Your doorman (portero) and building administrator (administrador de fincas)

Key rules

• Portero: Go to the portero for daily on-site matters such as parcels and shared-area problems.
• Administrador de fincas: Go to the administrador for fees, repairs, insurance and other management or paperwork.
• Aguinaldo: Where there is a portero, a Christmas aguinaldo is customary but is a courtesy, not an obligation.

Portero duties and usual tip amounts vary by building, so confirm both with your administrador or neighbours.

Who to ask for what

Ask the portero about daily things on site. Ask the administrador de fincas about management and paperwork. Many buildings have only an administrador, with no portero.

The portero

The portero is the person who works in or looks after the building day to day. Go to them for practical, on-the-spot matters:

• Receiving parcels and post when you are out.
• Cleaning and tidiness of shared areas.
• Reporting a broken light, a lift fault or a leak in a common area.
• Letting in tradespeople or deliveries you have arranged.

What a portero is actually responsible for differs from building to building. Ask the administrador what the duties are in yours, and do not assume they will do tasks outside them, such as work inside your flat.

The administrador de fincas

The administrador runs the building's management and paperwork. Contact them, usually by email or phone, about:

• Community fees and your payment details.
• Repairs and works that affect the whole building.
• Insurance claims for damage to shared areas.
• Meeting notices, minutes and community rules.
• Questions about a neighbour dispute or a debt on the property.

Your landlord or the seller can give you their contact details. They are also usually posted in the entrance.

Christmas tip (aguinaldo)

Where a building has a portero, it is customary to give them a Christmas tip, called an aguinaldo. It is a courtesy, not a legal duty. The usual practice is a cash gift or a card with money in it, given in December. Ask your neighbours or the administrador what residents normally give in your building. In some buildings the community collects it for everyone.

Small courtesies

• Greet the portero by name and say thanks for parcels.
• Tell them if you will be away or expecting a delivery.
• Raise problems with them first, and with the administrador if they are not solved.