In a Bulgarian apartment block almost nothing is decided by one person. Repairing the roof, replacing the lift, insulating the façade, the cleaning fee, even who manages the building — all of it goes through the general assembly of the condominium (общо събрание на етажната собственост). The rules are set by the Condominium Management Act (ЗУЕС), which was substantially amended in 2023.
This guide follows on from our piece on the public register of building managers. That one covered who runs the building. This one covers how decisions are made and who pays what.
The general assembly is convened by the management board (or the building manager). Owners holding at least 20% of the ideal shares in the common parts can also require one to be called.
The notice must be signed by those convening it and posted in a visible place at the building entrance at least 7 days before the meeting (24 hours in urgent cases). It sets out the agenda, and decisions outside the announced agenda are, as a rule, not taken.
Since 2023 a meeting can also be held in hybrid form — in person and by video conference — provided participants' identity is verified. The procedure has to be set out in the building's house rules.
This is the biggest change. Under the current text, the meeting goes ahead if owners holding at least 51% of the ideal shares are present in person or by proxy (previously 67%). If there is no quorum, the meeting is postponed by one hour and can then proceed with at least 26% (previously 33%).
Where a single owner holds more than 51% of the ideal shares — for instance a developer who has not yet sold the flats — the quorum is 75%, so that a majority owner cannot decide alone.
Each owner's vote carries the weight of their ideal shares. The Act sets several thresholds (measured against the ideal shares of the whole condominium):
| Decision | Majority required |
|---|---|
| Adding floors or extensions, granting a right to build, changing the use of common parts | 100% |
| Useful (non-essential) expenditure, loans, writing off or rescheduling debts | 75% |
| Major renovation, use of EU, state or municipal funding | 51% |
| Electing the management board (manager) or appointing a professional manager | more than 50% |
| All other decisions | more than 50% of the ideal shares represented |
For some decisions — repairs and renovation among them — the Act also allows voting by written declaration, on paper or with a qualified e-signature, within 7 days after the meeting. That helps in blocks where many owners do not live in the building.
If your own renovation touches common parts — the façade, load-bearing walls, vertical risers — this is the kind of decision you will need. More on that in our guide to renovating a flat in an apartment block.
Minutes are prepared within 7 days of the meeting and signed by the chair and the secretary. A notice that the minutes are ready is posted at the entrance, and owners can obtain a copy.
Keep one. The deadline for challenging a decision runs from the notice, and the minutes are what the manager relies on to recover unpaid contributions through the courts.
The Act splits costs into two groups and allocates them differently.
1. Repair, renovation and reconstruction of common parts. Roof, façade, lift, entrance door, insulation. These are borne by the owners in proportion to their ideal shares. A tenant does not pay them unless agreed otherwise with the landlord.
2. Management and day-to-day upkeep. Electricity in the common areas, cleaning, lift servicing, the manager's fee. By default these are split equally by the number of owners and occupants, with some relief — for example for prolonged absence. Since the 2023 amendments the general assembly can adopt another method by 51% — by ideal shares, or equally per unit.
That is why two neighbours with identical flats can pay different monthly fees: it depends on how many people live in each.
Every condominium must keep a repair and renovation fund (фонд „Ремонт и обновяване“). The contribution is set by a decision of the general assembly. The money is held in a dedicated special-purpose bank account in the name of the chair of the management board (the manager) or of the owners' association, and may be spent only on repairs, on the measures in the building's technical passport, or on other purposes the assembly approves.
In practice this is the best single indicator of a building's health. A block with an empty fund and an old roof means the next repair will be paid in one go — by whoever owns the flats at that moment.
Decisions of the general assembly bind owners who were absent and those who voted against. When an owner or occupant fails to pay on time, the chair of the management board (the manager) can apply for an order for payment under Art. 410 of the Civil Procedure Code, attaching a copy of the assembly's decision. If the debtor does not object in time, the order becomes final and can be enforced.
That is why decisions on contributions need to be taken properly and minuted precisely — otherwise the condominium will struggle to recover the money.
Any owner can ask the district court where the building is located to set aside an unlawful decision. The deadline is short and strict — 30 days from receipt of the notice of the minutes. Filing does not suspend the decision unless the court orders otherwise.
Separately, a decision that is void — for example one taken by a meeting that was never properly convened — can be challenged without a time limit. Telling the two apart is a legal question best put to a lawyer before the 30 days run out.
Before you sign a preliminary contract, check the condominium as carefully as the flat itself:
Many of these questions are also on our home viewing checklist.
After the purchase, remember: within 15 days of acquiring the flat you must file a declaration for entry in the building's condominium book. A tenant has the same obligation on moving in.
If you are buying or selling a flat and are not sure what the decisions in your building mean, call us or come into the office. We will go through the minutes with you and tell you what lies behind them.
Information verified as of October 2026 against the current text of the Condominium Management Act. It is general in nature and does not replace specific legal advice.
