Renovation glossary: Spanish and Valencian terms
Renovating in València means meeting words in two official languages, Spanish and Valencian, sometimes in the same document. Each term below is given in the form you are most likely to see, with the other language’s form where it differs, a short English equivalent and what it means in practice.
- ActaMinutes
- The written record of a community meeting and the decisions taken at it. Keep a copy of any acta that approves your works. More
- Administrador de fincas(Administrador de finques)Property administrator
- The person who runs a community of owners’ day-to-day affairs: accounts, meetings and notices. Notices to the community, such as the one required before you alter your flat, usually go through the administrator. More
- Ajuntament(Ayuntamiento)City council
- València’s city council. It receives declaraciones responsables, grants licences and sets local charges such as ICIO and the tasa urbanística.
- Arquitecto técnico(Arquitecte tècnic)Technical architect
- A qualified building professional, also called an aparejador, who prepares technical documents and directs material execution within their legal competence and appointment.
- AVA(Àrea de Vigilància Arqueològica)Archaeological watch area
- Área de Vigilancia Arqueológica: an area with archaeological protection requirements. Check the proposed intervention and whether archaeological authorisation is required before filing or disturbing the ground. More
- Bajo(Baix)Ground-floor premises
- A ground-floor unit, which may be a shop, a garage, other premises or a flat.
- Barrio(Barri)Neighbourhood
- The city's neighbourhood division. València has 87 barrios, grouped into 19 districts. The municipal map has two polygons for Mauella, which must not be counted as two different barrios. More
- BIC(Bé d’Interés Cultural)Asset of cultural interest
- Bien de Interés Cultural: a protected heritage designation. Ciutat Vella forms part of the Conjunto Histórico of València, declared a BIC by Decreto 57/1993. Check the applicable boundary and the individual property. More
- BOEState Official Gazette
- The Boletín Oficial del Estado, where national laws such as the Ley de Propiedad Horizontal are published.
- Boletín eléctrico(Butlletí elèctric)Electrical installation certificate
- The everyday name for an electrical installation certificate issued by the authorised installation business where certification is required for the work.
- BOP(Butlletí Oficial de la Província)Provincial Official Gazette
- The Boletín Oficial de la Provincia, where the Ajuntament publishes its ordinances and plans. The 2026 licensing ordinance appeared there on 27 January 2026.
- BRL(Bé de Rellevància Local)Asset of local relevance
- Bien de Relevancia Local: a Valencian heritage category for buildings and sites of local importance.
- Catálogo(Catàleg)Heritage catalogue
- The register of protected buildings and elements associated with a plan. Check the individual entry and proposed works; procedures specifically for non-catalogued buildings cannot simply be assumed to apply. More
- Catastro(Cadastre)Property cadastre
- The national property database, which records each property’s location, size, use and year of construction.
- Cerramiento de terraza(Tancament de terrassa)Terrace enclosure
- Glazing in or otherwise closing a terrace. LPH article 17.4 includes a three-fifths vote of all owners and participation quotas for this type of alteration, with affected owners’ consent where applicable. Check compulsory works and other specific statutory routes separately. More
- Colegio profesional(Col·legi professional)Professional college
- The official body of a regulated profession, such as architects or engineers. Its certificate, like an ECUV’s, can keep some works on the declaración responsable route.
- Comisión Municipal de Patrimonio(Comissió Municipal de Patrimoni)City heritage committee
- The municipal heritage committee. For the ECUV-certified heritage intervention licence route, ordinance article 99 requires its favourable opinion in the municipal heritage annex before filing. More
- Comunidad de propietarios(Comunitat de propietaris)Community of owners
- All the owners in a building, acting together for the parts they share. It decides by the majorities set in the Ley de Propiedad Horizontal. More
- Conjunto Histórico(Conjunt Històric)Historic ensemble
- A historic area protected as an ensemble. Ciutat Vella forms part of the Conjunto Histórico of València, declared a BIC by Decreto 57/1993. More
- ConsellRegional cabinet
- The executive of the Generalitat Valenciana. It issued Decreto-ley 9/2024 on tourist dwellings.
