Condominium administrator: how much it costs, how long the appointment lasts, who pays
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How much does a condominium administrator cost per year?How much does an administrator earn per month?Who pays the administrator's fee?How long does the appointment last?When is an administrator mandatory?How is an administrator replaced?When does the administrator fail to do their duty?When can the administrator decide alone?When is the administrator personally liable?In practiceFrequently asked questionsSourcesThe administrator's fee is decided by the condominium assembly and paid by the condominium: each owner pays their share according to their millesimi (millesimi), that is, the figure that shows the weight of your unit in the condominium. There is no fixed amount set by law, so to find out how much your condominium costs, read the appointment minutes and the contract.
How much does a condominium administrator cost per year?
The cost is an annual sum decided by the assembly and written into the contract. The contract also states what is included: usually ordinary management. Extra activities, such as particular procedures or additional meetings, may carry a separate fee, if the contract provides for it.
Let's take an invented example. The annual fee is €2,000, and you have 50 millesimi out of 1,000.
- Calculate the share: 50 ÷ 1,000 = 5%.
- Calculate your part: €2,000 × 5% = €100 a year.
You will find the actual figure in the approved statement of accounts, not in estimates. If the fee changes from one year to the next, a resolution approving it is required.
How much does an administrator earn per month?
If the fee is annual and the contract provides for monthly instalments, the monthly amount is obtained by dividing the total by twelve. There is no standard amount: it depends on the number of condominium owners, the complexity of the building and how much work is included in the contract. For this reason I do not give you figures: the correct number is the one written in your condominium's contract.
Who pays the administrator's fee?
The fee is a common expense, so the condominium pays it. Each condominium owner pays their share according to the millesimi, as for other common expenses. If you want to understand how your share is calculated, you can read how condominium millesimi are calculated.
The expense goes through the budget estimate and the annual statement of accounts. The administrator must report to the assembly, and there you will find the fee item. If you cannot find it or it does not match the contract, ask for an explanation in writing.
When a home changes owner, the new owner may be asked to pay the expenses for the current year and the previous one (art. 63 of the implementing provisions of the Civil Code). Anyone who pays their share late risks becoming a defaulter. The condominium has tools to recover the sums, and you will find them in what the condominium can do about a defaulting owner.
How long does the appointment last?
The duration and renewal are written in the appointment minutes and in the contract. Check three things: the start date, the expiry date and whether the appointment renews automatically or a new resolution is required.
If the minutes say nothing on these points, ask the administrator in writing to clarify them before the next assembly. A written answer saves you arguments later.
When is an administrator mandatory?
The law makes an administrator mandatory when there are more than eight condominium owners (art. 1129 of the Civil Code). With eight owners or fewer, the condominium can do without one: decisions are taken among the owners and expenses are still divided by millesimi.
If the condominium has an administrator, even a small one, the same rules apply: contract, approved fee, annual statement of accounts.
How is an administrator replaced?
The assembly can revoke the administrator and appoint another by resolution. To understand how decisions are voted, read how the condominium assembly works.
Before changing, check the contract: it may provide for a notice period, financial conditions for termination or a specific date from which the revocation takes effect. Then ask the outgoing administrator for the statement of accounts, the books and all the condominium documents, and have the handover recorded in the minutes. Without documents, the new administrator cannot work properly.
When does the administrator fail to do their duty?
The most common warning signs are these:
- not presenting the annual statement of accounts to the assembly;
- not calling the assembly within the required time;
- not replying to written requests from owners;
- not issuing the certificate of payments, which buyers need to know whether there are arrears.
What to do: ask in writing, by certified email (PEC) or registered letter, giving a reasonable deadline to reply. If nothing happens, raise the matter at the assembly and have the request recorded in the minutes. To understand what the administrator is required to do, read what a condominium administrator must do.
When can the administrator decide alone?
For ordinary management, they can act without a specific resolution: paying the condominium's bills, arranging cleaning of the stairs, calling a technician for a small repair already planned in the budget.
For extraordinary expenses, such as redoing a façade, the assembly is usually needed. Urgency is an exception: if there is a concrete danger, the administrator can intervene immediately to prevent damage, but must then report it to the assembly. If you are not sure whether an expense is ordinary or extraordinary, ask for an opinion at the assembly before approving the work.
When is the administrator personally liable?
The administrator is liable for damage they cause to the condominium or to owners through improper or negligent conduct. I do not give you specific cases, because they depend on the facts and the documents. If you think something of this kind has happened, gather everything in writing: contract, resolutions, statements of accounts, letters and receipts.
Before taking action, get help from a professional, who will assess your case with the documents in hand.
In practice
- Check the fee, the duration and the renewal in the appointment minutes and the contract.
- Calculate your share: annual fee × your millesimi ÷ 1,000.
- Ask for the statement of accounts every year and check that the fee item matches the contract.
- If something does not add up, write to the administrator and raise the issue at the assembly, having it recorded in the minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I refuse to pay my share of the fee?
You cannot decide on your own not to pay your share of an approved expense. If you consider the expense unlawful, you can challenge it at the assembly or before a judge. Usually, however, your share remains due while the matter is open, so ask for an opinion before you stop paying.
Who checks the administrator's accounts?
Each owner can ask to see the statement of accounts and the condominium documents. The accounts are approved by the assembly, which is where it is decided whether to accept them or ask for clarification.
Must a condominium with eight owners have an administrator?
No, with eight owners or fewer an administrator is not mandatory. If the condominium chooses one anyway, the rules of the contract and the statement of accounts apply.
Sources
In the same chapter
General information, not legal or tax advice: the law and the notice of sale prevail.
