Mandatory training and refresher courses for the administrator

The refresher course for the condominium administrator is not optional but a legal obligation. Since the 2012 reform, anyone practising this profession must meet requirements of good standing and, above all, of training: an initial course before starting the activity and periodic updates to keep it going. The rules are set out in article 71 bis of the implementing provisions of the Italian Civil Code and in ministerial decree 140/2014, which fix duration, content and format. Here is what an administrator must actually do to comply.

Why training is mandatory

The condominium reform introduced by law 220/2012 professionalised the figure of the administrator. Alongside good standing requirements, such as the absence of convictions for certain offences, the enjoyment of civil rights and the absence of preventive measures, the law provided for a structured training path. The aim is to give owners a professional competent in legal, accounting, technical and tax matters, in a field where mistakes can have significant financial consequences and where the administrator manages other people's funds and takes on direct responsibility towards owners, suppliers and the tax authorities.

Article 71 bis of the implementing provisions

Article 71 bis of the implementing provisions of the Civil Code lists the requirements for holding the office of administrator. These include having obtained an upper secondary school diploma and having attended an initial training course, as well as carrying out periodic training in condominium administration. The rule is the basis from which the operational detail contained in decree 140/2014 then follows.

The 72 hour initial training course

Anyone wishing to start managing condominiums must attend and pass an initial training course lasting at least 72 hours, one third of which devoted to practical exercises. The course must follow a teaching programme prepared by a scientific director who is particularly qualified in condominium law or building safety, chosen from among university lecturers, lawyers, magistrates or technical professionals, with trainers competent in the same subjects. The programme usually covers condominium law, accounting and the financial statement, taxation, building safety and the running of meetings. It ends with an assessment exam, on passing which the candidate obtains the certificate that qualifies them for the activity.

The condominium administrator refresher course: 15 hours a year

Training does not end with the initial course. Article 5 of decree 140/2014 requires periodic training of at least 15 hours per year. The refresher keeps the administrator up to date on regulatory, tax and case law developments, which are frequent in the condominium sector. The refresher course too ends with a final check and the issue of the related certificate.

Classroom or online courses

Training and refresher courses can also be delivered online, provided that attendance and participation are effectively monitored. This option has made compliance more accessible, but it has not reduced its rigour: attendance must be complete and the final assessment remains a mandatory step to obtain a valid certificate.

Exceptions to the training obligation

Not everyone is subject to the training obligation. An administrator chosen from among the owners of the same building, for example, is not required to meet the initial course and periodic training requirements. There are also transitional rules that protected those who had already carried out the activity for at least one year in the three years before the rules came into force, without prejudice to the periodic refresher obligation.

What happens to those who do not keep up to date

Failure to meet the training obligations affects whether the requirements to hold the office continue to be met. The loss of these requirements may constitute just cause for the administrator's removal by the owners' meeting or, in the cases provided for, by the courts on the application of any owner. If challenged, the burden of proving compliance with the training rules falls on the administrator, who must be able to produce the certificates of the courses attended. Keeping certificates and tracking the annual deadlines is therefore an integral part of running the practice professionally, not a mere bureaucratic formality.

Tracking deadlines with software

Management software helps keep the practice's obligations in view, including training deadlines, certificates and the administrator's documents. Centralising this information alongside the management of the buildings reduces the risk of oversights and makes it easier to demonstrate that one's position is in order.

AmministraPro is designed for the professional administrator's practice: it manages buildings, accounting, deadlines and documentation in a single environment. You can see how it works on the features page or compare the plans in the pricing section.