Co-ownership Syndic: Legal Obligations and Fees 2026

The co-ownership syndic is the central actor in managing a jointly-owned building. Appointed by the general assembly of co-owners, it assumes legal, administrative, financial and technical responsibilities governed by the law of 10 July 1965 and its implementing decree of 17 March 1967. Understanding its obligations and the structure of its fees allows co-owners to better monitor the management of their real estate assets and avoid the budget overruns frequently observed in multi-unit buildings.

The syndic's legal obligations

The syndic is required to execute the decisions of the general assembly and to manage the building in accordance with the co-ownership regulations. Its mandatory missions, reinforced by the ALUR law of 24 March 2014, include:

• Maintenance of the building maintenance log (article L.721-1 of the CCH), a mandatory document detailing the works carried out and current maintenance contracts.

• Opening of a separate bank account in the name of the co-ownership syndicate (ALUR law), except where a waiver is voted in the GA for small co-ownerships with fewer than 16 units.

• Provision of a secure extranet allowing co-owners to access co-ownership documents (ELAN law 2018).

• Annual convocation of the general assembly within six months following the end of the accounting period.

• Taking out professional public liability insurance and holding a financial guarantee.

The syndic must also register the co-ownership in the national register maintained by the ANAH, an obligation established by the ALUR law to improve transparency in the French real estate sector.

The structure of syndic fees

Since the decree of 26 March 2015, syndic fees have been governed by a standard contract that clearly distinguishes two categories of services:

The annual flat fee covers routine tasks: accounting management, administrative management, convocation of the annual GA, extranet management, establishment of calls for contributions, etc. This flat fee generally varies between €150 and €300 per unit per year depending on the size of the building and the region.

Special services are subject to additional billing: organisation of additional general assemblies, claims management, supervision of major works, delivery of documents for a property transfer (dated statement charged at a maximum of €380 including VAT according to the 2020 decree), contentious recovery, etc.

Co-owners must be vigilant about excessive fees: any service not listed in the flat fee must be explicitly included in the contract in order to be billable.

Control of the syndic by co-owners

The syndicate council, elected by the general assembly, plays a decisive role in supervising the syndic. It examines the accounts, verifies quotes and can request communication of any document relating to management. In the event of serious breach, the GA can revoke the syndic by absolute majority (article 25 of the 1965 law) and engage its civil or even criminal liability for breach of trust or embezzlement.

Competitive tendering every three years, established by the ALUR law, also makes it possible to regularly challenge fees and the quality of services.