The Co-owner's Guide to Croatian Condominium Law
Key terms, concepts, and processes explained in plain language — a companion to the Zimvilo workshop programme for new co-owners in Croatia's crowdfunded residential buildings.
How co-ownership works in Croatia
A brief orientation to the key concepts covered in the Zimvilo workshops — useful context before attending Session 1.
What is etažno vlasništvo?
Etažno vlasništvo (condominium ownership) is the legal form created when a building is divided into separate units, each with an individual owner. Each unit owner also holds a proportional share of the common areas — staircases, roof, façade, parking areas, and other shared spaces. This share is expressed as a fraction of the whole building and determines both rights and obligations.
What is the reserve fund (pričuva)?
The reserve fund (pričuva) is a mandatory monthly contribution paid by each co-owner, calculated based on their ownership share and the size of their unit. The funds are held collectively and used for planned and emergency maintenance of the building's common areas. Croatian law sets a minimum contribution rate, though the co-owners' assembly can vote to increase it for specific maintenance projects.
Who is the building manager (upravitelj)?
Croatian law requires multi-unit residential buildings to have a professional building manager (upravitelj). The manager is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the building — maintaining common areas, managing the reserve fund, arranging repairs, and preparing the annual management plan. The manager is appointed by the co-owners' assembly and can be replaced by a majority vote.
What is the annual management plan (godišnji plan upravljanja)?
The annual management plan is prepared by the building manager and presented to the co-owners' assembly for approval. It sets out the planned maintenance works for the coming year, the associated budget, and the projected reserve fund balance. Co-owners have the right to review, question, and vote on the plan. Understanding how to read this document is one of the core skills covered in Session 1.
How does the co-owners' assembly work?
The suvlasnička skupština is the decision-making body of the condominium. It must be convened at least once per year and can be called at any time by the manager or by co-owners holding a sufficient share of the building. Decisions are made by vote, with different thresholds for different types of decisions — some require a simple majority of ownership shares, others require a qualified majority or unanimous agreement.
Key terms in Croatian condominium law
A reference glossary of the Croatian legal terms you will encounter as a co-owner — and their plain-language meanings.
Condominium ownership — the legal form in which a building is divided into individual units, each owned separately, with shared ownership of common areas.
Co-owner — a person who holds an ownership share in a condominium building, including rights to their individual unit and a proportional share of common areas.
Reserve fund — the mandatory monthly contribution paid by each co-owner for the maintenance of common building areas. Held collectively by the building manager.
Building manager — a professional entity legally required to administer multi-unit residential buildings in Croatia. Appointed and overseen by the co-owners' assembly.
Co-owners' assembly — the decision-making body of the condominium, comprising all co-owners. Meets at least annually to approve the management plan and make decisions about the building.
Annual management plan — the document prepared by the building manager setting out planned works, budget, and reserve fund projections for the coming year.
House rules — the set of rules governing behaviour and use of common areas in the building, adopted by the co-owners' assembly and binding on all residents.
Common areas — parts of the building owned collectively by all co-owners, including staircases, roof, façade, basement, parking areas, and shared garden spaces.
Ownership share — the fraction of the building owned by each co-owner, expressed as a proportion of the whole. Determines voting weight and reserve fund contribution.
What participants typically ask
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