Online condominium meetings: how they work and when they are valid

An online condominium meeting is a meeting held by videoconference, in which owners take part remotely through a digital platform instead of gathering in the same physical place. For some time now it has no longer been an emergency solution but a modality fully allowed by the Italian Civil Code. For the resolutions adopted to be valid, however, some precise rules must be respected regarding owners' consent, the notice of meeting and the drafting of the minutes. Let us look at how an online condominium meeting works and when it is genuinely valid.

What article 66 of the implementing provisions requires

The legal reference is article 66 of the implementing provisions of the Civil Code, amended to introduce participation by videoconference on a stable basis. The rule states that, even where the condominium regulations do not provide for it, participation in the meeting may take place by videoconference subject to the consent of the majority of the owners. The online meeting is therefore lawful regardless of the regulations, provided the owners have agreed to it with the required majority.

When majority consent is needed

Majority consent is the first requirement for validity. It is not enough for the administrator to decide alone to hold the meeting remotely: the owners must have approved this modality. In practice consent may be obtained in advance, for example by collecting owners' agreement before fixing the date, or it may result from a resolution adopted at a previous meeting. What matters is that the choice of the remote modality can be documented and is not imposed on those who did not want it.

Calling the online meeting

The ordinary time limits and formalities for calling a meeting still apply to the online meeting too. The notice of meeting must be sent to those entitled at least five days before the date set for the first call. The difference is that, when the meeting is held by videoconference, the notice does not indicate a physical place but the electronic platform on which the meeting will be held and the start time. It is good practice to attach connection instructions as well, so that no owner is excluded because of technical difficulties.

How the videoconference is conducted

During the meeting all participants must be able to take part effectively, with working audio and video, to follow the discussion and to cast their vote. The chair verifies the identity of those present, checks the constitutive and deliberative quorums exactly as in an in-person meeting and leads the discussion point by point according to the agenda. The proper functioning of the connection is the condition for everyone to exercise their rights.

The minutes of the online meeting

In the remote meeting too the minutes are drawn up by the secretary and signed by the chair. When finished they must be sent to the administrator, if that is not the secretary, and to all owners with the same formalities required for the notice of meeting. The minutes record those present, the quorums reached, the discussions and the resolutions adopted: it is the document that proves the regularity of the meeting and from which the time limits for any challenge run.

Hybrid meetings: in person and remote

A hybrid meeting is also possible, in which some owners are physically present and others are connected remotely. This solution reconciles the needs of those who prefer to take part in person with those of people who cannot travel. The same precautions apply: the platform must guarantee full participation for everyone, and the minutes must record who was present and who was connected, so that compliance with the quorums can be verified.

Mistakes that make a resolution contestable

An online meeting is exposed to challenge when even a single entitled owner is unable to connect and is not offered an alternative, when consent to the remote modality is missing, or when the notice does not correctly indicate the platform. To reduce these risks it is advisable to test the tool in advance, provide support for those with technical difficulties and keep proof of consent and of the communications sent.

• Obtain the majority's consent to the videoconference modality.
• Call the meeting within the deadlines, indicating the platform and time with connection instructions.
• Ensure working audio and video for all participants.
• Verify identity and quorums as in an in-person meeting.
• Draw up and send the minutes with the formalities of the notice of meeting.

Management software simplifies every stage of the online condominium meeting: from sending notices with the indicated platform to collecting consent, from handling proxies to the automatic calculation of quorums based on the thousandth shares, through to drafting the minutes and distributing them to all owners. AmministraPro integrates these tools into the firm's everyday management: you can see how they work on the features page and compare the plans in the pricing section.