Living in an urbanizacion with shared pools, roads and services

Key rules

• Structure: Find out whether your estate is one community, has sub-communities, or has a conservation entity before you buy.
• Conservation entity: Joining and paying is compulsory only when the planning plan or regional rules impose the duty, and it is recorded in the Land Registry.
• Sub-communities: Each sub-community pays only for its own elements, while shared estate elements are split by quota.
• Regions: Rules on conservation entities differ by region.

Find out which structure your estate has

Not every urbanización is run the same way. Before you buy, work out which of three set-ups applies, because each one decides who votes and who pays for the pools, roads and services.

1. A single community of owners. Everyone belongs to one community with one meeting, one president and one budget.
2. A general community with sub-communities. Large complexes of several buildings or plots can have an overall community plus smaller ones inside it.
3. A conservation entity. An entidad urbanística de conservación is a body of owners that maintains the roads, services and common areas once building works have ended.

You can have more than one layer at once. A flat in a block may belong to its own sub-community and also to the estate-wide body.

Single community

You pay your share of the shared costs according to your quota, which is your percentage of the whole. The quota is set in the title deeds or the statutes. Votes at the meeting also follow quotas.

Layered sub-communities

Each sub-community has its own meeting and president. It deals with its own elements, such as a block's lift, stairs or a private pool.

The general community deals with what the whole estate shares, such as main roads, entrance, lighting or a large pool.

• Each sub-community pays only for its own elements.
• Costs for shared elements are split by the quotas in the statutes or title.
• At the general meeting, owners vote by their quotas. The statutes may instead give votes by sub-community, so read how yours does it.

Conservation entity

This is a public-law body created under regional planning rules. Joining and paying is compulsory when the planning plan or regional rules put the duty of conservation on the owners. That duty is recorded in the Land Registry.

Rules differ by region, so a neighbour in another region may have a very different arrangement. If the duty applies, the fees come on top of any community fees. Ask your town hall whether it applies to your plot.

How to check before you commit

• Read the title deeds for any mention of a general community, sub-communities or an estate body.
• Ask for the Land Registry note (nota simple) and look for a duty to join and pay for conservation.
• Read the community statutes to see how quotas and votes work.
• Ask the administrator which community covers your property and what each one charges you for.

The checklist below lists these steps, and the questions below it cover joining, votes and who pays for what.

Checklist

• Read the title deeds to see whether the estate is a single community, a complex with sub-communities or an estate run by a conservation entity.

• Read the statutes of the community to see how costs are split by quotas and how votes are allocated.

• Ask the administrator which community or sub-community covers your property and what each one pays for.

• Ask your town hall whether the planning plan or regional rules require owners to join a conservation entity and pay towards it.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to join and pay an entidad urbanística de conservación?

Yes, you must join and pay if the planning plan or your region's rules put the duty to maintain the estate on its owners. This entity is a public-law body of owners that looks after the roads, services and common areas once building works end. The duty is recorded in the Land Registry, so check it before you buy.

How are votes counted when an urbanización has sub-communities?

Owners vote in the general meeting according to their quotas. The statutes may give votes by sub-community instead, so read them first. Each sub-community also holds its own meeting for its own elements.

Does my sub-community pay for the whole estate's shared elements?

No, a sub-community pays only for its own elements. Shared elements and services are split between owners by the quotas set in the statutes or title deeds. Check those quotas to see what share you would carry.