accommodate the first users two years later.

The assigned plots and buildings are the following:

Ciutat Vella

  • Passeig de Joan de Borbó Comte de Barcelona, 44-45 (Barceloneta): building renovation for 30 rental homes. Assigned to  Fundació Hàbitat 3.
  • Carrer de Sant Martí, 12-16 (Raval): plot for a building with 43 rental homes or rental cooperatives. Assigned to Salas i Nou Lloc.

Sants-Montjuïc

  • Carrer de Mossèn Amadeu Oller, 17-21 (la Bordeta): plot for 40 co-housing properties. Assigned to the cooperative Empriu, Habitatges Cooperatius, SCCL.
  • Carrer de Rossend Arús, 36-38 (Sants): building renovation for 7 co-housing properties. Assigned to the cooperative La Domèstika de la Farga, SCCL.
  • Carrer d’Ulldecona, 11X (la Marina del Prat Vermell): plot for a building with 84 rental homes. Assigned to the foundations FIBS and Iniciativa Social. 

Sarrià – Sant Gervasi

  • Via Augusta, 375-381 (Sarrià): plot for 15 co-housing properties for the elderly. Assigned to the cooperative Sostre Cívic, SCCL.
  • Via Augusta, 383-387 (Sarrià): plot for 17 co-housing properties for the elderly. Assigned to the cooperative Sostre Cívic, SCCL.
  • Via Augusta, 389-393 (Sarrià): plot for 17 co-housing properties for people with disabilities. Assigned to the cooperative Vida Cooperativa, SCCL.

Gràcia

  • Carrer de Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, 11 (Vallcarca i els Penitents): plot for 25 co-housing properties. Assigned to the cooperative Ruderal, SCCL.
  • Avinguda de Vallcarca, 110 (Vallcarca i els Penitents): plot for a building with 37 rental homes. Assigned to the foundations FIBS and Iniciativa Social. 

Sant Martí

  • Carrer de Pere IV, 115 (el Parc i la Llacuna del Poblenou): plot for 23 co-housing properties. Assigned to the cooperative Abril Poblenou, SCCL.
  • Carrer de Binèfar, 26 (la Verneda i la Pau): plot for a building with 47 rental homes or rental cooperatives. Assigned to the cooperative Fem Ciutat, SCCL.
  • Bolívia, 23-27. Rental promotion of 85 homes open to both foundations and rental cooperatives.
Sant Andreu
  • Casernas de Sant Andreu. Passeig de Torras i Bages, 126-128. 80-storey co-housing by a cooperative.
Horta Guinardó
  • Mont-ral, 37 and 39, and c. Doctor Letamendi, 99 and 103. Promotion of the rental of 38 homes in charge of a foundation. These are buildings acquired by the City Council in early 2021 to stop a speculative process and a long process of non-compliance with the duty of conservation by the previous owner.