Condominium management software: the role of technology

Technology does not replace the condominium administrator, but it changes how the condominium works: with condominium management software and an owners' portal, each owner can check the accounts, minutes and communications whenever they like, without having to ask for them. Since Law 8/2022 of 10 January, the law also provides for owners' meetings by videoconference and notices of meeting by email. The result is a condominium that is more transparent, quicker to decide and uses less paper. But it is worth knowing what the law allows, and on what conditions.

Owners' portal: the accounts in plain sight

The owners' portal is a private online area where each owner can access information about their condominium. In practice, it solves the most common problem in the relationship between owners and management: lack of information.

What a good portal should let you check:

• Condominium accounts: income, expenditure, budget performance and the balance of the common reserve fund (fundo comum de reserva).
• Unit account statement: fees issued, payments and amounts outstanding.
• Minutes of owners' meetings and the condominium's rules.
• Communications from the management: notices of works, water cuts, technical visits, notices of meeting.
• Relevant documents: insurance policy, maintenance contracts, inspection reports.

Article 1436 of the Civil Code requires the administrator to report on the accounts to the owners' meeting and to keep all the condominium's documents. A portal does not change these obligations, but it makes them visible all year round, not just at the January meeting.

Meetings by videoconference

Law 8/2022 added Article 1-A to Decree-Law 268/94, which allows the owners' meeting to be held by remote means, preferably by videoconference. This happens when the management decides so or when a majority of owners requests it.

There is an important safeguard: if an owner, for a justified reason, is unable to take part remotely and tells the management, the management must provide them with the means to do so. If it does not, the meeting cannot be held remotely.

In practice, meetings can be in person, fully online or hybrid. For them to work well:

• The notice of meeting should state clearly how to take part (platform, link, means of identification).
• It must be clear who is present and with what permillage, to calculate the quorum and majorities.
• Votes must be recorded clearly, so the minutes reflect what was decided.
• There should be a support contact for anyone who has technical difficulties on the day.

Videoconferencing usually increases attendance, especially in buildings with owners who do not live there.

Notices and minutes by email

The same law amended Article 1432 of the Civil Code. The notice of meeting can be sent by email to owners who have expressed that wish at a previous meeting, with that wish and their email address recorded in the minutes. In that case, the owner must send back, by the same means, an acknowledgement of receipt of the notice.

This leads to three practical points:

1. Consent must be in the minutes. Having the owner's email in a database is not enough; the wish must have been expressed at a meeting and recorded.
2. Owners who have not consented are still notified by the traditional means: registered letter or notice of meeting with a signed acknowledgement of receipt, with the notice period set in Article 1432.
3. The management should keep the acknowledgements of receipt, as they may be needed to prove that the meeting was properly called.

Owners' contact details are personal data, subject to the General Data Protection Regulation. They should be used only for managing the condominium and not shared with third parties without a legal basis.

Payments by Multibanco reference

Collecting fees is one of the administrator's duties (Article 1436). Many management systems can issue payment notices with a Multibanco reference or other electronic means, which brings clear advantages:

• The payment is automatically matched to the right unit, with no unidentified transfers.
• The owner pays when they like, at a cash machine or through online banking.
• The account statement updates faster, which makes it easier to keep track of debts.

A condominium whose fees are collected on time has less need for extraordinary fees and can keep to its maintenance plan.

Logging issues

A blown bulb on the stairs, a leak in the garage, a gate that will not close: without a log, these issues get lost among phone calls and messages. With a central log, you can:

• Know when each issue was reported, who it was assigned to and when it was resolved.
• Spot recurring problems that justify a more thorough fix.
• Build up the history that underpins the preventive maintenance plan.

What changes in practice

Task	Without digital tools	With condominium management software
Checking the accounts	Ask the management, or only at the meeting	Online at any time
Calling the meeting	Registered letter or hand delivery with receipt to everyone	Email for those who consented in the minutes; letter for the rest
Taking part in the meeting	In person	In person, online or hybrid
Paying the fee	Transfer matched manually	Reference linked to the unit
Reporting a fault	Phone call with no record	Issue logged and followed up
Accessing minutes and documents	Paper archive	Searchable digital archive

What technology does not solve

Good software does not make up for poor management. The accounts are only useful if they are done properly, the portal only helps if it is kept up to date, and issues only get resolved if someone deals with them. Technology makes the management's work visible; the quality of that work still depends on people. We explain the administrator's responsibilities in what a condominium administrator does (and does not do).

This article is for information only and is not a substitute for legal advice on a specific case.

How Condgest uses technology

At Condgest, every owner has access to the owners' portal, where they can check their building's accounts, minutes and communications, with clear financial reports. We also handle meeting preparation, maintenance, insurance and claims. Find out about our condominium management in Lisbon.

If you currently cannot see your building's accounts without asking for them, it may be time to change management company. You can also request a proposal or contact us on +351 215 934 450 or geral@condgest.com.