The Italian condominium reform (law 220/2012): what changed

The condominium reform approved by law 220/2012 is the most important change to Italian condominium law since the Civil Code came into force. Effective from 18 June 2013, it rewrote numerous articles of the Code to make management more transparent, strengthen the administrator's obligations and give owners more effective tools of control. Let us look at what changed in the points that most affect the daily life of buildings.

A more professional and accountable administrator

The reform reshaped the figure of the administrator. The term of office is set at one year, tacitly renewed for a further year unless decided otherwise. On appointment the administrator must communicate their own details, and the fee may be required to be stated in analytical form, on pain of nullity. Requirements of good standing and training were also introduced for those who carry out the activity professionally. The administrator is required to display, at the point of access to the condominium, their own details and the contacts to which anyone can turn, so that the owners always know who to refer to for communications and emergencies.

The mandatory condominium bank account

One of the most far-reaching changes is the obligation to route the sums received and the payments through a specific current account, in the name of the condominium, whether with a bank or the postal service. Through the administrator, every owner may ask to inspect and obtain a copy of the periodic statement of the account. The rule serves to keep the condominium's assets clearly separate from the administrator's personal assets, historically one of the most critical points.

The financial statement and accounting transparency

The reform introduced article 1130 bis, which governs the condominium financial statement. The document must contain the income and expense items and all data relating to the financial position, funds and reserves, and it is made up of the accounting register, the financial summary and the explanatory note. This codified a minimum structure that makes the accounts comparable and verifiable by anyone, not only by professionals.

The mandatory registers

Alongside the financial statement, the reform made certain registers mandatory, which the administrator must keep up to date:

• the condominium register of persons, with the details of owners and holders of real or usage rights and the land registry data;
• the register of meeting minutes;
• the register of appointment and removal of the administrator;
• the accounting register.

Meetings and majorities

The rules on meetings also changed. Proxies must be in writing and, in condominiums with more than twenty participants, one proxy holder cannot represent more than one fifth of the owners and of the proportional value. Some majorities were revised to make it easier to adopt resolutions on renovation, safety and energy efficiency works, a topic that is central to building management today. If the first call fails to reach a quorum, the second call is held with reduced quorums, but always within limits that ensure the decision genuinely represents the overall thousandths.

Common parts, video surveillance and pets

The reform updated the list of common parts in article 1117, including for example the attic when it is objectively intended for common use. It introduced article 1122 ter, which allows the meeting to approve the installation of video surveillance systems on common parts with a qualified majority. It also established that the condominium regulation cannot prohibit owning or keeping pets.

The condominium website

At the request of the meeting, the administrator is required to activate a condominium website that allows those entitled to consult and obtain a digital copy of the documents specified by the resolution. This is the clearest signal of the direction of the reform: to make documentation accessible and management transparent, effectively anticipating the digitalisation that now characterises the work of administrators.

From the reform to digital management

The obligations introduced by law 220/2012, from the dedicated bank account to the registers, from the structured financial statement to the condominium website, translate in practice into more documented management. Management software exists precisely to fulfil these requirements without duplicating work, keeping accounts, registers and documents aligned.

AmministraPro supports the administrator across all the reform's requirements, from the financial statement compliant with art. 1130 bis to the mandatory registers, up to the online space where every owner consults documents and payments. You can see how it works on the features page or compare the plans in the pricing section.