# Spanish — Real Estate Sub-Lexicon

Auto-generated from translation experience. Maps Spanish real estate legal terms to their
correct English equivalents.

## Core Real Estate Terms

| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| contrato de arrendamiento / arrendamiento | lease |
| arrendamiento de local de negocio | commercial lease |
| arrendamiento de vivienda | residential lease |
| enfiteusis / arrendamiento enfitéutico | emphyteutic lease / long lease |
| derecho de superficie | building right / right of superficies |
| arrendador / propietario | landlord / lessor |
| arrendatario / inquilino | tenant / lessee |
| renta / alquiler | rent |
| renta inicial | headline rent / base rent |
| gastos comunes / gastos de comunidad | service charge |
| fianza / depósito | security deposit |
| traspaso | assignment of lease / transfer of business |
| derecho de arrendamiento | leasehold interest |
| prórroga del arrendamiento | lease renewal / lease extension |
| prórroga forzosa | mandatory extension / statutory renewal |
| prórroga tácita | tacit renewal / automatic renewal |
| desahucio | eviction proceedings |
| denegación de la prórroga | refusal to renew |
| resolución del arrendamiento | termination of the lease |
| actualización de la renta / revisión de la renta | rent review / rent adjustment |
| IPC (Índice de Precios al Consumo) | CPI (Consumer Price Index) |

## Property Transfer Terms

| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| escritura de compraventa | deed of sale / transfer deed |
| contrato privado de compraventa | private sale agreement / preliminary contract |
| contrato de arras | deposit agreement / preliminary agreement |
| opción de compra | option to purchase / option agreement |
| derecho de tanteo / derecho de adquisición preferente | pre-emption right / right of first refusal |
| precio de venta / precio de compra | sale price / purchase price |
| gastos de notaría | notarial fees |
| gastos de registro | registration fees |
| impuesto sobre transmisiones patrimoniales (ITP) | transfer tax |
| impuesto sobre el valor añadido (IVA) | value added tax (VAT) |
| plusvalía municipal | municipal capital gains tax |
| catastro | cadaster / land registry |
| referencia catastral | cadastral reference |
| Registro de la Propiedad | Land Registry |
| inscripción registral | land registration / registration of title |
| nota simple (informativa) | land registry extract / title search |
| certificación registral | official land registry certificate |
| título de propiedad | title deed |
| licencia urbanística / licencia de obras | planning permission / building permit |
| declaración de obra nueva | declaration of new construction |
| certificado de eficiencia energética | energy performance certificate |
| cédula de habitabilidad / licencia de primera ocupación | occupancy permit / habitation certificate |

## Property Rights and Encumbrances

| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| pleno dominio | freehold / full ownership |
| nuda propiedad | bare ownership / reversionary interest (avoid calque "naked ownership") |
| usufructo | usufruct |
| servidumbre | easement / servitude |
| servidumbre de paso | right of way |
| servidumbre de luces y vistas | right of light / easement of prospect |
| hipoteca | mortgage |
| hipoteca convencional | contractual mortgage |
| hipoteca legal | statutory mortgage / legal charge |
| condición resolutoria | resolutory condition / vendor's charge |
| propiedad horizontal | co-ownership / condominium |
| estatutos de la comunidad de propietarios | co-ownership bylaws / community regulations |
| administrador de fincas | property manager / managing agent |
| cuotas de comunidad | co-ownership charges / service charges |
| elemento privativo | private unit |
| elemento común | common area / common part |
| coeficiente de participación | co-ownership share / participation quota |
| junta de propietarios | general meeting of co-owners |
| afección real | real burden / charge on the property |
| anotación preventiva | provisional entry / caution (on land register) |

