Condominium management plan: read the building rules before they bind you
A condominium management plan is not a marketing brochure for the residential site. It is a document that governs how the common property is managed and used and can regulate practical matters involving the manager, meetings and owner obligations. TKGM materials on condominium ownership explain that the management plan has contractual effect and binds unit owners and their successors. A buyer should therefore review it before acquisition rather than discovering after moving in that an assumed use is restricted or that common expenses are allocated differently from expectations.
Obtain the current plan that actually belongs to the property
Ask for the management plan applying to the exact building or compound and establish whether later amendments exist. Do not rely on a generic document from another phase of the developer’s project. In large toplu yapı structures, management can operate at several levels or across multiple blocks. Match the project, block and phase and request any relevant amendment or annex.
Understand what the plan regulates
The plan can address the management method, use of common elements, manager and auditor functions, meetings and practical building rules. This does not mean that every written clause overrides statute; mandatory law and the Condominium Ownership Law remain relevant. Nevertheless, the plan is operationally important because it provides the rulebook under which the property is managed day to day.
Review how aidat and expenses are allocated
Knowing the current monthly aidat is not enough. Read how security, cleaning, lifts, gardens, pools, central heating or other systems and maintenance costs are allocated. Different classes of expense can follow different lawful allocation rules. Ask for the recent budget and meeting decisions, because a current charge can increase after major work is approved. The buyer needs the calculation method, not only this month’s number.
Check capital works and reserves
Ask about approved or expected façade, roof, lift, waterproofing and central-system work, and whether there is a reserve fund or special assessment. A low-aidat building may simply be postponing expensive repairs. If a substantial special payment was approved before purchase, decide in the sale agreement who bears it and when liability arises. Avoid relying on vague language such as “all old debts belong to the seller” without defining the particular assessment.
Clarify rights in common areas
Gardens, roofs, parking areas, corridors, storage spaces, pools and gyms can be common property or subject to a particular use arrangement. Physical occupation seen during a viewing does not prove exclusive ownership. If the apartment’s value depends on a parking bay, terrace or storage area, connect the claim to registry/project evidence, the management plan and any relevant allocation decision.
Review alteration rules before planning renovation
The plan and applicable law may restrict work affecting the façade, common systems, structure or external appearance. Enclosing a balcony, mounting an air-conditioning unit, changing a window, adding signage or routing a pipe may require approvals. Similar work in neighbouring apartments is not proof of permission. A buyer planning a material renovation should verify the rules and approved project before relying on the proposed layout.
Pets, professional use, business use and nuisance
A frequent source of conflict is buying first and learning later about rules concerning pets, home-office activity, professional use, commercial activity or amenity hours. Read the relevant provisions and distinguish management-plan wording from what governing law and local rules permit. Where a specific use is essential to the purchase, obtain appropriate legal or administrative confirmation instead of relying only on a concierge or salesperson.
Understand how decisions are made
Review meeting timing, notice, voting, proxy rules and minute keeping. TKGM materials reflecting the Condominium Ownership Law explain that the principal property is managed according to statute, the management plan and owner-board decisions. Ask for recent minutes to understand actual issues: disputes, capital works, service changes, arrears and proposed increases.
Assess arrears and financial discipline
A high level of unpaid common charges can strain cash flow and delay maintenance. Ask about aggregate arrears, collection practice and material litigation without demanding unnecessary personal information about neighbours. Also obtain a current statement for the unit being purchased so the buyer does not begin ownership with uncertainty over an older aidat or special assessment.
Do not confuse verbal practice with legal entitlement
Information from a guard, salesperson or even manager can be useful, but it does not amend the management plan or an owner-board resolution. If someone says a parking space is “always for this apartment” or a particular rental practice is “normally allowed”, ask for the written basis. The manager acts within statutory, plan and resolution authority; the manager does not personally own the common facilities.
Use the plan in investment analysis
For an investor, the plan can affect lettability, common costs, amenity access, renovation and resale liquidity. For an occupier, it directly shapes daily living. Include it in the comparison matrix alongside title, location and physical condition. A good acquisition is not only a suitable apartment; it is participation in a management system whose rules and costs the buyer can accept over the intended holding period.
Keep a dated copy at purchase
Store the management plan, amendments, important recent minutes, budget and unit account statement in the acquisition file. If management changes later, the buyer retains a reference to what was reviewed when the decision was made. A management-plan review does not replace legal advice in a complex dispute, but it can reveal many practical surprises before the buyer becomes bound by the building’s governance system.