Who Pays for Communal Garage Repairs in Spain, and How We Restore Shared Surfaces

Who pays for communal garage and driveway repairs in Spain?

The owners do, through the community. Spain’s Ley de Propiedad Horizontal (Ley 49/1960) says that works needed for the proper maintenance of the building and its common services and installations are mandatory and do not require a prior agreement of the Junta de propietarios (art. 10.1.a).

Article 10.2 then provides that the owners bear the cost, and that the Junta’s role is limited to agreeing how the extra charge (the derrama) is divided and the payment terms. In other words, the meeting decides how the bill is shared, not whether necessary upkeep happens.

Whether a particular restoration counts as necessary maintenance or as an improvement is a question for the community and its administrador. We describe the work clearly; we do not classify it legally.

What majority does the Junta need to approve the work?

It depends on how the work is classified. Necessary conservation works need no prior agreement to go ahead. For improvements that are not required, article 17, rule 4 asks for three-fifths of the owners, who must also represent three-fifths of the participation quotas, and an owner who voted against is not obliged to pay for them.

Other agreements fall under article 17, rule 7: a majority of all owners who also represent a majority of the quotas, or, at a second call, a majority of those attending who represent more than half of the quotas present.

For a step-by-step look at how a community moves from a complaint about a shabby ramp to an approved job, read our community of owners guide.

Which communal surfaces do we restore?

We restore the outdoor shared surfaces that owners and visitors see every day. These are usually the areas that make an urbanisation look either well run or neglected.

• Shared access driveways and internal roads.
• Access ramps down to garages.
• Open-air parking areas and carports.
• Paths and steps between blocks.
• Pool surrounds in concrete or paving.

If your communal garage is enclosed or underground, send photos first. We do not work on interior floors, and we will tell you honestly whether the area falls within what we do.

What do we not do for communities?

We do not paint parking lines, number spaces, lay new concrete or carry out structural surveys. It is better for the administrador to know that from the first message, so that those items can be quoted separately by the right companies.

If a ramp or driveway has sunk or shows wide, growing cracks, the community needs a technical assessment before any restoration. Our guide on what restoration fixes and what it does not explains the warning signs.

How does the work run in a community of owners?

In the same order as anywhere else, with more coordination. Residents need to know when cars must be moved, which areas will be out of use and for how long according to the product data sheet.

1. The administrador or president sends photos and the approximate square metres.
2. We assess the surface and send a written quote and description of the work.
3. The community decides and agrees dates; notices go out to residents.
4. We pressure clean, repair the defects and cut in the edges.
5. Two coats of synthetic resin paint are applied, area by area if needed.
6. The surface is reopened once the data sheet times have been respected.

Large areas can often be split into sections so that part of the parking or access stays usable. We plan that with the administrador according to the layout.

What paperwork does the administrador get from us?

A clear quote based on the square metres, condition and access, with a plain description of each step: cleaning, repairs, edging and two coats. That is what the owners need to see at the meeting to understand what they are voting on or paying for.

We can supply it in Spanish for the minutes and in English for non-resident owners, which helps when some owners live abroad. For indicative pricing to share with the Junta, our sister site has a community budget page.

How does VAT work on communal restoration?

Spain applies a reduced VAT rate to renovation and repair work on dwellings when certain conditions are met, and the tax authority’s criteria extend it to communities of owners. The conditions include that the building was completed or last renovated at least two years before the work starts and that materials supplied stay below a set share of the taxable base.

Whether the reduced rate also covers annexes such as garages, patios and access areas has not been verified (to be verified). A further decree with new payment requirements was pending ratification at the time of writing. The administrador or the community’s tax adviser should confirm the rate for your case.

How do communal restorations relate to private villas?

The work on the ground is the same, but the decision process is not. A villa owner decides alone, while a community has to follow the LPH and its own meeting rules. If you also own a private property here, see our villa terrace refresh or the general patio refresh service.

Communities that want a closer look at garages and ramps specifically can visit our sister site on communal garages. For broader context on costs, the article on price myths is a useful read before the meeting.