Talking to neighbours and the building community (comunidad de propietarios)

Terms used

• Comunidad de propietarios — The comunidad de propietarios is the association of all owners in a building, which manages and pays for the shared areas.
• Presidente — The presidente is an owner elected or rotated into the role who represents the community and runs its meetings.
• Administrador de fincas — The administrador de fincas is a professional hired to run the community's accounts, fees, maintenance and paperwork.
• Portero — The portero is the building's concierge, an employee who looks after common areas and receives post and parcels.
• Junta de propietarios — The junta de propietarios is the owners' meeting, where the community's decisions are made by vote.
• Convocatoria — The convocatoria is the notice calling an owners' meeting, with date, place and agenda.
• Derrama — The derrama is an extra one-off charge for a specific expense approved by the owners.
• Cuota — The cuota is the regular community fee, usually paid monthly or quarterly.

Key rules

• Tenant vote: As a tenant you cannot vote at the owners' meeting unless your landlord delegates their vote to you in writing.
• Tú or usted: Use usted with older neighbours and in formal matters, and switch to tú when they do.
• Noise: Talk first, then go to the president or administrador, then the Policía Local and the town hall, keeping dated evidence.
• Derrama: A derrama is a one-off extra charge, so check the payment date on the notice.

Who does what in the building

Most apartment buildings in Spain form a comunidad de propietarios, the owners' association. You deal with a few people in it.

• The presidente is an owner chosen by the owners, sometimes by rotation. The president represents the community, runs the meetings and signs contracts and certificates. The role is usually unpaid.
• The administrador de fincas is usually a hired professional. They handle the accounts, collect fees, arrange maintenance and insurance, prepare meeting papers and carry out what the owners decide. This is who sends you most notices.
• The portero is a building employee. They look after the common areas, receive post and parcels and do small upkeep jobs.
• The junta de propietarios is the owners' meeting. It decides everything above these three.

Smaller buildings often have no administrador or portero. The president may then do everything, and the post may pass from owner to owner in turn.

Greeting neighbours: tú or usted

Spain is mostly informal. With neighbours of your own age, tú is normal and many younger and middle-aged neighbours will use it straight away.

• Use usted with older neighbours until they suggest tú.
• Use usted with an older portero too, though many porteros use tú with residents.
• Use usted with the president or administrador in anything written or formal. In a casual chat, tú is fine if they use it first.
• When unsure, follow their lead, or ask: "¿Nos tuteamos?"

Rural areas and older people lean more towards usted. A simple "buenos días" in the lift or at the door is expected and goes a long way.

Reading building notices

Notices usually go up in the entrance hall or arrive by post or email. These are the words you will meet:

• Convocatoria: the notice calling an owners' meeting, with the date, place and agenda (orden del día).
• Cuota: the regular community fee, usually monthly or quarterly.
• Derrama: an extra one-off charge for a specific expense, approved by the owners. It must be paid by the date stated.
• Obras: works on the facade, roof or entrance. Expect noise and sometimes a need to give access.
• Ascensor: the lift. Notices cover breakdowns, inspections and outages.
• Acta: the minutes of a meeting.
• Corte de agua/luz: a planned water or power cut.
• Fumigación/desratización: pest control.
• ITE: the building's periodic inspection.

If you are a tenant

You cannot attend or vote at the owners' meeting, because that right belongs to the owners. Your landlord can give you a written delegation to vote for them, unless the community's own rules restrict it. They may also let you attend without voting, where the community allows. Ask your landlord to pass on decisions that affect you, such as works or new rules.

The landlord stays responsible for community fees unless your lease says you pay them. Check your lease and ask the landlord if a notice about fees reaches you.

When noise is a problem

Start friendly and escalate only if needed.

1. Talk politely to the neighbour, or leave a short note.
2. Tell the president or administrador. They can send a formal letter and warn about activities that are annoying or unlawful.
3. Call the Policía Local (or 092 or 112) while the noise is happening. They can record the incident, measure the noise and fine breaches of the local noise rules.
4. Complain to the environment department of your town hall, which can open a sanction file.
5. For persistent cases, the community can bring a civil action to stop the activity. Serious cases may reach the courts.

From the first step, keep evidence: dates and times, a noise diary, recordings, witness statements, police reports and any sound measurements. Procedures and fines depend on your town, so ask your town hall what applies.

The questions below answer a few common doubts.

Frequently asked questions

Should I use tú or usted with my neighbours?

Yes, tú is normal with neighbours of a similar age, but use usted with older neighbours until they suggest tú. Follow the other person's lead, for example by asking "¿Nos tuteamos?". With the building president or administrador in a written or formal matter, usted is safest.

Can a tenant vote at the owners' meeting (junta de propietarios)?

No, a tenant has no right to attend or vote at the junta, because that right belongs to the owners. However, an owner can delegate their vote in writing to the tenant unless the community statutes restrict it. The owner stays responsible for community fees unless the lease transfers them.

What can I do if talking does not stop a noise problem?

Tell the president or administrador, who can send a formal letter and warn the neighbour. If noise is happening, call the Policía Local (or 092/112), who can record it and fine breaches of the local rules. You can also complain to the town hall's environment department, so keep dates, times, a noise diary and recordings.

What do derrama and cuota mean on a building notice?

A cuota is the regular community fee, usually monthly or quarterly. A derrama is an extra one-off charge for a specific expense approved by the junta, payable by the stated date.