The owners of homes within a complex in Spain form a Community of Owners (Comunidad de Propietarios), whose members (property owners) pay a fixed monthly community fee from which all standard communal utility and maintenance costs are funded. The owners elect a President of the Community and vote on issues during an annual meeting, with other, smaller meetings, called to deal with specific issues.
The community also chooses an independent third-party Administrator (Administrador in Spanish), usually a professional Gestor (administrative manager) – who is the go-to person for any issues involving a residential community in Spain and is responsible for handling the finances, contracting third parties for maintenance work and ensuring all legal requirements are met. The Community of Owners agrees upon the rules to adopt, and the Administrator acts as an arbitrator if needed.
The tasks of an Administrator
More specifically, he/she is responsible for preparing and submitting a budget for the running of the urbanisation, including provision for unforeseen expenses. The Administrator will also be the person who chairs, or manages, the AGM and EGM meetings, takes minutes and distributes them to the members of the community of owners.
Where needed, the Administrator fulfils the role of the Secretary of the Board, advising owners and acting as the point of contact for matters relating to the community. He or she is therefore the person who will put out tenders for any work to be done within the urbanisation, including painting, gardening, pool maintenance and any repairs or installation work needed.
The Administrator, moreover, ensures the community acts within the letter of the law and that all payments to third party suppliers, utility providers and also taxes are paid fully and on time. In practice, this also includes advising any homeowners who have fallen behind with their community fee payments, and if necessary, taking action on behalf of the community of owners.