- ConselleriaRegional ministry
- A department of the Generalitat Valenciana. Prior heritage or archaeological authorisation may be required depending on the property’s protection, surroundings and proposed intervention; check the applicable regime.
- Consulta de viabilidad patrimonial(Consulta de viabilitat patrimonial)Heritage feasibility query
- A formal municipal consultation on a proposal affecting heritage. Article 13 sets a three-month response period; this is a statutory period, not a promised project date. More
- Consulta de viabilidad urbanística(Consulta de viabilitat urbanística)Planning feasibility query
- A formal municipal consultation on the planning feasibility of proposed works or use. Article 13 sets a three-month response period; this is a statutory period, not a promised project date. More
- Cuota de participación(Quota de participació)Ownership share
- Each flat’s percentage share of the whole building, set in the deeds. Some community majorities count both owners and their shares.
- Declaración responsable(Declaració responsable)Statement of compliance
- A signed declaration to the Ajuntament that the proposed work meets the requirements. The complete filing, required documents and any prior authorisations must be in place before starting through this route. More
- DerramaSpecial levy
- A one-off payment a community of owners asks for, on top of the usual fees, to pay for particular works.
- Districte(Distrito)District
- One of València’s 19 administrative districts, each made up of barrios. More
- DOGVRegional Official Journal
- The Diari Oficial de la Generalitat Valenciana, where regional laws and decrees are published. Decreto-ley 9/2024 appeared there on 7 August 2024.
- ECUVPlanning verification body
- A private entity authorised to check planning documents and certify works. With an ECUV or college certificate, some works can go through a declaración responsable instead of a licence. More
- Elementos comunes(Elements comuns)Common elements
- The parts of a building that belong to all the owners, such as the structure, façade, roof, stairs and lift. More
- Entorno(Entorn)Protected setting
- The protected surroundings of a heritage asset. Check the defined boundary and the proposed work to establish the applicable heritage authorisations. More
- Escritura(Escriptura)Title deed
- The deed signed before a notary when a property is bought, or when a building is divided into flats.
- Fachada(Façana)Façade
- The exterior face of a building, usually a common element in a community of owners. Procedure UR.LC.135 covers specified façade, roof and party-wall works in non-catalogued buildings; its scope and documentation must be checked.
- FincaProperty; building
- A property. In the city it usually means a whole building, as in administrador de fincas.
- Generalitat ValencianaRegional government
- The government of the Comunitat Valenciana, the region València is part of. Its departments are the consellerias.
- ICIO(Impost sobre Construccions, Instal·lacions i Obres)Construction tax
- Impuesto sobre Construcciones, Instalaciones y Obras: the municipal tax on building works, calculated on the execution material cost. More
- IEEV.CVBuilding evaluation report
- The Informe de Evaluación del Edificio de Viviendas, covering conservation, accessibility and energy efficiency in residential buildings. Decreto 53/2018 regulates the report and regional registration; TRLOTUP article 189 also sets the inspection duty. More
- Informe urbanístico(Informe urbanístic)Planning report
- A municipal report on planning rules for a property. Article 13 sets a one-month response period; this is a statutory period, not a promised project date. More
- IVA(Impost sobre el Valor Afegit)VAT
- Impuesto sobre el Valor Añadido, Spain’s VAT. On renovation works it is 10% or 21%, depending on the home, how it is used and how the price is made up. More
- Junta de propietarios(Junta de propietaris)Owners’ meeting
- The meeting of a community of owners where decisions are voted on, such as works on the structure or closing a terrace. More
- Ley de Propiedad Horizontal(Llei de Propietat Horitzontal)Horizontal Property Act
- Ley 49/1960, the national law for buildings divided into separately owned flats. It sets what an owner may do alone and the majorities the community needs. More
- Licencia urbanística(Llicència urbanística)Planning licence
- Permission the Ajuntament grants after reviewing a project. It is needed for the works listed in TRLOTUP art. 232, and for art. 233.2 works without a certificate. More
- Normas urbanísticas(Normes urbanístiques)Planning rules
- The written rules of a plan such as the PGOU. An amendment to the PGOU’s normas urbanísticas set the city’s tourist-use rules in 2026. More
- Nota simpleLand Registry extract
- A short extract from the Land Registry showing who owns a property and any charges registered on it.
