Appointing condominium management: tasks, decisions and fees
A condominium manager deals with a property’s shared affairs. They may prepare meetings, keep the accounts and coordinate agreed maintenance. A suitable appointment defines responsibilities between the owners’ community, manager and contractors. Managing an individual apartment that is let to a tenant is a separate assignment.
Define the community’s appointment
Explain whether you need a new ongoing manager, a change of manager or selected administrative support. For initial advice, describe the organisation you want to clarify. Requesting a quote is not yet commissioning a supplier on behalf of every owner.
Identify homes, commercial units, buildings and important shared installations. Parking, special use arrangements and separate accounts can affect the work. The number of units differs from the number of owners or floors.
Describe the services clearly
The appointment should show which routine tasks are included. Ask about absence cover, contact channels and handling urgent reports too. A defined organisation is easier to assess than a general promise of a community without disagreements.
| Task area | Agree the outcome and limits |
|---|---|
| Meetings | Preparation, chairing, minutes and follow-up of decisions. |
| Finances | Budget, annual accounts, contributions, payments and reserve overview. |
| Maintenance | Reports, quote comparison and coordination of appointed firms. |
| Records | Rules, decisions, contracts and organised property files. |
| Special projects | Clarify additional meetings, renovation support or specialist advice separately. |
Prepare decisions and define authority
The manager may gather decision papers, explain alternatives and follow up approved work. Define who prepares proposals, works with a committee and informs owners. Technically or legally complex issues may require an additional specialist.
Orders and invoice approvals need clearly defined powers. The applicable decision rules depend on the current governing framework and the particular issue; one majority rule does not cover every project. Where uncertain, ask for a professional assessment rather than a blanket assurance that a decision is valid.
Keep accounts and renewal planning understandable
Annual accounts and budgets should distinguish routine operating costs, maintenance and planned renewals. Agree how contributions are invoiced, unpaid sums followed up and statements and records made available. Cost allocation should be checked against the applicable rules and each item; not every invoice automatically uses the same allocation basis.
An existing renewal reserve should show its balance, planned contributions and proposed spending. Planning should consider condition, expected work and available funds together. A fixed percentage or high balance alone does not establish adequate funding; additional contributions may still be needed.
Separate maintenance coordination from specialist work
The manager may receive reports, obtain quotes, coordinate dates and follow up completion of approved work. Execution, technical inspections and expert assessments need separate clarification. A manager’s site visit is not a comprehensive technical condition or safety survey.
For major renewals, allocate design, construction supervision, financing and communication with occupants explicitly. Caretaking, garden maintenance and equipment servicing also have their own specifications. Appointing a manager does not automatically include those jobs or their costs.
Organise a change and hand over outstanding matters
Check existing appointment terms and the community’s necessary decisions before commissioning a change. Quotes can provide information for that decision. A general termination date or simple voting formula does not replace assessment of the specific case.
The takeover includes governing rules, property division records, minutes and decisions, accounts and reserve balances, unpaid contributions, invoices, maintenance and insurance contracts, and ongoing projects. Agree a cut-off date and who closes the previous annual accounts. Missing records and unresolved debts should remain documented.
Owner lists, consumption figures and payment status contain personal information. Agree necessary access and secure transfer. An owner portal can help, but does not automatically entitle everyone to see every record.
Compare fees for the same scope
The fee may be an annual fixed amount, a basic fee with extras or charges for work undertaken. Unit numbers and types, shared installations, available records and required support influence the scope. A price per home without these details tells you little about the whole assignment.
Check which meetings, visits, accounting tasks and reports are included. Extraordinary meetings, data preparation, disputed matters and renovation projects may be charged differently. External contractors and meter-reading services should also be distinguished from the management fee.
Clarify VAT, expenses, minimum fees and fee changes. Additional work and its costs should be explained and approved before commissioning. Different communities and service packages cannot usefully be combined into a general market average.
| Fee item | Clarify for comparison |
|---|---|
| Basic appointment | Included administration, accounts, budget and reports. |
| Meetings / visits | Number, preparation, minutes and additional appointments. |
| Takeover | File preparation, data and closure of outstanding accounts. |
| Special assignments | Project support, dispute handling and external expertise. |
| Overall costs | Third-party costs, taxes, expenses and changes. |
Useful information for a management enquiry
Describe the known property holding and main tasks. Technical or administrative records that are missing can initially be identified as outstanding.
- Community. Identify uses, units, buildings, ancillary spaces and shared installations.
- Appointment. Distinguish a new manager, change, selected tasks or advice.
- Records. Mention available rules, accounts, minutes and known gaps.
- Open issues. Describe planned work, ongoing projects and communication needs.
- Organisation. Discuss the contact person, location, preferred start and possible visit.
From the first comparison to ongoing collaboration
An orderly process separates preparation of a quote from the community’s actual appointment.
- Gather requirements. Describe the community and required support.
- Compare quotes. Discuss services, contacts, authority and fees.
- Prepare the decision. Clarify necessary decisions and appointment terms professionally.
- Agree the takeover. Allocate the date, records, accounts and outstanding matters.
- Follow up tasks. Review reports, decisions and agreed communications regularly.
Frequently asked questions
Is managing our community the same as managing my rented apartment?
No. This appointment concerns shared affairs, decisions, costs and maintenance. Tenancy administration for an individual apartment is commissioned separately if required.
Can I request quotes before the community decides?
Quotes can initially help prepare a decision. The enquiry does not replace necessary collective decisions or the authority to sign a contract for everyone.
Can the manager support only selected tasks?
You can enquire about defined support, such as bookkeeping or meeting preparation. Tasks, retained responsibilities and necessary interfaces should be agreed clearly.
Must the renewal reserve be precisely known for the enquiry?
No. Give known information and identify missing records. Later renewal planning will consider the balance, proposed work and financing. The manager does not thereby guarantee that additional contributions will be avoided.
Are renovation design and legal representation included?
Clarify this explicitly. Routine maintenance coordination differs from specialist design, construction supervision or court representation. Quotes should identify extra services and external costs.
What matters most when changing managers?
Clear appointment terms, necessary decisions and a complete, documented handover. Coordinate accounts, reserves, previous statements, outstanding debts and ongoing projects at the agreed cut-off date.
