Agenz: Everything you need to know about condominium fees in Morocco in 3 minutes!
Becoming a homeowner is the ambition of many of us. But beyond the expenses associated with purchasing the property of your dreams, your new status will require you to regularly reach into your pocket! If you have opted for a condominium, which is often the case when living in a city, you will need to pay condominium charges. It's better to master the subject!
We tell you everything you need to know about condominium charges in 3 minutes!
Definition of Condominium in Morocco
According to Law 18-00 relating to the status of condominiums of built buildings, the concept of condominium covers "the ownership of built buildings divided into apartments or floors or premises, and whose ownership belonging to several people is divided into lots comprising each a private part and a share of the common parts. They are also applicable to built real estate complexes consisting of buildings, villas, or premises, contiguous or separated, divided into private and common parts belonging in indivision to all the co-owners. These provisions apply to registered buildings or buildings in the process of registration or not registered."
Simply put, condominium refers to all types of buildings or groups of buildings owned by several people, who are thus co-owners. Thus, if you own an apartment, you are a co-owner of the building in which it is located.
What are the Components of a Condominium ?
A condominium consists of two main components:
Private parts: the parts that are the exclusive property of each co-owner. For example, if you own a villa in a residence, your house and your garden are private parts.
Common parts: These are the parts intended for the use of all the co-owners or some of them. This includes, for example, the stairs, corridors, elevators, the facade of the building, the lodges of the guards and concierges, etc. In short, everything that is intended for common use. This also includes common equipment, including parts that pass through private areas.
To maintain these common parts, co-owners are required to pay condominium charges.
Everything You Need to Know About Condominium Fees in Morocco
Here we will try to answer recurring questions about property charges in Morocco.
What do Condominium Charges Cover ?
Condominium charges allow the preservation, maintenance, and management of the common parts. It is an obligation for the owners.
How are They Calculated ?
According to the legal texts, the amount of charges is set according to the share of each owner in the divided part of the building, unless otherwise provided in the condominium regulations. In other words, if nothing is mentioned about the condominium regulations, your charges should be calculated pro-rata to the private area you have.
Example :
If a 150 sqm 3-bedroom apartment pays 600 MAD/month in condominium charges, a studio half the size at 75 sqm should pay 300 MAD/month, or half the charges.
This is because a large apartment is generally occupied by more people and therefore has a greater impact on the life of the building (more elevator movements, electricity, traffic in common areas, etc.)
In practice, in Morocco, the amount of charges is simply divided by the number of co-owners, which does not benefit small areas in the condominium. For this method of distribution to be applied, it must necessarily be mentioned in the regulations.
Can They Increase or Decrease?
The distribution of charges can only be reviewed and decided by the general assembly with a three-quarters majority of the co-owners' votes. The amount of charges is validated at the same time as the budget of the condominium syndicate during the annual general meeting.
Who Must Pay Them ?
Even in the case of renting the property, it is the owner who is required to pay the condominium charges. He will be pursued in case of non-payment within the deadlines set by the condominium regulations.
What to Do if I Consider Paying Too Much in Condominium Charges ?
The law provides for the co-owner who believes that his participation in the charges is higher than what he thinks he should pay, the possibility to bring the dispute before the competent court to request its revision.
What Happens in Case of Non-Payment ?
Unpaid bills are a real headache for condominium syndicates which often try to avoid resorting to justice. Unfortunately, often, the co-owners who are up to date also pay the price.
However, the law provides a procedure for co-owners who do not meet their obligations. For this, the Syndicate is required to send a letter with acknowledgment of receipt to the owner asking him to pay his contribution within thirty days. After this period, the Syndicate has the right to seize the court which can issue an order for the owner to pay. The procedure can go as far as the forced mortgage for the benefit of all the co-owners. This is only lifted when the delinquent payer has settled his debt.
If you wish to go further, you can consult the full text of the law on the website of the Ministry of Housing. And for all our real estate advice, it's here!
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