Amendment to the PGM to regulate temporary rentals

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.

Housing. The amendment will provide the City Council with its first urban planning tool to regulate it.

In a move to regulate temporary rentals, an amendment to articles 276 and 302A of the General Metropolitan Plan (PGM) has been presented to regulate the use of housing in the municipality of Barcelona. The amendment will be the first urban planning tool for the City Council to regulate temporary room rentals and define and distinguish between the various uses of housing.

The amendment is aimed at distinguishing and prioritising the usual and permanent use of housing over temporary uses and enable the City Council to regulate it and condition its implementation. The amendment establishes that uses other than usual and permanent residency can be prohibited, limited or restricted through urban planning and municipal by-laws. At the same time, specific restrictions will be able to be imposed by districts, neighbourhoods and buildings to protect their residential character.

The amendment to the General Metropolitan Plan defines the various uses of housing as:

Usual or permanent: with no limitations in all areas where the use of housing is permitted. The amendment also establishes that the permanent rental of rooms must give all people who live in them the right to the communal services needed to guarantee their habitability.
Temporary: the intention is to regulate this use and prevent the current fraud with temporary rentals, incentivising their use as residential lets. Temporary use for work reasons, medical reasons, studying or similar activities will have to be justified with documents where the applicable legislation requires this.
Second homes

The amendment comes from an agreement between the municipal government and the group Barcelona en Comú within the framework of a working group on regulating temporary rentals. The move was initially approved by the government commission on 5 December, with final approval expected in the second quarter of 2025. Once the amendment gets through this stage, the City Council will need to address the resulting planning to be used to regulate and limit temporary lets.