Home > Expert advice > Fact sheets > What is a condominium?
What is a condominium?
Joint ownership
Co-ownership is a way of organizing the ownership of a property.
In co-ownership, there are at least two owners. There can be many more.
The building, or the real estate complex, is divided between:
• private portions, which belong to a co-owner,
• the common parts, which belong to all the co-owners, gathered within the syndicate of co-owners.
The co-ownership can concern as well:
• a building, we then speak of " vertical co-ownership": each co-owner is the owner of an apartment, a cellar, a garage ... The structural work belongs to the co-ownership.
• a set of houses, we then speak of " horizontal co-ownership": each co-owner is the owner, generally, of his house, built on a ground that belongs to the co-ownership.
Each co-owner is the owner of a lot, which consists of:
• a private portion,
• a share of the common elements.
All the co-owners form the syndicate of co-owners, which is responsible for administering the common elements and conserving the building.
To be able to act, the syndicate of co-owners is represented by a syndic. The syndicate of co-owners takes its decisions within the meeting of co-owners. The syndic then takes care of having them executed.
Namely : there are other ways to organize a building or a real estate complex: civil society, trade union association... These other formulas obey different rules of co-ownership .
In co-ownership, there are at least two owners. There can be many more.
The building, or the real estate complex, is divided between:
• private portions, which belong to a co-owner,
• the common parts, which belong to all the co-owners, gathered within the syndicate of co-owners.
The co-ownership can concern as well:
• a building, we then speak of " vertical co-ownership": each co-owner is the owner of an apartment, a cellar, a garage ... The structural work belongs to the co-ownership.
• a set of houses, we then speak of " horizontal co-ownership": each co-owner is the owner, generally, of his house, built on a ground that belongs to the co-ownership.
Each co-owner is the owner of a lot, which consists of:
• a private portion,
• a share of the common elements.
All the co-owners form the syndicate of co-owners, which is responsible for administering the common elements and conserving the building.
To be able to act, the syndicate of co-owners is represented by a syndic. The syndicate of co-owners takes its decisions within the meeting of co-owners. The syndic then takes care of having them executed.
Namely : there are other ways to organize a building or a real estate complex: civil society, trade union association... These other formulas obey different rules of co-ownership .
Good to know
The co-owners can be individuals or legal persons, like real estate civil companies (SCI).
Other fact sheets
To go further:
Our guide to frequently asked questions about real estate is here to help you see more clearly.
Quickly find an effective letter template to meet your expectations as much as possible.
