Who is the condominium administrator and what does he do?
A condominium administrator isn’t just someone who resolves disputes and misunderstandings between condominium owners and neighbors. A condominium administrator is like a business owner, and therefore must manage the accounts, optimize costs, and justify expenses.
If you want to become a condominium administrator, then, you’ll have to deal with a fraught reality of responsibility, and if you want to earn a good living, you’ll definitely need a solid education. But let’s proceed in order.
Why would anyone want to become a condominium administrator? It’s certainly a job that requires a certain amount of energy, as well as nerves and quick reflexes. It’s not an easy job , after all, because you’re up against the rigours of apartment building life: there’s always the “boy downstairs’ dog” that does nothing but bark; the arguments of the couple living next door that erupt into shouting matches are hard to bear.
All of this usually resolves itself with common sense, politeness, and mutual respect, but if it doesn’t and things get out of hand, you should contact and ask for help from a professional, in this case the condominium administrator.
But we reiterate that this isn’t the only role of a condominium administrator, who doesn’t just mediate disputes between neighbors, but also has many other important responsibilities. To succeed in this field, you also need entrepreneurial and leadership skills, a lot of patience, as well as great impartiality and objectivity.
A condominium administrator must, first and foremost, manage all common areas in the condominium or building. The aforementioned squabbles between condominium members are not part of their duties, although they can be called upon to intervene with a firm hand if the misconduct of one or more tenants persists and they fail to commit to peaceful coexistence with all the others.
The real and much more important duties of the condominium administrator are:
- Specific expertise in all matters relating to urban planning. A condominium administrator must be fully versed in all building regulations, be aware of architectural barriers, and always ensure that the building or buildings they manage fully comply with safety regulations.
- Calculate condominium fees and then divide them equally among all condominium owners using the thousandths tables.
- Managing conflicts between condominium owners, especially those concerning the use of common areas such as common rooms, parking, or the courtyard; this also includes moderating both ordinary and extraordinary condominium meetings.
- Accounting and tax expertise. A condominium administrator must always stay up-to-date on tax relief and exemptions, and must always manage, justifying them as they arise (i.e., specifying why the condominium expense amounts to that amount). They must also prepare a budget approved by the condominium meeting.
As you can see, condominium management is extremely demanding. If you want to make it your business, be prepared to work incredibly hard and have a great deal of patience, as you’ll be dealing with a wide range of people of all kinds and personalities, who will constantly be pulling your leg (and some will even call you for trivial matters or matters that don’t relate to your area of expertise or your profession).
But if done well, it’s a satisfying job that pays well. So let’s see how you can become a condominium administrator.
The path to take
To become a condominium administrator, specific training is required. Until a few years ago, this job didn’t require any particular qualifications or skills, and in fact, in most cases, the residents themselves took care of the entire building—some more or less improvised—because they happened to have some free time.
But today there is a law that has changed the rules, and which refers to Bill number 220 of 2012, which requires the appointment of a condominium administrator in all buildings inhabited by more than 8 condominium owners.
Today, therefore, anyone wishing to manage one or more condominiums (which may be residential or may also have professional offices or commercial activities on the ground floor) must have a high school diploma, have a clean criminal record, and attend a specific training course that prepares them for the role they will be undertaking.
For this last point, there are plenty of options, although we recommend focusing on courses offered by ANACI – National Association of Condominium Administrators, UNAI – National Union of Property Administrators, and ANAMNI – National-European Association of Property Administrators. Once the training program is completed, the course organizer will hold a final exam. Passing a exam will result in a certificate being awarded. This does not qualify the holder to practice the profession, as there is no register of condominium administrators to which they must register (unlike journalists or architects, for example). However, it does certify the acquired skills necessary for the proper performance of this profession.
But of course, becoming a proper condominium administrator requires personal qualities, those now celebrated soft skills typical of any profession (and often overused). In general, however, you must have excellent interpersonal skills, given that you’ll be dealing with individuals of all kinds. You’ll also need to be good at organization and management, as well as negotiation (a useful skill for resolving conflicts between contentious individuals).
For the same reason, you need to be good at problem-solving, especially because in apartment buildings, especially large ones, there’s no shortage of daily problems and obstacles to overcome.
Remember that you will also need to open a VAT number and obtain insurance for this profession.
Costs and earnings
The initial cost of becoming a condominium administrator isn’t particularly expensive. Consider:
- The training course, which costs from a minimum of 800 euros to a maximum of 1,200;
- Membership in a trade association, between 100 and 200 euros per year, which provides assistance and keeps you updated on building and bureaucratic regulations.
- The purchase of management software, which has a very large variable (from a few dozen to even 500 euros) .
- Logistics and travel, whether you travel by public transport or with your own car/bike/scooter/motorcycle.
Speaking of earnings, it’s important to clarify that managing just one condominium won’t get you to the end of the month: a single condominium, in fact, generates a maximum income of €220, and no more. We therefore recommend opening a firm that manages as many condominiums as possible, considering that someone who manages 20 condominiums earns over €4,000 a month. Furthermore, having more condominiums allows you to expand your network.
If you demonstrate a highly professional approach, tenants will speak highly of you and mention you to friends and family. For a property manager, word of mouth is still the best form of advertising.
