Glossary

Seguem-se alguns termos comuns no ramo imobiliário:

Acabamentos - Finishings
Set of works (paintings, coverings, door furniture, etc) that corresponds to the final phase of construction, in total.

Adiantamento  -  Advance
A sum delivered as down payment on a property prior to the date where the payment must be made in total.

Adjuicação - Adjudication
The activity of implementing contract obligations on public works, where the decision is made on behalf of the owner to accept the workmanship and proposals of a preferred supplier.

Agregado Familiar - Family unit
A set of people constituted by couples, their direct ascendants and descendants, including in-laws and adopted children, that live together in the same household. Also applies to the family unit considered as a set of people consisting of a single person, widower, divorcee or person separated by law, including their direct ascendants and descendants, in-laws and adopted children that live collectively in the same household.

Alpendre – Roof covering building entrance
A prominent roof structure that covers the entrance of a building. The construction is to the front of the façade or around door openings, and has little depth and is normally supported by columns. It may also have lateral walls.

Alvará – Building licence
A title that is given to buildings that are legally complying to a licence for construction.

Amortização de empréstimo - Amortization of loan
Liquidation, gradual and successive or once only, determined by the capital amount in debt.

Apólice de seguro - Insurance policy
A document that forms a contract between the insurance company and the insured person and where there are respective general and particular conditions agreed.

Aquisição de terreno para construção - Acquisition of land for construction
The acquisition of land where the owner becomes responsible for the project approved for construction and which must then be executed within 2 years from the date of the deeds confirming the acquisition of the land.

Área Bruta (Ab.) - Total built area
Total surface of the construction area, measured from the exterior perimeter of the exterior walls and axles of the walls splitting the construction, including private terraces, storage buildings and the quota-part that corresponds to it in the common areas of the building.

Área Privativa (Ap.) – Private built area (AP.)
Total surface of the construction area, measured from the exterior perimeter of the exterior walls and axles of the walls splitting the construction, including private terraces.

Área útil - Useable area
The addition of the areas of all the habitation compartments, including dressing rooms, sanitary installations, wardrobes, corridors, other compartments of similar function and cupboards fixed to walls, and measured from the interior perimeter of the walls that limit the construction, deducting variances of up to 30 cm, interior walls, dividing walls and service shafts.

Arrendamento - Lease
A contract between the proprietor or the person with official responsibility for the property, that, for the purpose of the lease, becomes the ‘landlord’, and who is then obliged to provide to the ‘lodger’ the use of a property, in return for regular payments (normally monthly) called ‘rent’.

Arrendatário - Leaseholder
The person or entity who purchases a lease which may include a one off payment (ingoing) and regular monthly payment (rent). In the scope of the lease the leaseholder has the right to use a property owned by the third party during a determined period of time. In consideration for this use the leaseholder has the duty to pay to the landlord a monthly rent with the value according to the respective lease contract.

Assoalhada – Room divisions
The number of divisions of a habitation corresponding to the number of living room and the bedrooms. The bathroom, the wardrobes, the annexes and the kitchen are not considered as valid room divisions.

Avaliação – Mortgage evaluation
Process in accordance with which an expert determines the value of the property that is put up against a mortgage.

Avalistas - Guarantors
Person or people who give personal guarantees to the payment of the debt of a third party, in the form of an endorsement . It is the guarantor who is liable to pay the debt if the rentor cannot pay the rent.

Bonificação - Bonification
Benefit granted by the State with the objective to support the acquisition of habitation. This support expresses a co-participation in the interest to be paid on a loan for habitation, where the beneficiary proves annually its inclusion in the rules governing the granting money.

Caderneta Predial - Land passbook
Legal document of identification of the property (localization, areas, proprietor and taxable base). It proves registration with the local and national councils, and must be presented whenever it is necessary to effect a register of change of ownership or other changes in the Land Register.

Capitalização de Juros - Capitalizaton of Interests
Process where the interests due and not amortized are converted to capital and accumulated with the initial capital.

Caução – Pledge/Caution (in the Commercial lease)
Amount paid by the leaseholder (lodger) to the landlord at the moment the lease is made and which functions as an extraordinary guarantee. The value of the caution/pledge is in accordance with each loparty (landlord/lodger) of the contract. In the case where the property is be returned at the end of the contract in perfect condition, the leaseholder has the right to recover the amount delivered as caution/ pledge. In the case where the property is not returned in perfect condition (as it had been delivered by the landlord to the leaseholder at the start of the contract) then the caution/pledge can be used to cover the costs of works and repairs, and only receive the balance remaining.

Caução – Pledge/Caution (private lease)
The amount paid by the leaseholder (lodger) to the landlord a the moment the lease is made and which functions as an extraordinary guarantee. The value of the caution/pledge is in accordance with each party (landlord/lodger) of the contract. The caution can be set a precise value, paid by the lodger to the landlord, but this is on the discretion of landlord.