Mini communities (2–5 neighbours): the rules when there are just a handful of you

Do three neighbours need minutes, a chair and an official register? The law mostly says yes — with simplified routes worth knowing about.

The special framework that does exist

When there are only TWO owners, the law allows a co-ownership regime managed by direct agreement (without the full machinery). And communities of up to four can opt for simplified administration if the deed provides for it. In practice, most mini buildings run on the standard Horizontal Property Act "in miniature".

What you cannot skip (even with three of you)

• The shares and the split: the deeds rule here too.
• Agreements in writing: precisely because everything is informal, paper stops selective memory from ruining friendships. A notebook of signed agreements will do.
• Tax number, bank account and insurance if there are real common expenses: the first building job will require them anyway.

What is simplified in practice

Meetings are conversations (documented), the chair is more of a "coordinator on duty", and unanimity — impossible in large buildings — is the norm here for almost everything.

The two typical risks of the mini building

1. The blocking neighbour: with three of you, one who will not cooperate is 33%. The legal rules (majorities by share, necessary works, the fast-track debt procedure) apply just the same — use them without hesitation once dialogue is exhausted.
2. Total informality: with no record at all, the day a flat is sold or inherited, the new owner does not recognise 15 years of verbal understandings. Every relevant agreement goes on paper.

The good news

Well run, the mini community is the nimblest there is: decisions in a single conversation, minimal costs and zero politics. All it needs is that 10% of formality that protects it from its own trust.