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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.​

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Barcelona Social Housing Council launches the working group on the stressed market area and the regulation of rental prices

Barcelona Social Housing Council launches the working group on the stressed market area and the regulation of rental prices

13/06/2024 - 18:15

Housing. Every six months, the working group will present reports with data on the development of the stressed market area in the city and the evolution of rental prices.

This Wednesday, the Barcelona Rental Regulation Working Group was set up under the auspices of the Barcelona Social Housing Council (CHSB) and is made up of the main actors and bodies in the sector, the political groups of the Barcelona City Council, municipal bodies, Diputació de Barcelona and Generalitat de Catalunya. One of its objectives is to evaluate and monitor the development of the stressed market area, as well as to follow the evolution of the rental housing stock in the city and the application of the price regulation.

Every six months, the group will prepare and discuss reports on Barcelona’s stressed market area, collecting data on, among other things, new contracts signed and the evolution of rental prices.

These reports will be based on the methodology defined in a preliminary study presented by the Observatori Metropolità de l’Habitatge de Barcelona (O-HB) at the first meeting of the group. The work has been carried out with data from the deposits of the Institut Català del Sòl (INCASÒL) and shows the evolution of the rental market in the city between 2009 and 2023. Here are some of the conclusions:

  • Between 2009 and 2023, the rental housing stock increased by 116.4%, from 106,018 to 229,405 homes.
  • In 2023, the rotation rate (rental properties that become unoccupied during the year and can potentially re-enter the market) was 11.6%, the lowest percentage recorded in the series.
  • Over the past year, the balance between new contracts and expiring contracts increased slightly by 1.9%.

The reduction in the rotation rate, and therefore the greater stability of the housing stock, is explained by the extension of contracts included in the 2019 legislative change.

Laia Bonet, first deputy mayor, emphasised that Barcelona is “he only large city in the country” that applies rent regulation with the aim of ensuring that “nobody has to leave their home because of excessive rent increases”. She also highlighted the “importance” of this monitoring and of having “maximum data” to understand the evolution of the market and its regulation, adding that “from the City Council we have the obligation to have all the tools to evaluate it, together with all the agents of the sector”.

Joan Ramon Riera, Housing Commissioner, highlighted the “profound changes” that are taking place in the housing sector and assured that “the first data are positive” thanks to the reduction in rotation, “which allows stability for tenants”. He also mentioned that “we have signs that prices are beginning to stabilise”, although there is still “much to be done” and “we must be aware of the effects that may occur in the restructuring of the sector in order to guarantee the right to housing”. Finally, he noted that this working group “must be used to share the state of the city in terms of housing and to discuss or propose new actions”.

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