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

Details of the aid

Status: AVAILABLE 

Recipients: Non-profit organisations that own or have a house that they have placed at the disposal of the Barcelona Emergency Board or the ‘Primer la Llar’ service. 

Administration granting the subsidy: Barcelona Housing Consortium.

Subsidy for the allocation of private market housing to families in housing need

The Barcelona Housing Consortium has launched a call for proposals for grants to be awarded to private sector housing organisations for the accommodation of people in a situation of economic and social hardship and at risk of housing exclusion.

These grants replace the old agreements with the organisations and their aim is to give an impetus and increase the number of social housing in the city to offer a solution to citizens who do not have access to decent housing or who are at risk of losing it. 

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

You can find the requirements and steps to apply for this support in these drop-down menus.

Recipients

Beneficiaries of these subsidies may be non-profit entities that own or hold a transfer contract or similar, as the entity holding the right of use, of a home located in the city of Barcelona that they make or have made available to the Barcelona emergency desk, the "Primer la Llar" Service of the Barcelona Municipal Program for Care for People in a Homeless Situation and in the Barcelona Plan to Fight Homelessness or other similar situations arising from urban planning actions proposed by the Municipal Institute of Social Services.

Requirements

  • Be the owner or holder of a contract of conveyance or similar, as an entity holding the right of use, of a dwelling. 
  • Not to pay a fee or rent for the transfer of the monthly use of the home in excess of the amounts set out in Regulatory Base 7. 
  • Having transferred the use of the dwelling by means of a contract in accordance with article 3.2 of Law 29/1994, of 24 November, on Urban Leases, or having expressed the will to transfer it by means of a responsible declaration, to be used to satisfy the need for temporary accommodation in the exercise of a caring activity. 
  • Have the grant collection placed in a financial institution
  • Not to be subject to any of the prohibitions on being a beneficiary of the subsidies provided for in Article 13 of Law 38/2003, of 17 November, and, where applicable, not to have been the subject of a procedure for the withdrawal of any of the subsidies provided for in Royal Decree 42/2022, of 18 January, or in the previous State Housing Plan, for failure to comply with them or for any reason attributable to the applicant. 
  • Be up to date with your tax obligations to the State and the Generalitat de Catalunya, as well as your social security obligations. 
  • Be up to date with payment obligations for grant repayments. 
  • Fulfil the other requirements to be a beneficiary of a subsidy established by Law 38/2003, of 17 November, General Subsidies, and by the Revised Text of the Law of Public Finances of Catalonia, approved by Legislative Decree 3/2002, of 24 December. 

Types of grants

The subsidies subject to these regulatory bases are granted through non-competitive public competition and are granted to the beneficiary entity for each dwelling indicated in the standard model of housing list that meets the requirements of these Bases.

These subsidies are intended to address one of the following cases:

  • Housing that is made or has been made available to the emergency table for award to people who are in a situation of social and economic emergency and who are designated by the Barcelona emergency table.
  • Housing intended to address homelessness awarded through the “Primer la Llar” Service by the Department of Services and Individual Housing Programs (DSPAI) at the proposal of the services of the Barcelona Municipal Homeless Care Program or intended for other similar situations arising from urban planning actions at the proposal of the Municipal Institute of Social Services.

Both modalities will include:

  • A subsidy for the payment of the difference between the rent or rent for private market housing intended to facilitate access to housing for people who are in a situation of social and economic emergency, and at risk of residential exclusion, and the rent that the living units should pay, according to the amounts set in Regulatory Base 6.
  • A subsidy to cover the management and maintenance costs of private market housing intended to facilitate access to housing for people who are in a situation of social and economic emergency, and at risk of residential exclusion, according to the amounts set in Regulatory Base 6.

Amount and application period

The subsidies are recognized in annual installments, starting with the first annual installment in November 2025 and for a period of 3 years, provided that the conditions set out in the rules and in the call continue to be met.

Documentation

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

A) In relation to the non-profit entity:

  • Standardized form of bank details to be able to make the payment of the subsidy, in the name of the applicant entity, signed by it and with the diligence of conformity of the banking entity, or equivalent document in the name of the applicant entity that proves its ownership of the bank account where to receive the subsidy.
  • List of homes, according to a standardized model, in which it must be indicated whether the home already has a temporary lease contract or similar for welfare purposes.
  • Standardized form of responsible declaration, signed by the applicant entity, which proves compliance with the requirements set out in Regulatory Base 5.
  • Documentation proving that it is a non-profit entity, legally constituted and registered in the corresponding register.
  • Certificate of not having debts with the State Tax Agency and the Generalitat of Catalonia as well as obligations with Social Security.

B) In relation to each of the homes included in the list of homes:

  • Registry simple note or public deed accrediting the ownership of the home, if applicable.
  • Duly signed assignment contract or similar, in accordance with the conditions set out in Regulatory Base 7, if applicable.
  • Temporary or similar lease contract for healthcare purposes, in accordance with the conditions set out in Regulatory Base 8.
  • Current habitability certificate.
  • Report from the Barcelona Emergency Board according to which the person holding the temporary or similar lease contract for healthcare purposes has obtained a favorable resolution for the award of a home.
  • Report prepared by the homelessness representative of the Basic Area of ​​Social Services or by the representative of the Municipal Institute of Social Services according to which the person holding the temporary lease or similar contract for welfare purposes has obtained a favorable resolution for the award of a home.

Deadline for submission

The submission period runs from November 17, 2025, starting at 8:30 a.m. and ends on November 28, 2025 at 2:30 p.m.

Presentation Form

Only electronically at this link.