Spanish: Real Estate Glossary
Spain has a fairly simplified legal language compared to the profound diversity of Spanish itself. If you are buying, renting, investing, and selling properties across the country, chances are that you hear or need to know some of those terms.
If you want to suggest a term or signal something else, send me an email.
Spanish | English |
| Abogado | Lawyer, solicitor, attorney |
| Acta de notoriedad | Legal Act or document |
| Actos jurídicos documentados | Title Registry |
| Administrador de fincas | Property administrator |
| Agente de la propiedad | Property Agent |
| Agrupaciones de fincas | Group of country properties / consolidation of plots |
| Aguinaldo | Christmas Bonus due December 20 |
| Aljíbe | In-ground water storage tank |
| Alta catastral | Land register inscription |
| Amortización | Repayment of mortgage |
| Apéndice | Addendum |
| API (agente de la propiedad inmobiliaria) | Official Estates Agent |
| Arbitraje | Arbitration |
| Arras | Down Payment, deposit |
| Arrendamiento de obra | Building contract |
| Arrendador | Landlord |
| Arrendatario | Tenant |
| Asiento de presentación | Provisional Property inscription at the land registry |
| Aval | Loan guarantee |
| Avalista | Guarantor (of a loan) |
| Avaluo | Assessment |
| Balcón | Balcony |
| Beneficiario | Beneficiary |
| Bienes Raíces | Real Estate |
| Bodega | Storage unit |
| Boletín de enganche | Electrical or water supply connection report |
| Bóveda | Arched brick ceiling |
| Caja de ahorros | Spanish savings banks |
| Cancelación | Cancellation |
| Cantera | Unpolished quarry tile |
| Cargas | Charges, burden, arrears |
| Casa | House |
| Casita | Detached small guest house |
| Catastro | Land Register, Cadastre |
| Cédula de habitabilidad | Habitation certificate or Certificate of Occupancy |
| Certificación | Certification |
| Certificado bancario de divisas | Foreign currency bank certificate |
| Certificado final de obra | Building completion certificate |
| Certificado registral | Certificate of debts of a specific property |
| Chalet | Villa |
| Chimenea | Chimney |
| Cláusula | Conditions in a contract |
| Cláusula abusiva | Unfair/ abusive clause in a contract usually to the detriment of the consumer |
| Cochera | Carport |
| CFE (Comisión Federal de Electricidad) | Electrical Utility Company |
| Código civil | Civil code |
| Colonos | Homeowner Association fees |
| Comisión de urbanismo | Building commission |
| Compra sobre plano | Off-plan property purchase |
| Comunidad de propietarios | Homeowners’ Association or community of owners |
| Condición resolutoria | Condition to cancel a contract |
| Condición suspensiva | Condition to postpone a contract |
| Contrato | Contract |
| Contrato de arrendamiento | Rental contract |
| Contrato de compraventa de vivienda | Private property sales contract |
| Contrato de obra | Building contract |
| Contrato de opción | Optional contract, with the right to buy a property, generally by paying an initial 10% deposit |
| Contrato privado de compraventa | Private purchase contract |
| Cooperativa de viviendas | Housing co-operative |
| Copropietarios | Co-owners; when several persons own a property together |
| Corredor | Broker |
| Costos de cierre | Closing costs |
| Criada | Maid |
| Cuenta de ahorro vivienda | Housing savings account with special tax benefits |
| Cuerpo cierto | Non-variable condition. A condition that can not be changed or modified |
| Cuota | Quote |
| Cupola | Domed ventilation |
| Cubierta | Deck |
| Cuenta | Bill or Invoice |
| CURP (Clave Única del Registro de Población) | Social Security Number or S.I.N. |
| Declaración de obra nueva | New build certificate |
| Demarcación de costas | Coastal demarcation |
| Derecho de retención | Deposit that the homeowner pay to the Internal Revenue Tax Authority office if the homeowner is a non-resident in Spain |
| Derecho de superficie | Land management rights |
| Derecho de tanteo/retracto | Right of first refusal or Purchasing rights that enable one to reserve an object with the option to then later purchase it or not |
| Desahucio | Eviction |
| Deslinde | Survey |
| Drenaje | Sewer |
| Edificabilidad Máxima | Construction limits defining the nature and extent of buildable area permitted on a given piece of land and the scope of planning permissions |
| Edificio | Building |
| Efectivo | Cash |
| Ejido | Common land |
| Embargo | Repossession |
| Escritura | Deeds |
| Escritura pública de compraventa | Title/Public sales deeds |
| Fianza | Deposit |
| Fideicomiso | Trust |
| Finca | Country Property |
| Finca registrada | Registered country property |
| Finiquito | Severance pay |
| Fosa | Septic tank |
| Fraccionamiento | Subdivision |
| Hacienda | Estate or large house |
| Hacienda pública | Internal Revenue or Spanish Tax Authority |
| Hipoteca | Mortgage |
| IBI (Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles) | Annual municipal Tax |
| Impuesto de actos jurídicos documentados | Stamp Duty Documented legal acts tax that is to be paid to lawyers |
| Impuesto de transmisiones patrimoniales | Property transfer tax, x% of the indicated sum at the escritura |
