Painting the stairwell and entrance hall: who pays

Painting the stairwell is normally shared under the rule of Article 1124 of the Italian Civil Code, that is half based on ownership thousandths (millesimi) and half based on the height of each floor, because refinishing the walls serves the function of the staircase. Painting the entrance hall, which serves all owners equally as a common passage, is instead shared according to the general ownership thousandths under Article 1123, first paragraph. Who decides and with what majority depends on the scale and nature of the work.

Why stairwell and entrance hall follow different criteria

The stairwell and the entrance hall are both common parts under Article 1117 of the Italian Civil Code, but the law does not treat them the same way when it comes to sharing costs. The staircase and everything that ensures its operation and appearance falls under the special rule of Article 1124: those living on higher floors use the stairs more and over a longer stretch, so they contribute more. The entrance hall, by contrast, is a horizontal passage that everyone crosses in the same way to enter or exit, and for this reason it falls under the general criterion of Article 1123, first paragraph, based on the value of the individual units.

The distinction matters above all in tall buildings or those with many floors, where applying the wrong criterion can create significant differences in each owner's share and disputes when the annual statement is approved.

Ordinary or extraordinary maintenance

Before deciding the split, the work must be classified. A simple periodic repainting of the walls, without restoration work, tends to fall under ordinary maintenance. Refinishing with removal of deteriorated plaster, damp treatment, restoration of degraded surfaces or an economically significant amount falls instead under extraordinary maintenance.

This classification affects the manager's powers. Ordinary maintenance of common parts falls among the manager's duties under Article 1130 of the Italian Civil Code, but when the cost is substantial or the work is extraordinary, the resolution of the owners' meeting provided for by Article 1135 is required.

Who decides: the meeting and majorities

When a meeting resolution is required, the majorities are those of Article 1136. At first call, resolutions are valid with a majority of those present representing at least half of the building's value. At second call, the resolution is valid with a majority of those present and at least one third of the building's value. Extraordinary maintenance of considerable size requires a qualified majority equal to at least half of the building's value.

• A notice with a clear agenda stating the subject and the cost estimate.
• Collecting several comparable estimates for transparency toward the meeting.
• Recording the resolution with the chosen cost-sharing criterion.
• Splitting the cost and charging each owner according to the resolved criterion.

Architectural appearance and the choice of colour

The choice of colour and finish is not neutral in terms of architectural appearance, protected by Articles 1120 and 1122 of the Italian Civil Code. The meeting may resolve a shade different from the previous one, but an individual owner cannot impose finishes or works that alter the uniform look of the common parts. If the existing colour is being restored, the work is generally conservative; if a noticeable change of aesthetics is introduced, it is advisable that the choice be expressly approved.

Special cases: stairs serving only some units

If a staircase or flight serves only some units, the related painting cost falls only on the owners who benefit from it, under the principle of Article 1123, third paragraph, on differentiated use of common things. The same applies to entrance halls or landings giving access to a single group of apartments. In these cases correctly identifying the owners concerned is essential to avoid charging those who do not use that common part.

Managing estimates, resolution and split without errors

Painting the stairwell and entrance hall is recurring work but delicate in its split: getting the criterion wrong means redoing the figures and risking the resolution being annulled. Management software such as AmministraPro helps collect estimates, automatically apply the split criteria by thousandths table, generate the minutes and allocate the cost among owners in a traceable way. The features are described on the /funzioni page, while plans and costs can be viewed at /prezzi.