An approved levy or a community debt can cost you thousands of euros after the purchase. This is what you should review.
Buying & selling · Updated October 2026 · 5 min read
When you buy a flat you don't just acquire the home: you join its homeowners' association, with its fees, its rules and, sometimes, its surprises.
Demand the community's debt certificate. The buyer may be liable for the outstanding fees of the current year and the previous three.
A levy (refurbishment, lift, façade works) approved before the purchase can fall on you even if you didn't vote on it. Review the minutes of the meetings.
All this is part of the prior review in any purchase and, in buildings, of the due diligence.
The flat is liable for the fees of the current year and the previous three, so you should demand the up-to-date certificate and retain or deduct any debt.
Yes. If the meeting approved a levy for works before your purchase, it can fall on you. That's why we review the minutes before signing.
With the certificate confirming payments are up to date, which the seller must provide at signing. The buyer is liable for the current year and prior years as set by law.
If the levy was approved at a meeting before your purchase, it falls on whoever owned the property at that time, unless otherwise agreed; but review the minutes to avoid surprises.
The latest meetings, to learn about approved or planned levies, works, disputes, fees and the state of the reserve fund. We review them as part of the due diligence.
We review the community's debts, levies and bylaws before you sign.
