The condominium accounting register: what it is and how to keep it

The accounting register is one of the three documents that, according to Article 1130-bis of the Italian Civil Code, make up the condominium financial report. It records each incoming and outgoing movement in chronological order, within thirty days of the day on which it occurred. It is the most analytical document of condominium accounting: it shows the real flow of money, operation by operation, and allows every owner to verify how each common euro was spent.

What Article 1130-bis says

The rule places on the condominium manager the duty to keep the accounting register as part of the financial report. Keeping it follows two precise rules: chronological order and the thirty-day deadline. Each movement must be recorded within thirty days of the day it took place, so that the register stays constantly updated and does not become a late reconstruction produced only at year end. Chronological order makes it possible to follow the real sequence of operations.

The information each line must contain

Each entry must make the operation clearly identifiable. In practice a line of the register shows the date of the movement, the amount with an incoming or outgoing sign, the description of the operation and the counterparty, that is the supplier paid or the owner who paid in. Each line corresponds to a supporting document: the invoice, the receipt, the bank transfer or the account statement. Without this link the register loses its control function.

• Date of the cash or bank movement.
• Amount, distinguishing incoming from outgoing.
• Description of the operation.
• Counterparty: supplier, owner or bank.
• Reference to the corresponding supporting document.

Cash and bank: recording both flows

Condominium management must run through a bank account in the condominium's name, as required by Article 1129 of the Italian Civil Code. The register therefore records mainly bank movements, but it also accounts for any cash movements where present. Keeping the register aligned with the bank statement is essential: at year end the balance shown by the register must match that of the bank account, apart from items in transit.

The register and the other parts of the report

The accounting register does not stand alone. It is the basis from which the financial summary is built, summing up availability, receivables and payables at year end, and the explanatory note, which describes in words how the management went. A carefully kept register makes drafting the other two parts simple and consistent. A patchy or disordered register, by contrast, affects the whole report and makes verification at the meeting difficult.

The owner's right to consult it

The accounting register is among the documents that the owner has the right to consult. Together with the report, the explanatory note and the supporting documents, the register must be made available before the approval meeting, so that everyone can arrive informed at the vote. Being able to follow the movements one by one is what gives substance to the principle of transparency: the owner does not have to take anyone's word but can check directly.

The ten-year retention

Like the other accounting records and supporting documents, the accounting register must be kept for ten years from the date of its registration. When the appointment ends, the outgoing manager must hand the documentation over to the new manager or to the meeting, ensuring the continuity of the accounts. Long retention makes it possible to reconstruct the management even years later, for example in case of disputes or audits.

Keeping the register with software

Compiling the register by hand while respecting chronological order and the thirty-day deadline is possible, but it exposes the manager to errors and omissions. Management software records each movement with date, amount and description, links it to the supporting document and automatically produces the register, always up to date and consistent with the bank account. Reconciliation with the statement becomes faster and the risk of discrepancies is reduced.

AmministraPro keeps the accounting register in chronological order, with direct links to supporting documents and bank reconciliation, and generates the complete financial report from it. You can see how it works on the features page or compare the plans in the pricing section.