Practical guide
The first meeting of a new condominium
When a building moves from construction to condominium, the first meeting is the founding moment: it is where the manager gets appointed, provisional ownership tables are approved and the accounting starts. It is not a meeting like any other: there is no history of past budgets, a shared set of bylaws is often still missing, and owners barely know each other yet. This guide explains who must call it, what belongs on the agenda, how quorums work without precedents to rely on, and which documents are needed to start with orderly management from day one, avoiding the notice defects that most often lead to challenges later.
Who calls the first meeting and when
In most cases the first notice is the responsibility of the developer or seller, who remains in charge of managing the common areas until the owners appoint a manager: under Italian law, appointment becomes mandatory once the owners exceed eight. If the seller does not call the meeting within a reasonable time after selling the first units, any single owner can take the initiative to convene it, or apply to a court to have a judicial manager appointed.
It is good practice not to wait until every unit has been sold: as soon as the threshold of eight owners is crossed, or once most units already have an owner, calling the meeting avoids gaps in managing common areas that are already in use, such as the lift, shared systems or green spaces.
Appointing the manager: what to check
The appointment is one of the first agenda items and must be approved with the ordinary majorities set out in Italian condominium law. Before voting, owners should ask for and verify several mandatory elements: professional qualifications and good standing, registration or proof of the required training, details of the professional liability insurance policy, and the requested fee, which must be itemized item by item rather than presented as a single lump sum.
The minutes should record the appointment resolution together with the term of office, usually one year and tacitly renewable, and the accepted fee: these are the terms the manager will be bound to respect in the annual accounting.
Provisional ownership tables and bylaws
A newly formed condominium often still lacks a final ownership table attached to the bylaws: pending formal approval, the meeting can adopt provisional values based on the building project or the purchase deeds, which is enough to start calculating advances on shared expenses. A final ownership table, once drafted by a surveyor, still requires an approving resolution: without it, the values remain provisional and subject to revision.
If the building has more than ten units, bylaws are mandatory under Italian condominium law, and the first meeting is the natural place to discuss a draft, even though final approval may take more than one session.
Practical points worth recording in the minutes at this stage.
- A list of common areas already in use, such as systems, green areas and garage, and their maintenance status
- A provisional criterion for splitting expenses pending the final ownership table
- Any remaining warranties from the developer on systems and structures
- Appointment of an internal auditor, if the meeting considers it appropriate for a larger building
Starting the accounts and the first budget
Together with the appointment, the manager must open a bank account in the condominium's name, kept separate from personal funds, which is one of the basic conditions for transparency from the very first payment received. The meeting then approves a budget to estimate the year's expenses and set the advances to be paid, distinguishing ordinary running costs from any extraordinary expenses already planned, such as testing a newly installed system.
Condominium management software such as AmministraPro helps a newly appointed manager set up the chart of accounts, the owners registry and a tracked notice process for future meetings from the very start, reducing the risk of errors in the first months of activity, when there is not yet a track record to rely on.
Frequently asked questions
Who has to call the first meeting of a newly formed condominium?
It is usually the developer or seller, who manages the common areas until a manager is appointed. Once there are more than eight owners, appointment becomes mandatory by law. If the seller fails to act, any single owner can take steps to convene the meeting, or, after prolonged inaction, ask a court to appoint a judicial manager.
What majority is required to appoint the first manager?
The ordinary majorities under Italian condominium law apply, calculated both by number of participants and by ownership share value. Without a final table, the meeting can rely on provisional values drawn from the building project or the purchase deeds, as long as this is recorded in the minutes.
Is a final ownership table already required for the first meeting?
No. It is common for a new condominium not to have a final ownership table yet, drafted by a surveyor or approved by the meeting. In the meantime, provisional values can be used to calculate advances on shared expenses, which are later adjusted once the final table is approved.
Must the bylaws be approved right away at the first meeting?
If the building has more than ten units, bylaws are mandatory, but final approval can take more than one session to review the articles carefully. The first meeting can limit itself to presenting a draft and setting priorities, leaving formal approval to a later session.
How can software like AmministraPro help at this early stage?
AmministraPro lets a newly appointed manager quickly set up the owners registry, the chart of accounts for the first budget and a tracked notice process for future meetings, with dedicated features described on the features page and the plans on the pricing page, which is especially useful when there is no management history yet to rely on.
Try AmministraPro
Accounting, thousandths-based cost splitting, meetings, communications and artificial intelligence in a single Italian software, compliant with UNI 10801 and GDPR.