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Glossary

Renting in Spain, term by term

Every word here appears in a real Barcelona lease, deposit form or handover report — and every one of them has cost someone money because it wasn't clear. One term per page: what it means, why it matters, and what to do about it.

Fianza

rental deposit

The fianza is the security deposit Spanish law requires at the start of a tenancy: one month's rent for a residential lease, two months for any other use. It is not a payment to the landlord — it is money held against unpaid rent or damage, and it comes back to you when the tenancy ends.

INCASÒL

Institut Català del Sòl — where Catalan deposits are registered

INCASÒL, the Institut Català del Sòl, is the public body that holds rental deposits in Catalonia. The landlord — not the tenant — must lodge the fianza there within two months of the contract being signed, and reclaims it from INCASÒL when the tenancy ends.

LAU

Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos — Spain's Urban Leases Act

The LAU — Ley 29/1994 de Arrendamientos Urbanos — is the national law governing residential and commercial leases in Spain. It sets the framework your contract sits inside: deposit, duration and renewal, repair obligations, notice, and how a tenancy ends.

Inventario / acta de entrega

check-in inventory and handover report

The inventario is the record of what was in the flat and what condition it was in on the day you moved in. The acta de entrega is the equivalent for the day you hand back the keys — signed by both sides, ideally with photos and meter readings.

Desgaste por uso ordinario

fair wear and tear

Desgaste por uso ordinario is the deterioration that comes from living in a flat normally — faded paint, worn floor finish, tired seals. The LAU makes the landlord responsible for keeping the home habitable, while small repairs arising from ordinary use fall to the tenant.

Desistimiento

ending the lease early

Desistimiento is the tenant's right to walk away from a residential lease before its term is up. Under the LAU you may do this once at least six months have passed, giving the landlord at least 30 days' written notice.

Empadronamiento

registering on the padrón municipal

Empadronamiento is registration on the padrón municipal, your town hall's record of who lives at an address. It is the administrative proof that you live where you say you live.

Suministros

utilities: alta, baja and cambio de titular

Suministros are the utility supplies to a flat — electricity, water, gas, internet. Three words govern what happens to them: alta (starting a supply), baja (cancelling it) and cambio de titular (transferring the contract to someone else's name).