Practical guide
Budget for a small condominium without services
A small condominium without common services, typically a low-rise building of a few units with no porter, no lift and no central heating, has a lean budget that is still not trivial. The items are few, usually stairwell cleaning, electricity for common areas, insurance, the manager's fee and a fund for minor maintenance, but they must be estimated with care and allocated according to the correct thousandths (millesimi). The ordinary management budget is listed among the manager's duties under Article 1130 of the Italian Civil Code and must be approved by the owners' meeting. This guide shows how to build it step by step, with a sample structure and allocation criteria.
What items a small building without services has
With no complex common systems, the budget focuses on a few recurring items. The typical ones are: cleaning of stairs and common areas, electricity supply for lighting hallways and stairwells, the premium of the building insurance policy, the manager's fee, postal and stationery costs, bank charges on the condominium account and a set-aside for minor ordinary maintenance.
Even in a minimal building, the condominium bank account in the name of the condominium is required under Article 1129 of the Italian Civil Code when a manager is appointed. The related account-keeping costs must therefore be budgeted. If the condominium has fewer than nine owners the appointment of a manager is not mandatory, but when there is one, the accounting obligations remain in full.
- Cleaning of stairs and common areas
- Electricity for common lighting
- Building insurance policy
- Manager's fee and management costs
- Bank charges on the condominium account
- Fund for minor ordinary maintenance
Sample budget structure
A clear structure helps the meeting read the document. It is best to organise the items in a table with an estimated annual amount for each and a grand total. A realistic example for a six-unit building might include: cleaning 1,800 euros, electricity 300 euros, insurance 700 euros, manager's fee 900 euros, bank and postal costs 200 euros, ordinary maintenance fund 600 euros, for an indicative total of 4,500 euros per year.
These amounts illustrate a method, not a price list: every condominium has its own contracts and consumption. The rule is to start from the actual figures of the previous year, that is the final accounts, and adjust the known items that will change, such as a renewal of the cleaning contract or an update of the insurance premium.
The budget must be accompanied by the allocation plan, which translates the total into shares for each owner according to the thousandths, and by the instalment plan, which spreads payments over time.
How to allocate costs with thousandths
In a building without services most costs are allocated according to the general ownership thousandths table, under Article 1123, first paragraph, of the Italian Civil Code, in proportion to the value of each unit. Cleaning, common electricity, insurance and the manager's fee follow this criterion.
If a common part serves only some units, for example a courtyard or an access used by a group of owners, the related cost is shared among those who benefit under the second paragraph of Article 1123. In a small, homogeneous building, however, almost everything falls on the general table, which makes management particularly simple.
Common mistakes to avoid
The first mistake is underestimating items to make the budget look lighter: an overly optimistic budget leads to unwelcome balancing charges at the final accounts stage. Prudent, realistic estimates are better. The second mistake is forgetting predictable one-off costs, such as a contract revision or a small job already reported.
The third mistake is not providing any margin for contingencies. Even in a simple building a stairwell light can fail or the intercom can break. A small set-aside avoids having to call for extraordinary contributions for tiny amounts. Finally, it is useful to keep the ordinary budget and extraordinary expenses separate, since the latter follow a distinct approval path at the meeting.
Managing the budget with software
Even for a small condominium, keeping the budget on paper or in a spreadsheet exposes you to calculation errors and to difficulty in producing the allocation and instalments. Management software automatically links cost items to thousandths, generates the shares per owner and the payment slips, and at year-end compares budget and final accounts without manual recalculation.
With AmministraPro you can set the budget, allocate it by tables and generate instalments in a few steps, with the document archive always available to owners. The features are described on the /funzioni page and the plans, suitable for small buildings too, on the /prezzi page.
Frequently asked questions
Is a budget needed even in a building without services?
Yes. When a manager is appointed, drafting the annual budget is one of their duties under Article 1130 of the Italian Civil Code and it must be approved by the meeting. Even with few items, the document is needed to determine the shares and instalments due from each owner.
How many items does this type of budget usually have?
Usually few: cleaning, common electricity, insurance, the manager's fee, bank and postal costs and a fund for minor maintenance. The absence of a porter, lift and central heating removes the largest items and keeps the document lean.
How are costs allocated without services?
Most follow the general ownership thousandths table, under Article 1123, first paragraph, of the Italian Civil Code. If a common part serves only some units, the related cost is split among those who benefit under the second paragraph of the same article.
Is a manager mandatory in a small condominium?
Appointment is mandatory when there are more than eight owners. With eight or fewer it is not mandatory, but if the meeting decides to appoint one anyway, all accounting obligations remain, including the account in the name of the condominium required by Article 1129.
How to avoid unwelcome balancing charges?
With prudent estimates based on the previous year's final accounts, adjusting the items that will change and providing a small margin for contingencies. An overly optimistic budget generates differences to recover at year-end, which are often poorly received at the meeting.
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