Transparency in condominium accounts: what you can (and should) demand in 2026
When complaints about condominium administration spike, the problem is almost never just “bad faith”: it is a lack of clear information about the building’s money. In 2026, public housing-complaint data show that accounts, budgets, meetings and communication sit at the heart of dissatisfaction — and Portuguese law already gives co-owners concrete tools to demand transparency. This guide explains what to ask for, when to ask, and how to act if the answer never comes.
About this article
Why transparency is back at the centre of the debate
Buying a home does not end your relationship with the building: from that moment on, you share expenses, decisions and risks with the other owners. In September 2026, analyses based on Portal da Queixa showed a sharp rise in housing-sector complaints — and condominium administration accounted for the largest share of those complaints. In round numbers, complaints in this category rose by about two-thirds year on year, and more than half of the mentions analysed touch on fees, accounts, budgets or meetings.
This is not a bookkeeping detail. Without readable accounts, a co-owner cannot tell whether the fee makes sense, whether the common reserve fund actually exists, whether a works contract was awarded with proper criteria, or whether there are hidden debts to suppliers. Opacity feeds distrust, delays decisions and, in extreme cases, leaves the building with no margin for urgent interventions.
Useful sources for following the context:
What the law already requires the administrator to do
The Portuguese Civil Code does not treat rendering of accounts as a favour. Among the administrator’s duties (article 1436), the practical highlights are:
- Prepare the annual budget of income and expenditure.
- Collect revenue and incur common expenses, in line with what was approved.
- Verify the existence of the common reserve fund.
- Render accounts to the meeting.
- Keep and maintain all documents relating to the condominium.
- Inform co-owners, in writing or by email, when the condominium is served or notified in relevant proceedings — and update them periodically on those developments.
Law No. 8/2022 strengthened several of these duties and clarified communication channels (including email). In parallel, Decree-Law No. 268/94 requires properly drawn-up meeting minutes, custody of those documents by the administrator, and constitution of the common reserve fund (a minimum of 10% of each unit’s share of the remaining expenses), deposited with a banking institution.
In plain language: whoever administers the building must be able to explain, with documents, where the money came from, where it went, and what balance remains — including the reserve fund.
Legal references for consultation:
Checklist: documents you should be able to consult
Before the ordinary meeting — and whenever there is a reasoned doubt — request (in writing, with a date) a minimum set of items. Transparent administration does not need to “hide the process”; it needs to organise it.
Accounts and financial movements
- Accounts report for the financial year (income, expenditure and result).
- Bank statements for the condominium account (not anyone’s personal account).
- List of fees collected and fees outstanding, by unit.
- Itemised expense map (cleaning, insurance, lift, common water, common electricity, maintenance, administration fees, etc.).
- Supporting documents (invoices, receipts, purchase orders) for relevant expenses.
- Status of the common reserve fund: balance, movements and proof of bank deposit.
Planning and decisions
- Proposed budget for the following year, with clear assumptions.
- Minutes of previous meetings (and confirmation that they are on file).
- Contracts in force with service providers (and renewal dates).
- Comparative quotes when there are new works or services of significant value.
- Building / common-parts insurance policy(ies) and evidence of the annual fire-insurance update.
Special situations
- Information on judicial or administrative proceedings involving the condominium.
- Statement of charges / unit debt (useful on sale; the administrator has short legal deadlines to issue it).
If the reply is “we don’t have access to the account” or “the documents are with the previous administrator”, that does not close the matter: the duty to keep documentation and render accounts remains, and the meeting can — and should — demand a concrete regularisation plan, with deadlines.
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Warning signs you should not ignore
Not every delay is bad faith. But certain patterns deserve immediate attention:
- Meetings only to ask for money, without ever presenting the previous year’s accounts.
- No budget several months after the start of the financial year.
- Refusal to show statements for the condominium account.
- Ad hoc expenses (staff replacements, works, new contracts) without a dedicated agenda item or documentation.
- Reserve fund mixed with the current account — or a “zero balance” with no explanation, in an older building with foreseeable needs.
- Oral-only communication, or only “in the building group chat, with no written record.
- Difficulty obtaining the unit debt statement when you need it for a deed.
When several of these signs pile up, the risk is not just “discomfort”: it is loss of the capacity for informed decision-making. Approving accounts or works without complete documentation is the equivalent of signing a blank cheque.
How to request information without creating a useless conflict
Form matters. A clear, polite, dated request protects you better than an argument in the lobby.
- Write (email or letter with proof of sending) to the administrator, identifying the unit and the period the request covers.
- List the specific documents (use the checklist above).
- Ask for a reasonable deadline (for example, 10 to 15 working days) and indicate that you intend to review the documentation before the meeting.
- Keep the reply — or the lack of one.
- If the meeting is already scheduled, ask to include on the agenda the “rendering of accounts for the financial year” and “budget approval”, with prior circulation of the documents.
The meeting is the proper body for formal, complete rendering of accounts. That does not stop a co-owner from requesting information needed to defend their interests; it does stop an individual request from turning into a “parallel administration”. The healthy balance is: accessible information day to day, collective deliberation at the meeting.
To go deeper into the duty to render accounts in accessible language, see also reference legal analyses such as this summary on transparency in administration.
