Practical guide
Adding New Agenda Items at Owners' Request
The agenda is prepared by the manager, but owners are not passive spectators: they can ask to add matters that concern them, and in certain cases their request obliges the manager to convene the meeting with those items. Article 66 of the implementing provisions of the Italian Civil Code provides that the meeting may be convened also at the request of at least two owners representing one sixth of the value of the building, and that if the manager fails to act the requesting owners may proceed directly. Handling these requests well prevents conflict and reduces reliance on any other business. This guide distinguishes between a simple suggestion and a binding request, and explains how the manager must treat them.
How to handle a request to add an item
- Record the request with date, requesting owner and proposed matter.
- Check whether it meets the Article 66 threshold: two owners and one sixth of the value.
- If binding, add the item to the notice of meeting within the deadlines.
- Reformulate the proposed matter into a specific, votable item.
- Link to the request any supporting documents provided by the owner.
- Inform the requester of acceptance and the meeting date.
- Keep a record of the request together with the meeting file.
Informal suggestion and binding request
Not all requests carry the same weight. A single owner asking to discuss a topic exercises an informal suggestion: the manager assesses it and decides whether to add the item, considering its relevance to the community. It is good practice to accept reasonable requests, because anticipating them in the agenda prevents them from returning under any other business, where they cannot be voted.
Different is the request that meets the threshold of Article 66 of the implementing provisions: when at least two owners representing one sixth of the value of the building ask for the meeting to be convened on certain matters, the manager must convene it including those items. Here there is no discretion: the request is binding and must be honoured within the deadlines.
What the manager must do faced with a binding request
On receiving a request that meets the legal threshold, the manager must proceed to convene the meeting including the stated matters. If they fail to do so, Article 66 of the implementing provisions allows the requesting owners to proceed directly with the convocation. The manager's inaction, therefore, does not block the owners' right but transfers it to them, with avoidable tensions.
The correct path is to record the request, verify its requirements and, if satisfied, add the items to the notice. Refusing a binding request or ignoring it exposes the manager to liability and undermines the relationship with owners. Transparent handling of requests is part of the duties of diligence of the appointment.
Turning the proposed matter into a votable item
An owner often proposes a topic in generic form, for example problems with the lift. It is the manager's task to turn it into a specific, votable item, stating the subject of the decision and, if needed, the supporting documents. A well-worded item protects the resolution and clarifies to everyone what will be voted on.
If the matter requires an expense decision, it is useful for the manager to collect or request the quotes before the notice, so the item reaches the meeting accompanied by documentation. Accepting the request does not mean merely adding the title, but preparing it so the meeting can resolve with knowledge.
Documenting requests and communicating the outcome
Every request must be recorded with the date, the owner's name and the proposed matter, and kept together with the meeting file. This traceability serves both the manager, to show they handled requests correctly, and the owners, who see their request acknowledged. Informing the requester that the item has been added and stating the meeting date closes the loop.
Keeping this accounting of requests tidy during the year is what lets the manager anticipate them in the agenda rather than defer them. A condominium management software such as AmministraPro lets you collect owners' requests, link them to an agenda item and generate the notice that includes them, keeping track of who asked what and when. The features are described on the features page and the plans on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Can a single owner force the manager to add an item?
A single owner may suggest a matter and ask for its inclusion, but the manager assesses the informal request at their discretion. It becomes binding when it meets the threshold of Article 66 of the implementing provisions of the Italian Civil Code: at least two owners representing one sixth of the value of the building may request the convocation on certain matters, and in that case the manager must include them.
What happens if the manager ignores a binding request?
If the manager fails to convene the meeting despite a request meeting the legal threshold, Article 66 of the implementing provisions allows the requesting owners to proceed directly with the convocation. Inaction does not block the owners' right but transfers it to them, and exposes the manager to liability for breaching their duties of diligence in the appointment.
How should an item proposed by an owner be worded?
It must be reformulated by the manager in a specific, votable way: the generic title proposed by the owner is not enough, you must state the subject of the decision and, if needed, the supporting documents. If the matter requires an expense, it is useful to collect the quotes before the notice, so the item reaches the meeting prepared and owners can resolve with full knowledge.
Must owners' requests be kept?
Yes, it is good practice to record every request with the date, the owner's name and the matter, and keep it together with the meeting file. This traceability serves the manager to show they handled requests correctly and owners to see their request acknowledged. Communicating acceptance and the meeting date completes a transparent management.
How do you keep track of requests during the year?
The tidiest way is to record them as they arrive and link them to the future agenda. A management tool such as AmministraPro lets you collect owners' requests, associate them to a meeting item and generate the notice that includes them, keeping track of who asked what and when, so the manager anticipates them rather than deferring them to any other business. Details on the features and pricing pages.
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