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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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The City Council involves the Social Housing Council in the European Housing Alliance

The City Council involves the Social Housing Council in the European Housing Alliance

28/03/2025 - 13:37

Housing. Mayor Jaume Collboni has asked the Social Housing Council to submit its proposals for inclusion in the Mayors for Housing Action Plan.

The Barcelona Social Housing Council met this Thursday in an extraordinary session in the Saló de Cent of the City Hall, where Mayor Jaume Collboni presented the European Alliance of Mayors for Housing.

This is a project led by Barcelona that brings together fifteen European cities and was created with the aim of establishing a common working agenda so that cities can play an active and decisive role in housing policy at European level. It is therefore developing its action plan in this field, which will be presented to the European Commission (EC) in Brussels on 15 May. The aim is for the EC to adopt these measures so that they can be applied across Europe.

In the process of drawing up this plan, Collboni urged the Council to participate in the definition of “city proposals, shared by civil society and citizens, that are ambitious, transformative and at all levels, including promotion, access, budget and financing”. He also acknowledged that “cities are ground zero for the housing crisis”, but at the same time “we feel challenged to build this solution”.

 

What is the Mayors for Housing Alliance asking the European Commission to do?

The document drawn up by the European cities that make up the alliance sets out six demands:

1. Strengthen the role of cities in defining and implementing the European housing agenda.

2. Effective and efficient access to European Union funding and increased funding opportunities for cities.

3. Increase housing investment opportunities for cities, i.e. provide additional funding to increase the supply of affordable housing and ensure a fair and inclusive energy transition in the existing housing stock.

4. Enable greater investment in social and affordable housing.

5. Recognise that housing renovation should not compromise affordability or social cohesion.

6. EU regulation of the housing stock for short-term rentals.

 

The Social Housing Council

The Social Housing Council (CHSB) was created in 2007 within the framework of the Barcelona Housing Consortium, which was formed by the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Barcelona City Council. It is an advisory and participatory body on housing policy in the city, and aims to be a tool for generating opinions, proposals and promoting their analysis.

It is made up of around 100 members representing the Generalitat, the City Council, non-profit social organisations, cooperatives, neighbourhood movements, universities, professional associations and trade unions, among others.

In order to better carry out its tasks, it has working groups on more specific topics:

  • Rental Regulation
  • Promotion Monitoring
  • New Housing Plan
  • Renovation
  • Cooperative Housing Board

More info