What to do if the administration does not render accounts
If the written request fails, escalate proportionately:
1) Take the issue to the meeting
Any co-owner may request agenda items or, under the legal terms, promote the calling of a meeting when the requirements are met. Ask that the minutes expressly record the lack of documents and the steps requested.
2) Do not approve “blindly”
If the accounts are not documented, vote against approval or abstain with a statement in the minutes. Approving incomplete accounts weakens future complaints.
3) Demand a regularisation plan
Define, by resolution: a deadline for delivery of statements, an inventory of contracts, reconstitution of the reserve fund (if applicable) and who is responsible for follow-up.
4) Assess continuity of the mandate
Removal or non-renewal of the administrator is a decision of the meeting. It should rest on facts (breach of legal duties, absence of accounts, poor communication), not corridor noise.
5) As a last resort, external avenues
Depending on the case, there may be room for complaints to competent bodies, mediation or court action (including requests for information and liability). The judicial route is slower and more expensive: use it when documentation and the meeting have already exhausted internal avenues.
Day-to-day transparency: what good management looks like
Modern administration does not wait for the January meeting to “open the books”. In well-managed buildings, it is common to find:
- A portal or client area with minutes, budget, statements and notices.
- Periodic reports (monthly or quarterly) with balance, debts and incidents.
- Automatic or frequent bank reconciliation, so the condominium account matches recorded movements.
- Notices of meeting with attached documents — not just the agenda item title.
- A human channel for clarifying doubts (phone or email with a reply within a useful timeframe).
It is at this intersection — documentary discipline + communication + digital tools — that trust is rebuilt. Management solutions that combine human support with technology (such as Condoroo) matter precisely because transparency no longer depends on the memory of a physical folder: minutes, reconciliations and performance reports can stay accessible to co-owners throughout the year, not only on the eve of the meeting.
Common mistakes by co-owners themselves
Transparency is a two-way street. There are also failures on the side of those who demand it:
- Asking for “everything” with no period or purpose, which delays any useful reply.
- Arguing about numbers in informal groups without confronting official documents.
- Approving accounts out of fatigue, so as “not to prolong the meeting”.
- Ignoring the reserve fund until the big works project appears.
- Not updating contact details with the administration (email and phone), which later turns into “nobody told me”.
Ask for little, ask well, ask early — and confirm it in the minutes.
How to prepare for the next meeting (practical script)
In the week before:
- Re-read the notice of meeting and confirm that “rendering of accounts” and budget” appear as separate items.
- Request any missing documents in writing.
- Compare the proposed fee with the budget (and with the previous year).
- Check the reserve-fund balance and whether it is deposited in a dedicated condominium account.
- Note down 3 objective questions (not 30). Examples: What was the balance as of 31 December?”; “What percentage of fees is outstanding?; “Which contracts expire this year?”.
During the meeting:
- Ask for clarifications before the vote.
- Insist that relevant doubts are recorded in the minutes.
- Do not accept mixing approval of accounts with approval of new works in the same item, without separate documentation.
After the meeting:
- Keep the minutes and annexes.
- Follow up on any regularisation deadlines that were resolved.
- If you sold or are about to sell the unit, request the statement of charges/debt in good time.
Frequently asked questions
Is the administrator obliged to render accounts every year?
Yes. Rendering accounts to the meeting is one of the administrator’s legal duties. As a rule, the ordinary meeting reviews the financial year’s accounts and discusses the following budget. Without that rendering, co-owners have no basis to validate the financial management.
Can I request the condominium’s bank statements individually?
You may request information and documentation needed to defend your interests, in a reasoned and proportionate way. Formal, complete rendering of accounts takes place at the meeting, but systematic refusal to provide essential items (such as statements for the condominium account) is a serious warning sign and should be recorded in the minutes.
What should a credible condominium budget include?
Expected income (fees and other), itemised current expenses, provisions for maintenance, contribution to the common reserve fund, any works already resolved, and a realistic margin for contingencies. One-line budgets (“general expenses”) rarely allow proper control.
Is the common reserve fund mandatory?
Yes. Decree-Law No. 268/94 requires constitution of a common reserve fund for conservation expenses, with a minimum contribution of 10% of each unit’s share of the remaining expenses, deposited with a banking institution. If the fund is used for another purpose, the law provides for replenishment by extraordinary contribution within a maximum of 12 months.
What if the administration says it does not have the previous year’s documents?
The duty to keep condominium documents rests with the administrator in office. The meeting should demand an inventory of what is missing, deadlines for recovery from whoever holds them and, if necessary, measures to regularise the situation — including holding accountable whoever breached the duty of delivery.
Can I vote against approval of incomplete accounts?
Yes. It is in fact a legitimate way to protect the condominium. Ask that the vote and the reasons (missing statements, absence of invoices, missing budget) be recorded in the minutes.
Does digital transparency replace the meeting?
No. Digital tools and periodic reports improve follow-up throughout the year, but the meeting remains the deliberative body. The ideal is to arrive at the meeting already informed — not discover the numbers at the moment of the vote.
When does it make sense to change administrator for lack of transparency?
When there is repeated breach of legal duties (accounts, documents, communication), with no correction plan met within the deadlines resolved. The decision is the meeting’s and should rest on documented facts, not rumours.
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