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.​

Fifteen new flats with affordable rents handed over in the Horta neighbourhood

21/03/2025 - 18:33

The flats are the result of the one-off amendment to the General Metropolitan Plan (PGM) in the Lobregós – Can Mateu area, obliging housing promotors to reserve 30% of built surface space for protected housing.

The homes are located at Baixada de Can Mateu, 14, in Horta-Guinardó, and are the result of the one-off amendment to the General Metropolitan Plan (PGM) in the Lobregós – Can Mateu area, obliging housing promotors to reserve 30% of built surface space for protected housing.

Families who go to live in the flats will pay monthly social rents of between 401 and 831 euros, according to the floor space of the home, which along with communal costs must not exceed 40% of the family’s income.

The block is part of a set of three buildings, two of them with housing for the open market and one with protected homes, with a total of 27 flats in all. The building with 15 protected homes is on the corner between C/ Granollers and Baixada de Can Mateu. It has five floors with eleven two-bedroom homes, two one-bedroom homes, one three-bedroom home and a four-bedroom home.

The homes have been allocated as follows: four flats for people under the age of 35, a further four for people from the local vicinity, one for single-parent families, one for large families and an adapted home for people with reduced mobility. The other flats have also been allocated to applicants on the Barcelona register of officially protected homes.

The three buildings have been built by the promotor Vertix, which invested more than 4.1 million euros in the protected housing block.