The syndic profession

As soon as a building is divided into several units belonging to different owners (apartments, cellars, parking spaces…), the law requires creating an association of co-owners with legal personality. This association must appoint a syndic.

The syndic is the manager and legal representative of the condominium. They carry out the decisions taken at the general meeting, manage the common areas, keep the accounts and ensure the rules are respected. The syndic is the central contact between co-owners, contractors and authorities.

A condominium is based on the distinction between private areas (your apartment) and common areas (roof, façade, hall, lift, boiler room…). Each unit carries a share of the common areas, expressed in thousandths or quotas.

Three bodies keep the condominium running:

• The general meeting (GM): the sovereign body bringing together all co-owners and taking decisions.
• The syndic: the executive body that implements decisions and handles day-to-day management.
• The condominium council (mandatory from 20 units): it oversees and supports the syndic.

An auditor also checks the accounts each year.

Co-ownership is governed by the Belgian Civil Code (Book 3 on property — the section on forced co-ownership of buildings), deeply reformed by the laws of 2010, 2018 and 2019 to modernise management and decision-making.

These rules set out in particular:

• the majorities required at the meeting (simple majority, 2/3, 4/5 or unanimity depending on the decision);
• the obligation to hold a reserve fund and a working-capital fund;
• the mandatory content of the statutes and the internal rules;
• co-owners' rights to information and appeal.

Changing syndic is a right of the condominium, and it is simpler than people think. The decision is taken at the general meeting by a simple majority (50% + 1 of the votes present or represented).

The ordinary general meeting is held once a year, during the fifteen-day window set in the statutes. This is when the condominium decides: budgets, works, accounts, appointments.

My role as syndic around the meeting:

• Convocation within the legal deadlines (in principle at least 15 days in advance), with a precise agenda and attached documents;
• chairing the meeting, checking quorums and majorities;
• drafting and sending the minutes;
• implementing the decisions voted.

Administrative management is the documentary and legal backbone of your condominium. It rests on the statutes, which include:

• The base deed: describes the building, divides it into private and common units and sets the shares.
• The co-ownership regulations: organise co-owners' rights and obligations, charges and their distribution.
• The internal rules of order: set the practical rules of communal living (now mandatory).

In practice, I keep the registers and archives up to date, manage correspondence and relations with co-owners, ensure compliance with legal obligations (UBO register, publications, insurance) and keep all documents accessible online via Optipro.

A well-maintained building keeps and gains value. I steer all technical contractors, negotiate contracts and ensure mandatory inspections are met:

• 🛡️ Insurance & broker
• 🔧 Plumber
• 🔥 Heating engineer
• 🛗 Lift company & periodic inspection
• ⚡ Electrician
• 🧹 Cleaning
• 🌳 Green spaces
• 🔍 Regulatory inspections

I make sure every installation subject to a mandatory periodic inspection (lift, boiler room, electricity, oil tank…) is compliant, and I organise both emergency call-outs and preventive maintenance. My character helps here: I negotiate firmly and let nothing slide on quality.

Trust is earned on the accounts. I keep clear, compliant accounting on a bank account dedicated to the condominium, with everything viewable online.

• Accounting: recording invoices, tracking payments, forecast budget and annual balance put to the vote.
• Charge statement: each co-owner receives an individual, readable and justified statement.
• Distribution key: charges are allocated according to the quotas (thousandths) and the utility criteria set in the statutes — everyone pays their fair share.
• Working-capital & reserve funds: managed separately to anticipate major works without abrupt fund calls.

The syndic contract, voted at the meeting, defines the mission, its duration (a maximum of three years, renewable) and the fee. It clearly distinguishes two types of service: