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.​

Action plan to regain Pou de la Figuera for the local neighbourhood

12/06/2021 - 10:05

Ciutat Vella. A sum of 650,000 euros will be used for seventeen measures between now and 2023 to boost community dynamics.

A municipal action plan has now been designed for the Pou de la Figuera, the goal being to regain the space for use by local people and improve the daily life of the square. The district of Ciutat Vella is to invest 650,000 euros on a programme of improvements with seventeen measures to be implemented between now and 2023 as the result of joint work between citizens, local citizens, organisations and services.

Work will mainly centre on the streets of Sant Pere Més Baix, Mestres Casals i Martorell, Carders and Llàstics, with the public space of Pou de la Figuera as the epicentre.

The use of the square in recent years has been identified as excluding some local people. There has also been a certain level of wear and tear on physical elements in the square, where various improvements and maintenance are required.

The goal of the plan is to promote a sense of belonging, boost ties with local people in the square, diversify uses from the perspectives of gender, interculturality, functional diversity and life cycle, and to generate new opportunities for the most vulnerable collectives.

The plan is organised into four main areas of work:

  • Socio-economic activity: promotion of training and occupational paths for young people, support for existing economic activity and the facilitation and diversification of commerce through initiatives such as the one for officially protected ground floor business premises.
  • Activities and uses of public space: fairs will be organised for local commerce in the area, with cooperative consumption baskets to be distributed. There will also be a stable programme of community, leisure and sports activities in the square, adopting the perspectives of inclusion and diversity.
  • Improvements to physical space: work will follow a series of needs detected in the participatory process so that the space offers a healthy, safe and comfortable place for citizen use.
  • Communication and community networks: an autonomous communication and community network will be set up, giving visibility to a diverse array of actions in the local area.