Commercial units in the building: rights, duties and friction

Commercial units are owners like everyone else — with nuances worth understanding before the first conflict.

What they pay

By default, they contribute to all common expenses according to their share (which tends to be high: units have floor area). The bylaws may exempt them from services they do not use — entrance, stairs, lift — and that is the usual arrangement. Check the deed of constitution before arguing.

What they vote on

Everything. They have voice and vote like any owner, with their share. A large unit can carry a lot of weight in votes — and that is legitimate.

The typical friction

• Extraction and noise (bars): nuisance activities are tackled through the municipal licence and, if they persist, through the statutory injunction — with a prior resolution at a meeting.
• Work on the facade (signs, awnings, shutters): they need the community's permission where they affect common elements.
• Using the entrance for loading and unloading: regulated by internal rules (simple majority).

The advice

Treat the commercial unit as what it is: another neighbour with a large share. Including it in the communications (notices, minutes, accounts) prevents 80% of the lawsuits.