Buying your own home is a dream for many people. This dream may take the shape of a flat or studio apartment. In that case, you are not simply buying your own home. In Belgium, you will also become co-owner of the building in which the apartment is situated.

Becoming a co-owner certainly creates opportunities to meet new people and get to know them, but living in a condominium is not always as easy as you expect. To avoid problems, you will need to get involved and take a certain amount of responsibility.

To help (future) co-owners on their way, the King Baudouin Foundation and the Royal Federation of Belgian Notaries (Fednot) have updated their ‘Practical guide for (future) apartment owners’, written in collaboration with the National Syndicate of Owners and Co-owners.

Based on the latest amendments to the law on co-ownership, which came into force in September 2021, the guide provides answers to a wide range of questions. What should you know before buying a property in a condominium? Is it compulsory to have house rules? What should you do if you do not agree with decisions made by the general assembly? How can you limit shared expenditure? How is work on the common parts financed?

You can download the guide here. The guide is available in Dutch, English, French and German.