| Impuesto sobre construcciones, instalaciones y obras | Construction and installation tax. |
| Impuesto sobre el patrimonio | Wealth tax |
| Impuesto sobre sucesiones y donaciones | Succession and gift tax |
| Impuestos municipales | Local taxes |
| Información urbanística cédula | Urban planning department |
| Inspección de vivienda | Home inspection |
| Institución de heredero | Appointment of heirs |
| IRPF | Income tax |
| IVA (impuesto sobre el valor añadido) | VAT or Value Added Tax, a sales tax |
| Jardinero | Gardener |
| Ley de arrendamientos urbanos | Local rental laws |
| Ley de la propiedad horizontal | Horizontal Property tax or Commonhold tax |
| Ley del suelo | Land use regulations law. In Spain, this is a law that regulates the rights and obligations of landowners. |
| Libre de cargas | Free of debts |
| Licencia de obras | Building or construction permit |
| Lote | Lot |
| Mañana | Tomorrow |
| Mirador | Rooftop viewing area |
| Muebles | Furniture |
| NIE (número de identificación de extranjeros) | Personal identification number issued by the Spanish government to foreign nationals |
| NIF (número de identificación fiscal) | Fiscal identity number |
| Nota simple informativa | Land register certificate – Local search |
| Notario Público | Public Notary |
| Obligación personal | Obligation to pay tax as a resident |
| Ocupación máxima | Maximum occupancy |
| Pago en efectivo | Cash payment |
| Parcela | Plot |
| Perito | Expert |
| Permiso de obra menor | Minor building permission |
| Peso | Mexican currency |
| Plan Parcial | Urbanisation plan |
| Planta | Floor or level |
| Plusvalía | Capital gains or surplus value |
| Poder | Power of Attorney |
| Poder | Authorisation |
| Posesión | Possession |
| Pozo | Well |
| Precio de venta | Sales price |
| Predial | Property tax |
| Préstamo hipotecario | Mortgage loan |
| Procurador | Attorney at law |
| Promotor | Promoter |
| Propiedad | Property |
| Propietario | Owner |
| Protocolización | Formal regististration of a document, often in context of the notary |
| Proyecto de ejecución de obras | Building execution |
| Recepción definitiva | Construction completion |
| Referencia catastral | Cadastral reference |
| Registro de la propiedad | Property registry |
| RFC (Registro Federal de Contribuyentes) | Individual tax number |
| Representante fiscal | Fiscal representative |
| Restricciones | Zoning |
| Rústico | Rustic |
| S.A. (sociedad anónima) | Public limited company |
| S.L. (sociedad limitada) | Limited liability company |
| Saneamiento | Reconstruction |
| Se alquila | For rent |
| Se vende | For sale |
| Segregación de fincas | Country property positioning |
| Segunda vivienda | Second home |
| Seguro | Insurance |
| Separaczón a linderos | Distance between plots |
| Servidumbre de tránsito | Right-of-way, access of easement |
| Servidumbre | Easement |
| Se Vende | For Sale |
| SIMAPA (Sistema Municipal de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado) | Water Utility Company |
| Solar | Building plot |
| Sold | Vendido |
| Suelo no urbanizable | Plot or land not eligible for building |
| Suelo rústico | rural plot or land |
| Suelo urbanizable | Building land or plot |
| Suelo urbano | plot or land classified as urban |
| Superficie útil | Usable area |
| Tarjeta de residencia | Residence card |
| Tasa | Fee |
| Tasación | Valuation of property |
| Telmex | Telephone/Internet Utility Company |
| Terraza | Terrace |
| Tinaco | Rooftop water storage tank |
| Tipo de interés | Interest rate |
| Toma de posesión | Taking possession |
| Transferencia Bancaria | Wire Transfer |
| Traspaso | Transfer |
| Urbanización privada | Private urbanisation or residential community |
| Uso de oficinas | Office use |
| Usucapión | Usucaption or acquisitive prescription gaining the right to land over the passage of time |
| Usufructo | Right of use, usufruct |
| UTM | Plot number at the land register |
| Valor Catastral | Land register value |
| Valor comprobado por la administración | Value confirmed by the Internal Revenue Tax Authority |
| Valor real | real or market value |
| Visa Temporal | Temporary visa |
| Visa Turista | Tourist visa |
| Visa Permanente | Permanent visa |
| Zona de servidumbre de protección | Accessibility protected area. |
| Author | Mares P. W. |
|---|---|
| Date | August 8, 2021 |
| Topic | Education, Spanish language, Language learning, Spanish culture |
| Tone | Informative |
| Reading Level | College Graduate |
About the author
Mares P. W. is founder of the alternative education program FuTuRisN and the first poet of Slavic origin in Spanish. Aside from what she does in her work and engagements, she is passionate about experimental linguistics, graphic humor, chess, and futuristic technologies.
Comments 2
August 23, 2021 at 9:50 am
Me encanta tu entusiasmo. ¿Qué hacer para participar en tus talleres?
August 27, 2021 at 3:34 pm
Hola Miguel, en este momento hago únicamente el taller de The Mechanical Shakespeare que es bilingüe. Te acabo de enviar un correo electrónico con el resto de los detalles en caso de que quieras intentarlo. Saludos y ¡gracias por leerme!