The owners' meeting: how decisions get made
A community of owners must hold at least one general meeting a year, and resolutions are passed by majorities that vary with the type of decision, binding every owner including those who did not attend once the minutes have been circulated.
gelisted editorial team · Updated 15 August 2026
The short version
- At least one ordinary general meeting must be held each year.
- Different decisions require simple majority, three fifths or unanimity.
- An absent owner who does not object within 30 days is counted as agreeing.
- Resolutions can be challenged in court within 3 months, or 1 year for some.
For an owner who lives abroad, this is the one hour a year in which everything about their building is decided. Skipping it does not remove the decisions, only the influence.
The majorities
Simple majority of those present and represented, in second call, is enough for ordinary matters such as approving accounts and the budget. Three fifths of owners and quotas is required for matters such as establishing or removing certain services and, in many cases, for authorising tourist letting restrictions. Unanimity is required to alter the deed of horizontal division or the participation quotas.
| Decision | Majority | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Approve accounts and budget | simple majority | second call |
| Appoint president and administrator | simple majority | |
| Ordinary repairs and conservation | simple majority | may be obligatory |
| Install or remove certain services | 3/5 of owners and quotas | |
| Restrict tourist letting | 3/5 of owners and quotas | where permitted |
| Alter the deed or quotas | unanimity | |
| Accessibility works below a threshold | obligatory | no vote required |
| Challenge period | 3 months, 1 year in some cases |
Voting from abroad
A written proxy is enough: a signed authority naming the person who will attend and vote, delivered before the meeting. It does not need notarising. Many owners give the proxy to a neighbour or to the administrator, but a proxy given with no instruction is a vote handed away, so it is worth stating how you wish to vote on the items listed in the agenda.
Silence counts as agreement
An owner who was absent and who, within 30 days of receiving the minutes, does not communicate a contrary vote is counted as agreeing with the resolution for the purposes of the required majorities. That single rule explains why levies pass in buildings full of foreign owners: not because they agree, but because they did not read the minutes within the month.
Giving the administrator an email address that is actually monitored is the simplest protection available.
Challenging a resolution
An owner may challenge a resolution in court where it is contrary to law or to the statutes, is seriously prejudicial to the community, or is gravely damaging to an owner with no legal obligation to bear it. The period is 3 months from the resolution, or 1 year where the resolution is contrary to law or the statutes. The challenging owner must generally be up to date with their payments.
Frequently asked
+How often must a meeting be held?
At least one ordinary general meeting each year, with extraordinary meetings as needed.
+Can I vote if I live abroad?
Yes, by written proxy naming the person who will attend, with instructions on how to vote.
+What happens if I do not attend?
If you do not object within 30 days of receiving the minutes, you are counted as agreeing.
+What needs unanimity?
Altering the deed of horizontal division or the participation quotas of the units.
+How long do I have to challenge a resolution?
Three months, extended to one year where the resolution is contrary to law or to the statutes.
Sources
- 1Boletín Oficial del Estado, BOE (August 2026)
- 2Consejo General del Notariado, Notariado (August 2026)