Start with the ownership boundary
A flat sits inside a building with shared structure, services and external appearance. Before classifying a job as private, identify the elements affected: slab, load-bearing walls, shafts, facade, roof, shared drains and supply risers. A pipe inside the flat is not necessarily private throughout its length. Ask the technician and administrator to check the relevant title, statutes and actual installation.
For the Madrid example, LPH article 7 permits alterations to a private unit within stated limits concerning safety, general structure, exterior configuration and other owners’ rights, and requires prior communication to the community representative. This is not a general right to change shared elements. Nor does it mean every interior renovation automatically needs a vote.
Notice and an agreement do different jobs
Send the defined scope before work begins and retain evidence of receipt. Ask who is the appropriate community representative and copy the administrator where that is the building’s agreed channel. State the intended dates, contractor contact and any service interruption. A note on the lift wall alone does not establish that the required communication reached the representative.
If shared elements or external appearance are affected, have the necessary decision and legal route established before proceeding. The applicable requirement depends on the work and law; there is no single voting percentage for every renovation. LPH articles 10 and 17 address different categories, including obligations and agreements. Do not interpret silence or an informal conversation with one neighbour as the required authorisation.
Check the regional legal setting
This article’s working example is a Madrid flat under the LPH framework. Catalonia has its own horizontal-property provisions: Civil Code article 553-36 addresses private works, prior communication and alteration of common elements. Do not copy a Madrid procedure or a voting assumption into a Barcelona project without checking the applicable regime.
Likewise, a period mentioned for a particular activity is not a universal notice period for ordinary works. Agree a realistic lead time with the building so that shared-system inspections and any meeting can occur. Record the actual requirement and decision rather than inventing a national rule such as “all renovations need 30 days’ notice”.
Give the building useful information
| Subject | What to provide or ask |
|---|---|
| Scope | Drawing or short description; structure, facade and shared-service implications |
| Programme | Proposed start/end, noisy stages and dependencies |
| People | Owner and contractor contacts and responsibility for daily coordination |
| Services | Water isolation, shared-duct work, access to inspection points |
| Common areas | Carrying route, lift conditions, protection and daily cleaning |
| Evidence | Required decisions, technical information, municipal route and insurance arrangements |
Provide the information needed for coordination, without distributing unrelated identity or payment documents to the whole building. Agree how drawing revisions will be notified. If the contractor changes a drain route after opening up, the original “no common elements affected” description may no longer be valid.
Keep municipal and private approvals separate
A comunidad decision does not replace the municipal urban-planning procedure, and a municipal filing does not give you ownership rights over a facade or shaft. Check the heritage status where external or protected elements are involved. Keep each decision tied to the same drawings and proposed equipment.
An external air-conditioning unit, new opening or changed window appearance needs a specific assessment, not a generic “internal reform” label. Ask the technician to identify facade effects, condensate and service routes. Where the building has a standard for windows, shutters or awnings, obtain the relevant specification before placing an order.
Plan access, waste and interruptions
Agree the permitted use and load limits of the lift, protective coverings, delivery times, stair access and cleaning. Confirm local noise rules and building arrangements rather than assuming the contractor’s usual working hours apply. Ask who receives complaints and how urgent water or damage issues will be handled while the owner is away.
Madrid’s construction container and bag procedure is separate from a place to stack debris inside the building. Confirm street occupation where relevant and do not obstruct escape routes with materials. Plan water shutdowns with notice and a responsible installer; a promise to “turn it off briefly” is inadequate if several flats depend on the same riser.
A short notice you can adapt
Do not write that structure or common services are unaffected unless a competent assessment supports it. The template does not obtain approval by itself. If an agreement is needed, save the formal decision and its conditions, and ensure the contractor works to that approved boundary.
Record condition and close the loop
- Document the agreed condition of affected common areas before deliveries.
- Confirm protection, emergency contacts and access arrangements at the site briefing.
- Pause for reassessment if hidden shared services or a different structural condition appear.
- Record incidents and notify the appropriate representative promptly.
- Remove temporary protection and waste, inspect common areas and close agreed repairs.
Separate the flat’s contract costs from community works or charges that have not been determined. A household contingency is not the community’s statutory reserve fund. Reno Pro can organise tasks, correspondence notes, accepted costs and payments, while the community and relevant professionals determine rights, decisions and technical responsibilities. Good coordination makes the renovation predictable for the building as well as the owner.
Sources, date and scope
- BOE — Ley 49/1960 de Propiedad Horizontal: artículos 7, 9, 10 y 17
- BOE — Código Civil de Cataluña: artículo 553-36
- Ayuntamiento de Madrid — OLDRUAM 6/2022: artículos 6, 7, 8 y anexos I–IV
- Ayuntamiento de Madrid — Instalación de contenedores y sacos de residuos de construcción y demolición
- Ayuntamiento de Madrid — Guía para conocer el nivel de protección del patrimonio
Sources checked on 19 October 2026. Local procedures and examples concern the city of Madrid unless stated otherwise. IVA explanations concern the territory where that tax applies, rather than the separate tax systems of the Canary Islands, Ceuta or Melilla. Original worked calculations are teaching examples for the stated scope, not market averages or contractor offers.