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.​

Apply for a grant of up to €6,000 for your home to insulate the facade and replace windows and climate control systems. It's now easier: you can do it online with a simplified process.

Efficient and sustainable housing

Renovation to improve the energy efficiency of the home

This line of subsidy is aimed at homeowners who wish to take measures to improve the energy efficiency of their habitual residence, such as modifying closures, replacing windows or air conditioning systems that replace fossil fuels with renewable energy or biomass. 

These actions, in addition to the economic savings they bring in terms of energy consumption at home, will contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change and building a more sustainable city. 

Want to know how to apply for home renovation grants?

These drop-down menus will give you the requirements and steps to take to apply for this grant, which will allow you to subsidise up to €6,000 of the total investment.

Recipients

Homeowners, usufructuaries and tenants.

Requirements

Grants for actions or works to improve the energy efficiency of single-family or multi-family dwellings

  • The start date of the eligible actions must be after 1 February 2020
  • Investments in thermal generators using fossil fuels are not eligible, although they may be included in the project and in the final energy performance certificate. 
  • The dwellings for which aid is requested under this programme must be the habitual and permanent residence of their owners, usufructuaries or tenants at the time of submission of the application. This can be demonstrated by means of a certificate or registration document. 
  • The duration of the works must not exceed 12 months from the date on which the aid is granted and must be completed before 30.6.2026

Incompatibilities

Grants awarded under this call for proposals will not be compatible with the following calls for grants for the renovation of the city of Barcelona: 

Renovation programmes 

  • The Neighbourhood Renovation Programme, the Action Programme to Improve Energy Efficiency in Housing and the Programme for the Preparation of the Building Book for Renovation and the Design of Renovation Projects: 
    • For the neighbourhoods of El Besòs i el Maresme, El Congrés i els Indians, la Pau, Trinitat Vella and Canyelles (programmes 1, 4 and 5). 
    • For residential buildings in the Pla de Barris ERRP area (programmes 1, 4 and 5). 
    • For residential buildings in the ERRP area of buildings on public land (programmes 1, 4 and 5). 
  • Renovation programme at building level for single-family and multi-family dwellings, the Programme to improve energy efficiency in housing and the Programme for the preparation of the building book for renovation and the design of renovation projects (programmes 3, 4 and 5). 

This incompatibility does not apply if, after applying for this aid, the community of owners applies for aid at the level of the building from the aforementioned calls. 

Amount and deadline for applications

The total amount of the grant is up to €6,000 but cannot exceed the total cost of the work. The amount of the grant comes from two different funds: 

  • On the one hand, the grant from the EU's Next Generation Fund, which amounts to 40% of the cost of the work, with a maximum of €3,000. 
  • On the other hand, the additional municipal grant: in the case of dwellings not included in other programmes of the NGUE P1-P3 calls, a further €3,000 will be subsidised. 

In any case, the minimum cost of the action will be €1,000 to be eligible for the grant. 

The work must be completed before 30 June 2026, the deadline for applications. 

 

Housing renovation grants received before the entry into force of this call for applications: 

Recipients of grants from the Barcelona Housing Consortium of the P4 (Housing) programme prior to the entry into force of this call for applications may receive the additional municipal subsidy of 3,000 euros provided for in the call for applications, without the total amount of the grant exceeding the total cost of the work. Interested parties must submit an explicit application to the Oficina Virtual de Tràmits. 

Documentation

You can consult the necessary documentation in the Barcelona Housing Consortium's Call for Renovation Aid, or in the checklist containing the list of documentation. Direct download links for each of the forms to be submitted are provided below:

  • FORM 1. Application, declarations of responsibility and authorisation to request information from the public authorities (MANDATORY). 
  • FORM 2. Bank details to receive the subsidy (MANDATORY) and request for transfer of the right to collect the subsidy (OPTIONAL). (In the case of co-ownership, each co-owner must transfer the right to receive the subsidy). 
  • FORM 3. Declaration of the person responsible for the State aid under the PRTR (OPTIONAL). 
  • FORM 4. Notification of start and end of work (MANDATORY). 

DOCUMENTATION. The applicant does not have to resubmit certain documents held by public administrations, provided that the applicant authorises their consultation. You can authorise the consultation of the Owner's Deed, the Municipal Register, the Energy Certificates, and the Building Permit. 

Where to apply for the grant

The grant application can be submitted: 

Other information

Eligible actions: 

Actions carried out in these dwellings are eligible if they meet at least one of the following conditions: 

  • Reduction of the total annual energy demand for heating and cooling by at least 7%. 
  • Reduce non-renewable primary energy consumption by at least 30%. 
  • Where you are modifying or replacing components of the thermal envelope that meet the thermal transmittance and air permeability limits of Tables 3.1.1.a and 3.1.3.a of CTE DB HE-1. 
  • In all cases, reductions in demand or consumption will be taken into account by comparing the energy performance certificate before the action and the certificate after the action.