Encyclopedia for buying property in Gran Canaria

A - "abogado" to "ayuntamiento"

abogado: Lawyer
acta notarial: notarial deed within the framework of voluntary jurisdiction as the basis for entries in the „registro de la propiedad"
acta de notoriedad: Voluntary jurisdiction procedures for land registration, where the principle of "tacto sucesivo", the continuous registration, has been interrupted
afecciones registrales: charges entered in the land register, for example for future back taxes
agente: Real estate-agent
agrupación: Merging a plot of land with others
alta catastral: Cadastral Office
altura máxima: maximum permissible building height
anotaciones marginales: Annotations in the land register that refer to documents that are being registered
aparejador: Civil Engineer
arras: Hand money or hand money. If "arras penitenciales" have been agreed, the contract can be cancelled by the buyer acknowledging that he will lose them or by the seller repaying them twice
arrendamiento de obra: Contract for work, e.g. construction contract with building contractor
asiento de presentación: A kind of notice of abandonment. Protection of the buyer for a certain period of time against further registrations.
ayuntamiento: Town hall, municipal administration

B - "boletín de enganche"

boletín de enganche: Certificate of correct installation of the electrical equipment.

C - "cancelación" to "cuota"

cancelación: Cancellation notice for encumbrances in the land register
casa: House
ceder: ceded/assigned
cedula de habitabilidad: special certificate of habitability
certificaciones: Certificates, here certificates of the architect on the progress of the construction
certificado bancario de devisas: Bank certificate that the purchase price was paid in foreign currency
certificado de no residente: Certificate of non-resident status
Código Civil: the Spanish Civil Code
Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos: the Chamber of Architects
comunidad de herederos: Community of heirs
comunidad de propietarios: Community of owners of a residential complex
condición resolutoria: resolutory condition, whereby an intended legal consequence does not occur if certain conditions are not met
condición suspensiva: suspensory condition, whereby a legal consequence only occurs if certain conditions are met
consejo de administración: Board of Directors of a private urbanisation, elected by the meeting of the owners
contratista: Construction company
contrato de arrendamiento: Rental agreement
contrato de arrendamiento por temporada: Season rental contract
contrato de opción: Option contract granting the right to purchase a property
contrato privado de compraventa: private purchase contract
copropietarios: Co-owners, when several people own a property together
cuerpo cierto: known thing, a phrase used in sales contracts to make it clear that the buyer knows the characteristics of the property, similar to the phrase "bought as seen"
cuota: the share in a community of co-owners; at the same time a reference point for contributions to the community

D - "declaración de heredero" to "división"

declaración de heredero: Deed of proof of inheritance
declaración de obra nueva: New building declaration, purely declaratory entry of a new building in the land register
delegación de urbanismo: Municipal building authority, which is responsible for issuing building permits and from which information on the buildability of land can be obtained
Demarcación de Costas: Coastal protection authority to ensure compliance with coastal protection legislation in Spain
derecho de retención: Right of retention, the right of a contractual partner to withhold services if the other contractual partner is in default
derecho de retracto: Right of first refusal
derecho de superficie: Surface law, a Spanish law provision comparable to the German heritable building right
deslindes: Administrative procedures for the demarcation of the sea-shore and inland borders
división: Disputes, the right to dissolve a community of co-owners at any time

E - "edificabilidad máxima" to "escritura pública de compraventa"

edificabilidad máxima: maximum buildable area of all floors
elevación a público de documento privado: the need for public authentication of private documents before entry in official registers
embargo: seizure, encumbrance of the property, which in particular also restricts the free sale
escritura pública de compraventa: notarial deed of sale, which certifies the often previously concluded private contract
escritura de manifestación, aceptación y adjudicación de herencia: notarial certificate of acceptance of inheritance

F - "fianza" to "firma"

fianza: Deposit
finca: property, but also synonym for farm, country estate
finca registrada: registered property
firma: Signature

G - "gastos según Ley" to "gestoría"

gastos según Ley: contractual clause that costs will be allocated in accordance with the legally prescribed form; deviations are possible and customary
gestoría: Commercial business agent who, among other things, makes official registrations; sometimes also takes over accounting tasks

H - "Hacienda Pública" to "hipoteca"

Hacienda Pública: the Spanish tax administration
hipoteca: Mortgage

I - "I.B.I., impuesto sobre bienes inmuebles" to "IVA, impuesto sobre el valor añadido"

I.B.I., impuesto sobre bienes inmuebles: the municipal property tax
impuesto de actos jurídicos documentados: Notarisation tax (for purchase contracts 0.5% of the purchase price), often also called stamp duty
impuesto de transmisiones patrimoniales onerosas: Real estate transfer tax from the amount stated in the Escritura
impuesto sobre construcciones, instalaciones y obras: municipal tax on building projects
impuesto sobre patrimonio: Wealth Tax
impuesto sobre la renta de las personas físicas: Income Tax
impuesto sobre sociedades: Corporate income tax
impuesto sobre sucesiones y donaciones: Inheritance and gift tax
impuesto estatales: State taxes
impuestos y tasas municipales: local taxes and duties
información urbanística: Application for building rights, by which information on the building potential of land and individual building rights norms is requested
inscripción mediante instancia privada: private application for correction of the land register due to succession
institución de heredero: the appointment of one or more heirs
IVA, impuesto sobre el valor añadido: VAT, the normal rate is 16%, for new buildings 7%

