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

Recipients: Individuals or legal entities who own a free-market housing unit and make it available to the Barcelona Housing Rental Pool or other social programs of the city

Administration granting the subsidy: Barcelona Housing Consortium

What do you need to know to apply for aid?

In these dropdowns, you can find the requirements and steps to follow to apply for this aid. The application can be submitted at any Housing Offices of Barcelona.

Recipients

Natural or legal persons who own a free-market housing unit and make it available to the Barcelona Rental Housing Pool program or other social programs in the city of Barcelona may be eligible for these subsidies, provided that they meet the requirements established in section 5 and are in one of the following situations:

  • Housing units capable of entering into a rental contract under the framework of the Barcelona Rental Housing Pool program or other social programs in the city of Barcelona.  
  • Housing units with pending legal proceedings due to non-payment of rent. 
  • Housing units without pending legal proceedings due to non-payment of rent.

Members of groups of natural or legal persons, whether public or private entities without legal personality, who own a free-market housing unit and make it available to the Barcelona Rental Housing Pool program or other social programs in the city of Barcelona may also be eligible for the subsidies, provided that they meet the requirements established in Section 5.

Requirements

The following individuals may be beneficiaries, provided that they meet the following requirements:

  • Formalization of a new lease agreement starting from January 1, 2022 under the framework of the Barcelona Rental Housing Pool program or other social programs in the city of Barcelona, with the terms provided for in the applicable regulations. In the case of housing units undergoing judicial eviction, the formalization of the new agreement is understood to be with the same individuals residing in the unit, provided that they use it as their habitual residence.    
  • Compliance with tax obligations to the State, the Generalitat of Catalonia, and the City Council of Barcelona, as well as obligations to Social Security.
  • Not being subject to any of the prohibitions for being a beneficiary of subsidies in accordance with Article 13 of Law 38/2003, of November 17, on general subsidies.
  • Individuals who have received these subsidies cannot apply for the same housing unit until at least 3 years have passed since the date of the concession resolution and the new application. The only exception is when the Barcelona Rental Housing Pool program or other social programs in the city of Barcelona determine, through the corresponding justificatory report, that despite not meeting this requirement, they can be granted the subsidies for socio-economic reasons. 
  • Not being a recipient of rental payment default coverage (Aval lloguer) from the Generalitat of Catalonia, or, if they are, they must renounce the concession of these subsidies beforehand.

In the case of there being multiple owners, whether physical or legal persons or groups of physical or legal persons, public or private, without their legal personality, each member of the group must meet the requirements established by the Regulatory Bases, as well as this call for applications.

For subsidies regulated under section 2.a), it is necessary to obtain a favorable report from the competent service of the Barcelona Housing Offices, in addition to the requirements described above, where applicable.

For subsidies regulated under section 2.b), in addition to the requirements described above, it is necessary to obtain a favorable report from the competent service of Barcelona, and the monthly rental amount of the lease agreement is subject to the judicial procedure for non-payment of rent must not exceed 1,000 euros.

Documentation

General documentation​

Along with the application, the following documentation must be provided: 

  • ID card or equivalent document of the applicant and, if applicable, each of the owners. 
  • Registration certificate or public deed proving ownership of the property. 
  • Documentation proving the current power of attorney in case the property acts through a legal representative or is a legal entity or group of owners.
  • Bank details form to make the payment of the grant to the beneficiaries of the grant, signed by them and with the endorsement of conformity from the bank entity. 
  • Authorization from the applicant/s to allow the entities managing the applications to request and obtain data related to the processing and monitoring of the application from other public organizations.
  • Report from the Barcelona Rental Housing Pool or other social programs of the city of Barcelona that will be processed automatically.

Specific documentation for grants regulated in section 2.b) (Housing with ongoing legal proceedings for non-payment of rent): 

  • Lease agreement for which the judicial procedure for non-payment of rent has been initiated. 
  • If applicable, demand and/or judgment or court order for non-payment of rent.
  • Document quantifying the debt signed by the property owner and validated by the Barcelona Housing Consortium. If the amount of the subsidy does not cover the entire existing debt, documentary evidence of waiving any further economic claims on this debt must be provided.

