Practical guide
Building owners' collective agreement: a manager's guide
The national collective agreement for employees of building owners (proprietari di fabbricati) is the contract that governs employment in condominiums: caretakers, custodians, cleaners and other service roles. It sets the classification into professional roles, the minimum pay tables, working hours, holidays, the extra month's salary, leave, sickness and severance pay. Knowing it is essential for the manager, because applying the wrong contract or a level inconsistent with the duties exposes the condominium to pay differences and penalties. This guide explains the structure of the agreement and the points the manager must oversee in the day-to-day management of staff.
Who the agreement applies to
The building owners' collective agreement applies to employees assigned to the services of a building or condominium complex: from the caretaker's lodge to custody, from cleaning the common areas to basic maintenance. The employer is the condominium, represented by the manager under Article 1130 of the Italian Civil Code.
It does not cover relationships with external firms that carry out services under contract: in that case there is no condominium employee, but a service contract with a company that applies the cleaning or multi-service sector agreement to its own workers. The distinction is crucial to understand which obligations fall directly on the condominium.
Professional roles and classification
The agreement classifies workers into distinct professional roles based on duties: caretaker with or without accommodation, custodian, cleaner, workers with maintenance or assistance duties. Each role corresponds to a level with a minimum pay set by the contractual tables.
The classification must reflect the duties actually performed. Assigning a lower level to contain the cost exposes the condominium to claims for pay differences, whereas describing the tasks precisely in the individual contract reduces the scope for dispute. Whether or not service accommodation is provided affects both classification and pay.
- Resident caretaker, non-resident caretaker, custodian
- Cleaner of the common areas
- Workers with maintenance or assistance duties
Pay, hours and economic terms
The agreement's tables set the minimum pay by role and level. On top of the base pay come seniority increments, the extra month's salary and any allowances provided, such as those linked to accommodation or particular duties. Working hours are defined by the agreement, distinguishing full and part time and with rules on rest and holiday work.
The manager must ensure the payslip respects the minimums and the contractual automatic increases. A payroll service or labour consultant produces the payslips, but the condominium remains responsible for the correct pay treatment and the contribution payments.
Holidays, leave, sickness and end of relationship
The agreement governs holidays and leave within the statutory minimums: Legislative Decree 66/2003 guarantees at least four weeks of annual holiday, which the collective agreement may extend. There are rules for sickness, injury, leave and paid time off.
On termination, severance pay is due, accrued each year under Article 2120 of the Italian Civil Code. The agreement also governs notice, resignation and dismissal, with obligations to notify and to settle the final entitlements.
How the manager keeps everything under control
Applying the agreement well means keeping classification, payslips, attendance, holidays accrued and taken, payments and notices in order. Each item then feeds into the condominium's accounts and the allocation of staff costs among the owners under Article 1123 of the Italian Civil Code.
With AmministraPro you record staff costs, link them to the millesimi allocation and keep contracts, payslips and social security documents in one place, reducing the risk of errors. The features are described on the /funzioni page and the plans with their costs on the /prezzi page.
Frequently asked questions
Which collective agreement applies to condominium employees?
The national collective agreement for employees of building owners governs relationships with caretakers, custodians and cleaners hired directly by the condominium. It defines roles, pay tables, hours, holidays, the extra month's salary, sickness and severance pay, with the condominium as employer represented by the manager.
How is the classification level chosen?
The level must be chosen based on the duties the worker actually performs, not on cost. Assigning a level lower than the one matching the real tasks exposes the condominium to claims for pay differences. Describing the duties precisely in the individual contract reduces the scope for dispute.
Does the agreement also cover a contracted cleaning firm?
No. If the service is entrusted to an external firm under contract, the workers are employees of that company, which applies its own cleaning or multi-service agreement. The condominium is not the employer but remains the client, with a duty to check the contractor's contribution compliance.
How many holidays is the caretaker entitled to?
Legislative Decree 66/2003 guarantees at least four weeks of paid annual holiday. The building owners' agreement may set more favourable terms. Holidays must be taken and correctly recorded, because failing to take them creates financial obligations for the employer.
Who is responsible for the correct pay treatment?
Responsibility lies with the condominium as employer, represented by the manager. Even when a labour consultant or a payroll service produces the payslips, the condominium remains bound to respect the contractual minimums, the automatic increases and the social security and insurance payments.
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