J - "jardín"

jardín: Garden

L - "legítima" to "licencia de primera ocupación"

legítima: Legal portion
legítimo: legal
ley de la propiedad horizontal: Spanish law on residential property
Ley 8/1989: Law to combat under-securitisation when buying real estate
Ley de arrendamiento urbano, LAU: Spanish rental law
licencia de obras: Building permit, prerequisite for acceptance of the building
licencia de primera ocupación: Certificate of the municipality certifying the habitability of a property

M - "memoria de calidades y mediciones" to "multipropiedad"

memoria de calidades y mediciones: Building certificate
metro: Meters
multipropiedad: Timesharing (several owners) - not recommended!

N - "NIE, número personal de identificación de extranjeros" to "notario"

NIE, número personal de identificación de extranjeros: Foreigner identification number / Foreigner tax number
NIF, número de identificación fiscal: Tax number for residents
no residente: non-resident, not resident in Spain, with the result that the person is subject only to limited Spanish tax liability
nota marginal: Margin note recording the cancellation of registered rights in the land register
nota simple informativa: uncertified extract from the land register in the form of a photocopy
notario: Spanish notary

O - "obligación personal" to "otorgar"

obligación personal: unlimited tax liability for residents
obligación real: limited tax liability (non-residents)
ocupación máxima: maximum permitted covered area
otorgar: Conclusion of contract

P - "parcela" to "plusvalía municipal"

parcela: Plot
partición: Division (here the community of heirs)
partida de defunción: Death certificate
permiso de obra menor: Permission for minor construction work on the property
piso: Flat
plan parcial: Partial development plan of the municipality, urbanisation plan
planta: Floor
plusvalía municipal: municipal increment value tax on land
poder: Power of attorney
poseedor: owner, he/she exercises de facto control over the property - usually on the basis of a legal transaction (e.g. rent)
posesión: possession, the de facto control of movable or immovable property
precio: Purchase price
primera copia de la escritura de compraventa: certified copy of the deed of sale of a property, abbreviated as "escritura"
promotor: Property developer
propiedad: ownership, the legal power of disposal over a movable or immovable object
propiedad horizontal: Condominium ownership
propietario: Owner
protocolización: Confirmation of a foreign document (with apostille and certified translation) by recording it before a Spanish notary or consuldurch Protokollierung vor einem spanischen Notar oder Konsul
proyecto de ejecución de obra: Construction planning, the entirety of all planning documents for obtaining the building permit

R - "recepción definitiva" to "residuos sólidos"

recepción definitiva: final building acceptance, decisive for the start of warranty periods
registro de la propiedad: Land Registry
residuos sólidos: Recycling Fees

S - "S.A., sociedad anónima" to "suelo urbano"

S.A., sociedad anónima: Spanish company form, comparable to a public limited company
S.L., sociedad limitada: Limited liability company
saneamiento: Warranty for defects, claims if the object of sale is afflicted with defects
segregación: Separation of a part of the property
señal: payment of a deposit in such a way that it is lost if the contract is not fulfilled; equivalent to "arras"
separación a linderos: Minimum distance of the building from the neighbouring plot
servidumbre: easement, encumbrance of the property in favour of third parties or other properties, e.g. rights of way, etc.
servidumbre de tránsito: Right of way
solar: Building plot
suelo no urbanizable: Green areas or nature reserves. Building applications have practically no chance here
suelo rústico: utilised agricultural area. Here you can realise at least one small building on a relatively large area
suelo urbanizable: Building land. There is actually nothing that stands in the way of the basic development of the site
suelo urbano: urban area, comparable to interior development under German building regulations

T - "tasa" to "toma de posesión"

tasa: municipal tax for obtaining the building permit
tasa de recogida domiciliaria de basura: the municipal waste tax
toma de posesión: Taking possession of the property, which usually takes place when the keys are handed over

U - "U.T.M" to "usufructo"

U.T.M: the cadastral number, which is the number under which the land is registered at the cadastral office
urbanización privada: private development community, mostly for the construction of villa complexes
uso: Permitted use
uso de oficinas: Use as office space
uso residencial: residential area, also "uso vivienda"
usufructo: Usufruct, the right to use and draw the fruit

V - "valor catastral" to "valor real"

valor catastral: Cadastral value
valor comprobado por la administracion: the value assumed by the tax authorities as the basis for the taxation of wealth
valor real: the actual value

Z - "zona de influencia" to "zona marítimo terrestre"

zona de influencia: more distant coastal zone where building development is restricted
zona de servidumbre de protección: protective strip of 100 to 200 metres adjoining the immediate shore zone and subject to special conditions
zona marítimo terrestre: seashore and immediately adjacent publicly owned area

Lexicon real estate purchase Gran Canaria

Important terms when buying a property in Gran Canaria / in Spain

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