Managing the first meeting with a new condominium

Preparing before you walk in

Before the meeting, the manager should already have requested from the outgoing manager, or from the condominium itself if it was self managed, the minutes of the last meeting, the approved financial statement, the register of unit owners, and the current status of each owner's payments. Arriving having reviewed these documents, even partially, allows concrete answers instead of postponing everything to a later date.

It also helps to prepare a written agenda for the meeting, shared or shown at the start: introductions, collecting missing data, clarifying expectations, explaining how the accounting will start, and communication channels. A visible agenda keeps owners on track and reduces the digressions that needlessly stretch out meetings.

Introductions: who the manager is and how they work

The first minutes should cover not just name and firm, but working method: how routine maintenance is handled, how extraordinary expenses are communicated, response times for reported issues, and which tool or software is used for management. A platform like AmministraPro, for instance, lets owners check statements and notices on their own, which is worth explaining upfront to prevent avoidable phone calls.

This is also the moment to clarify the scope of the mandate: what falls under ordinary duties (keeping the owner register, the minutes register, the appointment register, and the accounting register, collecting contributions, carrying out conservation acts) and what instead requires a separate resolution or additional fee, to avoid misunderstandings about future costs.

Data collection: records, shares, contacts

The first meeting is the best opportunity to update the owner register: names and contact details of owners and tenants, land registry data for each unit, and details of the people living in each household. It is good practice to have a data sheet filled in or verified for each unit, confirming email and phone number for urgent communications.

If the ownership share tables are outdated or missing from the building regulations, this should be flagged at the meeting, explaining that significant structural changes (unit splits, mergers, changes of use) require a formal revision following the applicable majority rules. It does not need to be resolved immediately, but it should be recorded as an open item to follow up on.

Setting mutual expectations

Many conflicts between owners and managers stem from expectations that were never aligned from the start: response times for emails, how meetings are called, handling of after hours emergencies, and the procedure for reporting faults in common areas. Stating these elements clearly at the first meeting, perhaps also in a short welcome document, prevents later misunderstandings.

It is also worth asking owners about recurring issues with the previous management, such as open disputes, known arrears, or postponed works, so real priorities can be planned instead of discovered gradually over the following months.

Starting the accounting and ongoing communication

It should be explained clearly how the accounting will be set up: whether the current financial year continues, inheriting balances and transactions from the previous manager, or a new accounting period starts, along with the due dates for condominium fees and accepted payment methods. The obligation to keep condominium funds in a dedicated bank account, separate from the manager's personal assets, should be stated explicitly since it is often unfamiliar to owners.

For ongoing communication, it helps to define from the outset a main channel, such as email or an online portal, and a separate one for urgent matters, avoiding spreading information across too many different tools. Digital tools that centralize statements, minutes, and notices in a single access point reduce repeated requests and give owners a sense of transparent management from day one.

Frequently asked questions