Practical regulations
Managing a condominium with garages
Condominiums with garages and underground parking raise management questions that ordinary residential buildings do not face: ventilation of below grade spaces, fire safety systems, automated ramps and gates, and how to split costs fairly between owners who have a parking unit and those who do not. Many of these assets are privately owned but sit on structures that remain common property, such as load bearing walls, the driveway ramp or the fume extraction system, generating mixed costs that must be allocated under different criteria than the residential portions. Correct management requires a dedicated cost allocation table, bylaws that regulate use of the shared underground spaces, and scheduled maintenance of safety systems. This guide explains what sets these buildings apart and how to administer them without allocation or safety errors.
Common areas and private ownership in the garage
In a condominium garage, privately owned parking units coexist with parts that remain common by destination: the access ramp, maneuvering corridors, perimeter and load bearing walls, common lighting wiring, the ventilation system and any fire suppression equipment. Under Italian civil code article 1117, these parts are treated as common unless a title deed states otherwise, even when individual garages are registered and sold as separate units.
The administrator must clearly distinguish, for every intervention, what belongs to the private garage unit (the up and over door, internal plastering) and what belongs to the common part (the automated main gate, the ramp flooring, corridor lighting). This distinction determines both who decides on the intervention at the assembly and who bears the cost, and it is often the source of disputes when it is not clarified in the bylaws.
Ventilation of underground parking spaces
Underground garages need adequate air exchange for occupant safety and to limit the buildup of exhaust gases and fumes. The relevant technical reference for garage ventilation in Italy is the ministerial decree on garages (DM 1 February 1986), which for garages not open on opposing sides requires natural or mechanical ventilation systems with dimensional requirements tied to the floor area of the spaces.
Maintenance of mechanical ventilation systems, where present, must be scheduled and documented in the minutes: air grilles kept clear of obstructions, fans in working order, ductwork accessible for inspection. The administrator must keep records of interventions, and where mechanical ventilation is mandatory due to insufficient natural airflow, must ensure continuous operation, since a prolonged failure can create a genuine safety risk.
Fire safety and technical systems
Condominium garages above a certain capacity fall under the fire prevention control activities regulated by DPR 151/2011 and the related vertical technical rules. Depending on size, this can require equipment such as extinguishers, safety signage, escape routes kept clear, and for larger garages, smoke detection systems or smoke evacuation systems in case of fire.
Common electrical systems in underground spaces, motorized gates and doors, also need managing, with periodic checks of anti crushing safety devices, and where present, video surveillance systems for the common area must comply with EU Regulation 2016/679 on personal data protection, with information signage and footage retention limited to safety purposes.
Cost allocation tables for garages
Garage related expenses must be split according to the specific ownership share table for that part, distinct from the general building table, following the proportional criterion in article 1123 of the civil code. Owners without a parking unit do not contribute to exclusive garage expenses, such as electricity for those spaces, ramp maintenance or the main gate, while expenses concerning structures common to the whole building, such as the roof or facades, remain split according to the general table.
A common mistake is applying the general table to exclusive garage expenses, generating unfair charges to owners without a parking unit: it is advisable to set up a dedicated garage cost allocation table, attached to the bylaws, making every split transparent. Management software such as AmministraPro allows configuring multiple cost allocation tables for the same building and automatically applying the correct one based on the nature of the expense, reducing the risk of manual errors in statements.
Bylaws for garages and parking units
Effective bylaws for these buildings regulate use of shared maneuvering spaces, speed limits and temporary stopping in corridors, prohibitions on storing flammable materials in garage units, often required by fire safety rules, access methods through remote controls or badges, and management of keys for shared gates.
It is also useful to include rules for internal modification works to garage units, such as installing shelving or small technical rooms, that must not compromise common ventilation or escape routes. The assembly approves the bylaws with the majorities required for ordinary condominium bylaws, and subsequent amendments follow the same process.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays for maintenance of the condominium garage main gate?
Maintenance of the automated main gate, being a common part by destination under article 1117 of the Italian civil code, must be split only among owners of garage units and parking spaces according to the specific garage cost allocation table, not the general building table. Owners without a parking unit do not contribute to this expense, unless the contractual bylaws state otherwise.
Is mechanical ventilation mandatory in every underground garage?
Not always: the ministerial decree on garages sets natural ventilation requirements calculated on the floor area and openings of the spaces; mechanical ventilation becomes necessary when natural airflow does not meet the required parameters, typically in fully underground spaces or those lacking openings on opposing sides. The assessment should be made by a qualified technician during design or upgrade work.
How are costs split between owners with a garage and those without?
Exclusive garage expenses, such as corridor lighting, ramp cleaning, gate maintenance and ventilation systems, fall only on garage owners according to the dedicated cost allocation table for that part. Expenses concerning structures common to the whole building, such as foundations or the roof covering the garage as well, follow the general cost allocation table involving all owners instead.
Does a condominium garage need a fire prevention certificate?
It depends on capacity: garages fall under fire prevention control activities under DPR 151/2011 when they exceed certain size thresholds. In these cases the required documentation applies, a fire safety notice or certification depending on the risk category, and the administrator must keep it together with the minutes of periodic safety system inspections.
Can management software help handle separate garage cost allocation tables?
Yes: tools such as AmministraPro allow creating multiple cost allocation tables for the same condominium, linking each expense to the correct table, general or garage specific, and generating statements consistent with article 1123 of the civil code, reducing the risk of misallocated costs between garage owners and residential unit owners.
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