Splitting condominium facade costs: who pays and how

Facade renovation is one of the most significant extraordinary expenses a condominium has to face. The facade is a common part of the building, because it forms its envelope and contributes to the architectural decorum and the protection of the structures. For this reason, as a rule, the maintenance and restoration expenses of the facade are split among all owners in proportion to ownership thousandths (millesimi), under Article 1123 paragraph 1 of the Civil Code. Some elements, however, follow special criteria.

The facade as a common asset

Load bearing walls and the facade are among the common parts presumed by Article 1117 of the Civil Code, as structural and finishing elements belonging to the whole building. The facade performs a collective function: it protects the masonry, ensures insulation and defines the external appearance, which is an expression of the architectural decorum protected by law. Its conservation concerns all owners, regardless of the floor or position of the unit.

The general rule of the split

Expenses for painting, plastering, restoring the facing, waterproofing and securing the facade are split according to the general ownership table. It does not matter that some units face a main street and others an internal courtyard: the facade is considered as a whole as a common element. Exceptions are cases where the title or a unanimous agreement provides a different criterion, or where a portion of the frontage serves only one block.

The balcony issue

Balconies deserve attention because their rules are not uniform. You must distinguish the load bearing structure of the balcony, the so called projecting balconies, from the elements that contribute to the architectural decorum of the facade, such as fronts, undersides, claddings and parapets visible from outside. The slab and the structural part are usually appurtenances of the unit to which the balcony belongs, while the decorative elements that fit into the aesthetics of the frontage, affecting the common decorum, may entail a split among all owners.

• Plaster, paint and facing of the facade: split by ownership thousandths.
• Load bearing structure of projecting balconies: usually borne by the unit owner.
• Decorative balcony elements visible from the frontage: possible common split for decorum.
• Frontages of a single block: partial service, Article 1123 paragraph 3.
• Works driven by structural interventions: follow the criterion of the main intervention.

Architectural decorum

Architectural decorum is a common value the condominium has an interest in preserving. Facade works that affect the overall appearance of the building, such as colour, materials or finishes, require a meeting resolution and cannot be decided by an individual. The expense for restoring or improving the common decorum follows the general thousandths criterion, unless it is an innovation, for which specific majorities and rules apply.

Frontages serving part of the building

In buildings with several blocks, a frontage may belong to and serve only a portion of the building. In that case Article 1123 paragraph 3 applies and the expense falls only on the owners of that block, excluding the others. Correctly identifying the interested pool avoids charging everyone for an intervention that concerns only one wing, reducing the risk of challenges to the allocation resolution.

Special fund and majorities

Facade renovation is typically high value extraordinary maintenance. The resolution requires the majorities proper to extraordinary works and, for works of significant amount, the setting up of the special fund provided by Article 1135 of the Civil Code, which ensures the financial coverage of the work. Proper planning of the expense and the fund prevents payment delays and tensions between owners during the works.

Correctly splitting facade expenses, distinguishing common parts, decorum and frontages serving part of the building, and managing the special fund is easier with a dedicated management tool. AmministraPro lets you assign each item to the right table and group of owners, manage the works fund and produce a transparent split. The accounting and works management features are described on /funzioni and the plans on /prezzi.