## Section Headings

| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| DESCRIPCIÓN DEL INMUEBLE | DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPERTY |
| TÍTULO / ORIGEN DE LA PROPIEDAD | TITLE HISTORY |
| SITUACIÓN REGISTRAL / CARGAS | ENCUMBRANCE STATUS |
| CONDICIONES GENERALES | GENERAL CONDITIONS |
| CONDICIONES PARTICULARES | PARTICULAR CONDITIONS |
| PRECIO Y FORMA DE PAGO | PRICE AND PAYMENT |
| CARGAS Y CONDICIONES | COVENANTS AND CONDITIONS |
| SERVIDUMBRES | EASEMENTS |
| URBANISMO | PLANNING |
| ESTADO DEL INMUEBLE | CONDITION OF THE PROPERTY |

## Notes

- **"Arrendamiento de local de negocio"**: Spanish commercial leases are governed by the
  Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos (LAU). The tenant has fewer statutory protections than
  under French commercial lease law.
- **"Contrato de arras"**: A preliminary agreement with a deposit. "Arras confirmatorias"
  confirm the contract; "arras penitenciales" allow withdrawal; "arras penales" serve as
  penalty clause. Translate based on the type.
- **"Condición resolutoria"**: A security mechanism in Spanish property sales where the
  vendor retains a right to rescind the sale if the buyer defaults on payment. Registered
  at the Land Registry. Translate as "resolutory condition" or "vendor's charge" with note.
- **"Propiedad horizontal"**: The Spanish co-ownership regime for apartments/buildings
  (Ley de Propiedad Horizontal). Translate as "co-ownership" or "condominium".
- **"Nota simple"**: A quick extract from the Land Registry showing ownership and
  encumbrances. Translate as "land registry extract" or "title search".

## Additional Lawlinguists-validated Spanish Real-Estate Mappings

| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos (LAU — Ley 29/1994) | Urban Leases Act |
| Ley de Arrendamientos Rústicos (LAR) | Rural Leases Act |
| Ley de Propiedad Horizontal | Horizontal Property Act (condominium regime) |
| Ley Hipotecaria | Mortgage Act |
| vivienda habitual | primary residence / main dwelling |
| vivienda de uso turístico | tourist-use dwelling / short-term rental |
| contrato de arras confirmatorias | confirmatory deposit agreement (Art. 1454 CC — confirms the contract; losing party pays damages) |
| contrato de arras penitenciales | withdrawal-deposit agreement (Art. 1454 CC — allows withdrawal; buyer loses deposit or seller repays double) |
| contrato de arras penales | penalty-deposit agreement (doubles as penalty clause) |
| escritura pública notarial | notarial public deed |
| nota simple informativa | basic land-registry extract (informative — not certifying) |
| asiento de presentación | registry filing entry (gives priority) |
| inscripción | registration (entry in the Land Registry) |
| principio de prioridad registral | priority principle (first to register prevails) |
| principio de legalidad | legality principle (registrar's control over instruments) |
| fe pública registral | public faith / indefeasibility of registered title (Art. 34 LH — protects bona fide third-party purchasers for value) |
| finca registral | registered property unit |
| Actos Jurídicos Documentados (AJD) | Stamp Duty on Legal Documents |
| plusvalía municipal (IIVTNU) | municipal capital gains tax |
| condición resolutoria explícita | explicit resolutory condition (vendor's security right; effectively a seller's lien registered at the Land Registry) |
| garantía hipotecaria | mortgage security |
| cancelación de hipoteca | mortgage release / discharge |
| subrogación hipotecaria | mortgage subrogation (Ley 2/1994) |
| dación en pago | dation in payment (transfer of property to creditor in satisfaction of debt) |
| derecho de tanteo | right of first refusal / pre-emption right |
| derecho de retracto | right of redemption / buy-back (statutory entitlement to acquire at the same price as third-party purchaser) |
| comunidad de propietarios | community of owners (condominium) |
| presidente de la comunidad | community chairman |
| cédula de habitabilidad | habitability certificate |
| licencia de primera ocupación | first-occupancy licence |
| certificado de eficiencia energética (CEE) | energy performance certificate (EPC) |