- Obra mayor(Obra major)Major works (old term)
- The 2009 and 2012 ordinances’ label for larger works. It is not one of the routes in the 2026 ordinance, which are no permit, declaración responsable or licence. More
- Obra menorMinor works (old term)
- The 2009 and 2012 ordinances’ label for smaller works. Like obra mayor, it no longer names a permit route. More
- Ordenanza(Ordenança)Ordinance (local by-law)
- A local by-law approved by the Ajuntament. The licensing ordinance in force since 28 January 2026 sets which works need no permit, a declaración responsable or a licence. More
- Padrón(Padró)Residents’ register
- The Ajuntament’s register of the people who live in the city. Official district population figures come from it.
- PEC(Pla Especial del Cabanyal-Canyamelar)Cabanyal special plan
- The Plan Especial del Cabanyal-Canyamelar, the special plan for that part of Poblats Marítims. It was approved on 24 May 2023 and published on 19 June 2023. More
- PEP(Pla Especial de Protecció)Special protection plan
- Plan Especial de Protección: a heritage plan with its own catalogue. Ciutat Vella’s PEP and catalogue were approved in February 2020. The current plan, subsequent amendments and individual catalogue entry must be checked. More
- PGOU(Pla General d’Ordenació Urbana)General urban plan
- The Plan General de Ordenación Urbana, the city’s main planning document. It sets what can be built and which uses are allowed where. More
- Piso(Pis)Flat; floor
- A flat in a block. It can also mean a floor of a building: primer piso is the first floor.
- Planta baja(Planta baixa)Ground floor
- The ground floor of a building. València’s 2026 tourist-use regime limits eligible accommodation in mixed residential buildings to specified floors and other conditions within its scope; special plans, including the PEP Ciutat Vella, require a separate check. More
- Pleno(Ple)Full council
- The full meeting of the city council, which approves ordinances. It approved the current licensing ordinance on 22 December 2025.
- Presidente de la comunidad(President de la comunitat)Community president
- The owner chosen to represent a community of owners.
- Presupuesto de ejecución material(Pressupost d’execució material)Execution material cost
- The budget for physically executing the works. The taxable base for ICIO and the planning fee uses this concept, with the applicable exclusions and treatment checked for the particular works. More
- Proyecto técnico(Projecte tècnic)Technical project
- Design documents prepared by the appropriately qualified professional for the agreed intervention. LOE article 2.2 requires a project for specified existing-building works affecting architectural configuration, characteristic use or protected elements; not every interior refit meets these tests. More
- Reforma integralFull renovation
- A coordinated renovation of a whole home. The agreed scope may cover layout, installations, kitchen, bathrooms and finishes while retaining sound elements. More
- Registro Único de ArrendamientosSingle rental register
- The national registry for short-term rentals created by RD 1312/2024. More
- Sede electrónica(Seu electrònica)Online office
- The Ajuntament’s official online office, where procedures such as UR.LC.140 and UR.LC.135 are filed.
- Tasa urbanística(Taxa urbanística)Planning fee
- The Ajuntament’s fee for planning procedures, on a sliding scale that uses the same base as ICIO. More
- TRLOTUPValencian planning act
- The Comunitat Valenciana’s consolidated planning law (Decreto Legislativo 1/2021). Its arts. 232 and 233 list which works need a licence and which a declaración responsable.
- UR.LC.135Façade procedure
- The municipal procedure for specified reform or rehabilitation of façades, roofs and party walls in non-catalogued buildings. Public-space occupation requires its own applicable authorisation.
- UR.LC.140Flat and common-element procedure
- The municipal procedure for specified maintenance or reform of dwellings and common elements in non-catalogued buildings. Documentation depends on the scope, including whether structural elements are affected. More
- Vivienda(Habitatge)Dwelling
- A home. The ordinary renovation-and-repair route to 10% IVA requires qualifying private use and its other conditions; construction, fiscal rehabilitation and qualifying communities of owners need their own assessment. More
- Vivienda de uso turístico(Habitatge d’ús turístic)Tourist dwelling
- A home let to tourists. In the Comunitat Valenciana tourist dwellings are regulated by Decreto-ley 9/2024, and València’s planning rules add their own limits. More