Common garage in a condominium: how to split the costs

A common garage is the covered space for housing vehicles that serves only some of the owners, typically those who own the internal boxes or parking spaces. Its costs, from building maintenance to lighting, cleaning and technical systems, are not always split among all owners but follow the use and ownership criterion set by Article 1123 of the Italian Civil Code. The general rule is that those who benefit from the asset pay, in proportion to how intensely they use it.

The principle of Article 1123

Article 1123 of the Italian Civil Code lays down three rules. The first paragraph states that costs for the preservation and enjoyment of common parts are split in proportion to the value of each owner's property, that is, in thousandths (millesimi). The second paragraph provides that, when a common asset serves the owners to a different degree, costs are split in proportion to use. The third paragraph provides that, if a building has parts intended to serve only some of the owners, the related costs fall on the group that benefits from them.

A common garage often falls precisely within the third scenario: it is a common part that serves a limited group of owners, those who own a box or a space there. In that case the costs are not spread across everyone but only among the holders of the internal spaces, according to a thousandths table specific to the garage.

When everyone pays and when only some do

The operational distinction is between general building costs and costs specific to the garage. The former, such as the roof or load-bearing structures that also concern the garage, may involve all owners. The latter, which concern the operation of the space as such, fall as a rule only on those who use it.

• lighting of the aisles and ramps: borne by the holders of the internal parking spaces
• maintenance of the up-and-over door or automatic vehicle gate: borne by those who access the garage
• cleaning, pest control and ventilation of the space: borne by the garage users
• fire-fighting and smoke-detection systems of the garage: borne by the group that benefits, except general building obligations
• waterproofing of the garage slab when it is also the floor of a common area: split to be assessed based on function

The key is to identify the function of the asset or system: if it serves the garage exclusively, the box group pays; if it also serves the building in general, the cost is split more broadly.

The garage thousandths table

To manage the split correctly it helps to prepare a thousandths table dedicated to the garage, assigning each box or space a value proportionate to surface area and use. This table distributes the costs belonging to the space among the users alone, without burdening owners who have no access. The table may be provided by the condominium rules or approved by the meeting as a usage table.

If a specific table is missing, the meeting can vote the split in proportion to use, applying the principles of Article 1123, second and third paragraphs. It is wise to record the adopted criterion in the minutes, so as to avoid disputes in later financial years.

Ramps, gates and shared systems

A frequent case is a ramp or vehicle gate that serves both the garage and other uses, for example the common courtyard. In these cases the cost is divided among the various user groups in proportion to use, again applying Article 1123. The same logic applies to the electrical system that powers garage lights and common sockets, or to forced ventilation when required by safety rules.

Decisions on extraordinary garage maintenance, such as redoing the waterproofing or fire-safety upgrades, follow the ordinary meeting majorities, but it must always be checked which owners have the right to vote in relation to the asset concerned, distinguishing between parts that serve everyone and parts that serve only the box group.

Safety and compliance

Garages above a certain size are subject to fire-safety rules and periodic checks. The administrator must keep the systems documentation, schedule inspections and split the related costs among users. Orderly document management reduces the risk of penalties and eases relations with maintenance firms.

Splitting correctly and traceably

The practical difficulty is not so much identifying the criterion as applying it precisely and transparently, keeping general building items separate from those specific to the garage. Management software lets you set up differentiated split tables for groups of owners and generate clear statements in which each expense is attributed only to those who must bear it.

AmministraPro lets you configure split tables by use and by group, so as to correctly attribute common garage costs only to the boxes that benefit. You can find the details of the accounting and cost-splitting features on the /funzioni page and the available plans on the /prezzi page.