Features & tools
Setting allocation criteria by expense category
Every condominium expense has its own allocation criterion: general expenses follow ownership thousandths (millesimi), staircases follow Article 1124 of the Italian Civil Code, the lift combines use and height, heating follows consumption. Setting the match between expense category and table once lets the software distribute every invoice automatically, without choosing the criterion by hand at each entry. This guide explains how to build the chart of accounts linked to the tables, which criteria the Italian Civil Code provides for the most common items, and how to avoid typical mistakes, such as a lift maintenance cost allocated by general thousandths alone.
Why map category and criterion
In a condominium the same unit carries different weight depending on the expense. A top-floor apartment contributes more to staircases and the lift, a ground-floor shop is often excluded from these items. If the criterion had to be chosen by hand for each invoice, the risk of applying the wrong one would be high.
Linking each expense category to the correct table in advance means that, once the invoice is recorded under the right item, the software already knows how to allocate it. Consistency between the chart of accounts and the tables is the basis of reliable automatic allocation and reduces disputes when the annual statement is approved.
The criteria provided by the Italian Civil Code
The general criterion is Article 1123, which allocates expenses in proportion to the value of the property, unless otherwise agreed, and provides for allocation by use when something serves owners to a different degree. Staircases and lifts follow Article 1124, half by thousandths and half by floor height.
Other items have dedicated rules: the exclusively used flat roof follows Article 1126, improvements follow Article 1120, while central heating with metering applies the UNI 10200 standard. Mapping these criteria into the categories avoids having to remember which rule applies to which expense.
- General expenses: ownership thousandths, Article 1123
- Staircases and lift: Article 1124, half thousandths and half height
- Exclusively used flat roof: Article 1126
- Heating with metering: UNI 10200
Building the chart of accounts linked to the tables
Configuration starts from the chart of accounts. Each expense account, for example cleaning, staircase electricity, lift maintenance, is linked to the table that defines its allocation. This way the operator only chooses the category in which to record the invoice and the criterion is applied accordingly.
It is worth having accounts specific enough not to mix expenses with different criteria. A single generic account would force everything to be allocated the same way, whereas distinct items per service let each be assigned the correct table and make the statement clearly readable by category.
Handling exceptions and checks
Special cases remain: an expense concerning only some units, a service excluded by agreement, an invoice to split across several criteria. The software must allow you to force the table on a single entry without changing the standard mapping, so the exception stays contained.
With AmministraPro you link each chart-of-accounts category to its allocation table, handle exceptions on the single expense, and get a statement neatly organised by criterion. The accounting and allocation features are described on the /funzioni page, while the plans for firms and managers are listed on the /prezzi page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I assign a category a criterion other than the legal one?
Only with a valid basis, namely an agreement among all owners or a contractual provision in the regulation. Article 1123 of the Italian Civil Code allows an allocation different from thousandths if set by agreement. Absent such a basis, the legal criterion applies and must be respected in the mapping.
How do I handle an invoice to be split across two criteria?
You record the expense by breaking it into its parts, each linked to the correct table, or by using a feature that applies several criteria to the same invoice. What matters is that the sum of the parts matches the invoice total and that each part follows its own allocation rule.
Do lift expenses go only to the upper floors?
No. Article 1124 of the Italian Civil Code allocates maintenance and replacement of staircases and lifts half by ownership thousandths and half in proportion to floor height. Lower floors contribute too, with a smaller weight. The only exclusion may derive from a contractual basis.
What happens if I record an expense in the wrong category?
Allocation will follow the criterion linked to the wrong category, distributing the expense over the wrong table. That is why a clear chart of accounts and a check before issuing instalments help. If the error emerges later, you fix it by reclassifying the expense and recomputing the allocation.
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