Choosing software
Checklist of duties for a new manager
Taking over as manager of a condominium, whether it is your first mandate or a handover from a previous manager, means starting several duties at once under time pressure and legal obligations set by the Civil Code. Missing a step, such as the dedicated bank account or the registry of the condominium, exposes the manager to liability and creates friction with residents from day one. This guide lists, in order of priority, the concrete actions to take in the first weeks of a mandate: what to request from the outgoing manager, which documents must exist by law, how to organize the registry, and how choosing the right management software from the start avoids having to migrate data later, when the building is already live with invoices and payments.
First-weeks checklist for the new manager
- Request in writing all accounting registers, the register of appointments and the correspondence register from the outgoing manager
- Obtain the fund balance and the updated list of debtors with amounts and aging
- Open a bank or postal account in the name of the condominium, separate from personal funds
- Notify residents of the new bank details for instalments
- Set up the registry of the condominium with owners' data and cadastral references, unit by unit
- Check active insurance policies (liability, and fire where required) and their expiry dates
- Verify the maintenance status of lifts and systems subject to periodic checks
- Convene the first assembly to present the handover and get the current year's budget approved
- Set up the management software and import opening balances before requesting the first instalment
Handover from the outgoing manager: what to demand in writing
Article 1129 of the Civil Code obliges the outgoing manager to hand over all documentation regarding the condominium to the incoming manager or the assembly, and Article 1130 lists the registers that must exist. In practice, request in writing: the accounting registers and supporting documents for at least the last mandate, the register of appointments (assembly minutes), the register of correspondence, any pending disputes or insurance claims, the fund balance and the list of debtors with amounts and aging.
If the handover is incomplete or delayed, put every request in writing (certified email or PEC) so there is a paper trail: this matters if a dispute later arises over missing documents or unresolved balances from the previous management.
The dedicated bank account
Article 1129 of the Civil Code requires the manager to have a bank or postal account in the name of the condominium, separate from personal funds, through which all condominium payments and receipts must pass. This is not optional and not a formality: mixing condominium funds with personal or other clients' accounts is one of the grounds for revocation of the manager for just cause.
Open the account before collecting the first instalment, notify the bank details to residents, and make sure every payment method integrated into your management tools (bank transfer, direct debit, card) is linked to that same account, not a generic operating account.
Setting up the registry of the condominium
Article 1130, first paragraph, number 6 of the Civil Code requires the manager to keep a registry of the condominium containing the generalities of the owners, the cadastral data of each unit, and any data relevant to safety of the common parts. This registry must be updated whenever ownership changes and made available to any owner who requests it.
Build the registry unit by unit rather than resident by resident: a condominium unit can change owner, be rented, or be split between usufruct and bare ownership, and the registry needs to track these transitions without losing the history of past instalments and payments tied to each unit.
Insurance, safety obligations and the first assembly
Verify whether the condominium has an active liability policy covering common parts and, where applicable under local rules, fire insurance; check the expiry dates and whether premiums are up to date. Review the maintenance status of lifts (which require periodic checks under current regulations) and any other system subject to mandatory inspection.
Convene the first assembly promptly to present yourself, share the handover situation, and have residents approve the budget for the current year: without an approved budget the manager cannot legitimately request instalments. Article 1136 sets the quorums for validity of the assembly and its resolutions, so prepare the convocation with the correct majorities in mind.
Choosing the management software before the first invoice
The order matters: choosing a software solution after residents have already started paying instalments means retroactively entering months of accounting, whereas setting it up during the handover lets you import the opening balances once and start clean. Look for software that keeps millesimal tables, accounting registers, the registry of the condominium, and the correspondence register in one place, with role-based access so residents can see their own position without seeing everyone else's.
AmministraPro is built around exactly this workflow: it supports the initial data entry from a handover, generates the mandatory registers required by Article 1130, and lets residents check instalments and documents from their own reserved area, reducing the phone calls a new manager typically receives in the first months.
Frequently asked questions
What is the very first document a new manager should request?
The fund balance and the list of debtors with exact amounts and aging, because every other duty, from the budget to the first instalment request, depends on knowing the real financial starting point of the condominium. Request it in writing from the outgoing manager together with the accounting registers under Article 1130 of the Civil Code.
Is the dedicated bank account mandatory even for small condominiums?
Yes. Article 1129 of the Civil Code requires a separate account in the name of the condominium regardless of the number of units, and using it is one of the conditions the assembly and the courts check when evaluating whether a manager has acted with due diligence.
Can the new manager refuse the appointment if the handover is incomplete?
The manager can accept the appointment and, at the same time, formally request the missing documents from the outgoing manager or pursue the matter through the assembly, since Article 1129 makes the handover a legal obligation on the outgoing manager, not a courtesy. Documenting every request in writing protects the new manager if disputes about missing records surface later.
How soon after appointment should the first assembly be convened?
As soon as practical, and in any case before the first instalment request, since the assembly must approve the budget for the current year under Article 1136 before the manager can legitimately ask residents for payments. Use the first assembly also to formally present the handover situation and any outstanding issues found.
Why set up the software before collecting the first payment instead of after?
Setting it up first lets you import the opening balances and the registry in one pass and start the accounting on a clean slate, while adding it later means re-entering months of instalments and payments retroactively. AmministraPro, for instance, is designed to support this initial import so the new manager can start the mandate with the registers and accounting already structured.
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