Questions about the owners’ association

How a comunidad works in Catalonia

A comunidad de propietarios (owners' association) brings together the owners of a building: your flat belongs to you, and the common parts (facade, roof, stairs, lift) belong to everyone. In Catalonia its rules come from Book Five of the Civil Code of Catalonia (Ley 5/2006), not from the Spain-wide Ley de Propiedad Horizontal. Costs are shared according to the cuota de participación (the flat's share of the building), unless the statutes or a decision of the junta de propietarios (owners' meeting) say otherwise (article 553-45).

Which documents to request

• Secretary's debt certificate. The seller must state that there are no debts or list them, and hand over a certificate showing debts and approved payments not yet due. Without it the escritura (notarial deed of sale) is not signed unless the parties expressly waive it (article 553-5).
• Statutes (estatutos). They can set special cost shares for stairs, pools and gardens and restrict the activities allowed in the units (article 553-11).
• Latest budget. The law sets no monthly amount: it depends on the building's budget, the flat's share and the services provided.
• Minutes of the junta. Minutes must be drawn up at least in Catalan (article 553-27), so allow time for a translation.
• Information on works. The Agència Catalana del Consum advises asking about maintenance costs, planned renovation works and limits on the use of common areas.

How to read the minutes and the budget

Split everything you learn into three groups. Known costs: the approved budget and any derramas with a junta decision behind them. Proposed works: matters discussed but not approved. Unconfirmed: what the seller or agent says without a document. In your purchase budget the first group is a fact, the second a risk and the third a question.

In the minutes look for decisions on repairs, disputes and debts: the list of owners in arrears is included in the agenda of the ordinary meeting (article 553-21). The fondo de reserva belongs to all owners and is held in a separate account; the seller does not take a share of it on selling.

Which debts stay with the flat

The flat secures the association's claims for the current year and the four previous ones, including debts of former owners (article 553-5). Verbal assurances are therefore not enough; you need the secretary's certificate. Before signing, the notary checks whether association fees and derramas approved for the future have been paid.

Association debts do not appear in the nota simple, the land registry extract. This is a separate check, and its result is worth having before the deposit.

Who to pass the questions to

The debt certificate and the statutes are read by a lawyer. The condition of the building and common parts mentioned in the minutes is assessed by a technical specialist. Amounts from the budget and approved derramas go into your purchase budget. ReloVictory collects the documents and sorts the information into the three groups, but gives no legal or technical opinion.

More on how associations work: comunidad de propietarios; on the notary's checks: the escritura and the notary.

Guide updated on 26.10.2026.