On the Costa Brava, many properties are part of a comunidad de propietarios: a building, a development with a pool, sometimes an entire housing estate. The resulting fees weigh on your annual budget, and the association's rules can limit how you use the property. Check them before you make an offer.
What the fees cover
Regular fees (cuotas) pay for upkeep of the common areas: cleaning, gardens, pool, lift, lighting, building insurance, sometimes a caretaker. Depending on the services, they range from a few hundred euros a year to several thousand. On top of that come special levies (derramas) for major work: facade, roof, lift.
Debts that follow the property
Fees left unpaid by the seller can be claimed from the new owner, within certain time limits. That is why the seller must provide, before the signing, a certificate from the association's administrator confirming they are up to date. We always insist on it.
Reading the minutes
The minutes of the latest general meetings reveal what lies ahead: work voted on but not yet paid for, disputes between neighbours, renovation plans. Facade work voted before your purchase may, depending on the agreement with the seller, be your cost: it is a negotiating point if you know in time.
Rules of use, including letting
The association's rules and decisions can restrict certain uses, especially holiday letting, which some associations have restricted or banned in recent years. If you plan to let, check both the association and the licensing rules.
The case of housing developments
In some housing developments, a maintenance body pays for upkeep of the roads, lighting or green spaces, with its own fee on top of any owners' association. Always ask for the total amount you will pay.
A property with well-managed fees is worth more than one with low fees and overdue work.
