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.​

Agreement with SAREB: 68 social rents for vulnerable families

03/11/2022 - 17:53

Housing. The families, who were in the process of being evicted, will have a social rent contract.

The City Council has reached an agreement with SAREB (the Spanish government’s ‘bad bank’) to regularise the situation of 68 vulnerable families who were squatting in homes they had previously owned. The families, who were in the process of being evicted, will now have a social rent contract for between 12% and 30% of their income.

Most of the families are households with children, mainly headed by women in precarious labour situations. The agreement with SAREB is not limited to these 68 families but is also monitoring 300 other families currently in the process of being evicted and living in SAREB-owned flats. The deal also includes a commitment not to evict families in vulnerable situations.

Drop in squatting in Barcelona

The recently published report ‘Data on the evolution of squatting in the city of Barcelona 2019-2022’ highlights a 17% drop in squatting in Barcelona between the third quarter of 2019 and the third quarter of 2022. This drop is linked to the investment in public housing and the expansion of the public housing stock of 11,500 homes, mediation carried out by the Barcelona Anti-Eviction Unit in over 14,000 eviction cases and subsidies to cover rental debts for small owners.