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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.​

Transformation of La Marina del Prat Vermell with the construction of public housing

21/02/2023 - 17:00

Housing. Half of the 12,000 flats to be built will be affordable.

This neighbourhood in Sants-Montjuïc is being consolidated with the highest concentration of protected housing in the city, through a construction project for 12,000 flats, half of which will be affordable. The major urban transformation in this area began in 2006 with the first Amendment to the General Metropolitan Plan, which needed updating in 2019 to transform the industrial make-up of this area into a zone generating community life with housing, greenery and economic activity.

The project will give the city a large new residential neighbourhood in the district of Sants-Montjuïc, covering an area of 75 hectares (equivalent to 40 blocks in L’Eixample) and where 12,000 homes are being built (6,246 of which will be affordable housing with rents), and a new centre for life and economic activity.

Three housing developments are currently in progress: at Cal Cisó, 49-59, and Ulldecona, 2-10, where building work is about to conclude, and at Acer, 10, currently under construction.

Cal Cisó, 49-59

Three energy efficient buildings with 108 homes in all, 48 with social rents and 60 with affordable rents, with communal spaces and gardens, plus parking and premises on the ground floor.

The building’s shell and facilities include eco-efficient energy systems. All the homes have solar protection and at least two façades with cross ventilation.

Acer, 10

A multi-family building of 234 exterior protected homes, commercial premises, a central garden, communal spaces, 77 parking spaces for cars (12 of them adapted), 54 spaces for motorcycles and 224 spaces for bicycles.

The building is designed with a ventilated inner corridor with homes on both sides. The inner ventilation of the corridor comes from yards that run from the outer façade to the inner corridor.

Ulldecona, 2-10

Development with 72 public homes, six of them adapted for people with reduced mobility, plus communal areas, bicycle parking, a green rooftop and premises for a municipal facility.

All the design criteria, both to define the shape and the construction system, are geared towards achieving a near zero-emission building (NZEB).

Other projects in the neighbourhood

Two other projects are currently being drafted: Cal Cisó, 44-48, and Ulldecona, 11 and 16-24. In addition, La Chalmeta, a cohousing block for 32 families, was inaugurated in March. The block was built on municipally owned land, leased to the Cooperative Llar Jove. This is the fourth cohousing block in the city, adopting a non-speculative form of protected housing.