Applicants who authorize the managing body to electronically obtain the necessary data for the management and maintenance of these subsidies, do not need to provide the documentation in sections 6.1.a) and 6.1.b).

The documentation collected in sections 6.1.a), 6.1.b), and 6.1.c), or any other documentation already held by the Barcelona Rental Housing Pool or other social programs in the city of Barcelona, does not need to be presented again as it will be the responsibility of the Barcelona Housing Consortium to transfer the data.

The Barcelona Housing Consortium may request additional documentation to expand its knowledge about the submitted application.

Amount and application period

Amount: The amount of the subsidy will be:

  • 1,500 euros for homes that are eligible to formalize a lease agreement under the Barcelona Rental Housing Pool program or other social programs in the city of Barcelona.
  • Up to a maximum of 6,000 euros for the payment of rent owed about the subsidies contemplated in section 2.b). The quantification of the debt, which must be ratified by the Housing Offices, will be carried out according to the following criteria:
    • If there has been a court judgment or order, the amount of unpaid rent will be the amount stated in the judgment/order plus the sum of the unpaid monthly payments until the moment of signing the agreement for inclusion of the housing in the Barcelona Rental Housing Pool or other social programs in the city of Barcelona.
    • If there is no court judgment or order, the amount of the debt will be the amount stated in the demand for non-payment plus the sum of the unpaid monthly payments until the moment of signing the agreement for inclusion of the housing in the Barcelona Rental Housing Pool or other social programs in the city of Barcelona.

The right to receive this subsidy can only be granted if the application meets all the established requirements and if there is budget availability to grant it.

The grants referred to in this call are voluntary and occasional and are granted on a non-competitive basis and are awarded per dwelling and in a single payment. They do not generate any right to obtain grants in subsequent years and cannot be cited as precedent.

The right to receive the grant is generated when the lease contract is formalized through the Barcelona Rental Housing Pool or other social programs in the city of Barcelona, provided that a favorable report from these services is available.

Term: The deadline for submitting applications begins on the day following publication in the DOGC and the BOPB and ends on December 5, 2024, inclusive.

The deadline for submitting grant applications may be closed earlier depending on budgetary availability. The submission of the application does not imply the recognition of any economic rights in favor of the applicants.

Incompatibilities

These subsidies are incompatible with other aids, benefits, or subsidies from public administrations or other entities that have the same purpose, except for the 95% discount on the Property Tax fee regulated by the fiscal ordinance of the Tax, approved by the Barcelona City Council for those houses declared of special interest for municipal utility.

In addition, these subsidies are incompatible with each other, so it will not be possible to obtain a favorable resolution of the two lines of subsidies regulated in this call (2.a) and 2.b)).

Other informations

Application for registration in the call for proposals​​

Applications must be submitted on a standardized form, properly completed and signed by the applicant(s) for the subsidy, accompanied by the documentation required in this call.

Applications can be submitted in person at any of the offices that make up the Barcelona Housing Offices listed in annex 1, or by the means established in articles 25 of Law 26/2010, of August 3, on the legal regime and procedure for public administration in Catalonia, and article 16 of Law 39/2015, of October 1, on the common administrative procedure of public administrations.

Standardized application forms can be obtained from the aforementioned offices and from the websites www.consorcihabitatgebcn.cat and www.habitatge.barcelona

In the case of multiple owners, the application must be properly completed and signed by all individuals or legal entities that own the housing for which the aid is requested. In the case of groups of individuals or legal entities, public or private without legal personality, the application must be submitted by the representative or sole authorized person of the group. In this regard, only one application may be submitted per housing unit included in the Barcelona Rental Housing Pool program or in other social programs of the city of Barcelona.

Payment of the subsidy​

The payment of the subsidies will be made by bank transfer to the account indicated in the established bank details form.

If applicable, the total amount of the subsidy will be divided according to the percentage of ownership of each person, physical or legal, of the housing for which the aid is requested. In the case of groups of physical or legal persons, public or private entities without legal personality, the subsidy amount will also be divided in accordance with the percentages of each of the persons who will also be considered beneficiaries. Exceptionally, a document of acceptance may be presented by all the owners to proceed with the full payment of the subsidy to the person indicated in the bank details form.