Common-Area Electrical System: Conformity and DM 37/2008

The electrical system in the common areas powers stairs, entrance halls, courtyards, cellars, technical rooms, external lighting, and the supply to the lift, water pump set, and gates. It must be built to professional standards, documented by the declaration of conformity required under Italian Ministerial Decree of 22 January 2008, no. 37 (DM 37/2008), and kept efficient over time. As the party responsible for preserving the common parts under Article 1130 of the Italian Civil Code, the condominium manager must keep the documentation and organise maintenance.

DM 37/2008 in brief

DM 37/2008 governs the installation of building systems, including electrical ones. It requires installing firms to be qualified and, once work is complete and functionality checks are done, to issue the client with a declaration of conformity, accompanied by the mandatory attachments such as the report on the materials used and, where required, the design. For a condominium the client is the manager acting for the owners, whose details appear on the declaration.

The declaration of conformity

The declaration of conformity is the document certifying that the system was correctly built to professional standards. For systems installed or modified after the decree came into force it must be present and kept on file. For older systems, where the original declaration is missing, a qualified technician can draw up a declaration of correspondence, which inspects the existing system and certifies its substantial compliance with safety criteria. Keeping these documents is essential in the event of a sale, an official check, or an incident.

Maintenance and periodic checks

Initial conformity is not enough: the system must be kept safe over time. Typical measures the manager should schedule cover several aspects.

• Periodic checks of the electrical panels, protective devices, and residual current circuit breakers
• Tripping tests of the residual current devices protecting the sockets and common-area circuits
• Maintenance of the lighting in stairs, entrance halls, and external areas, including any emergency lights
• Coordination with the earthing system inspection required under DPR 462/2001, which is separate but linked to electrical safety

Electrical system and earthing system

Electrical safety and earthing are closely connected but governed by different rules. The conformity of the electrical system relates to DM 37/2008, while the periodic inspection of the earthing system follows DPR 462/2001, usually every five years for ordinary condominium environments. The manager must handle both documentary trails and avoid treating the system as compliant merely because a declaration of conformity exists.

Sharing the costs

Costs for the common-area electrical system are normally allocated under Article 1123 of the Italian Civil Code, in proportion to ownership thousandths (millesimi), unless the system serves individual owners or groups of them to different extents. Work relating to parts serving only certain units, for example the lighting of a single staircase, follows the criterion of differentiated use. Correct allocation keeps the financial report clear and reduces disputes at the owners' meeting.

Organising documents and deadlines

The condominium's electrical safety rests on traceability: declarations of conformity, inspection records, maintenance contracts. With management software such as AmministraPro the manager files the system documents and keeps inspection deadlines under control, so every intervention stays documented and retrievable. You can find the dedicated features at /funzioni and the plans at /prezzi.