Rarely has the legal framework for homeowner communities moved so much in such a short time. Between Supreme Court rulings, a new mandatory mediation law, and a reform of the Horizontal Property Law in full parliamentary process, property managers and community presidents face a scenario that demands updating protocols as soon as possible. In this article, we review the updates that are having the most impact on three key fronts: delinquency, the holding of meetings, and accessibility works.
Telematic Meetings: Congress Advances in the Reform of the Horizontal Property Law
On May 26, 2026, the Congress Plenary admitted the reform of the Horizontal Property Law with 306 votes in favor, modifying articles 9.1.h, 15.1, and 19.1 of the LPH to allow meetings via videoconference, digital minute books, and email notifications. This bipartisan support —306 out of 349 deputies— reflects an unusual political consensus around the need to modernize community management.
However, caution is advised: admission to processing does not equate to a law in force. In fact, since January 1, 2022, there has been no regulation in the Spanish state order expressly governing telematic meetings in homeowner communities, except for the temporary coverage that existed during the pandemic. The exception is Catalonia, where the Catalan Civil Code has allowed videoconferencing since 2015 (art. 312-5.2 CCCat). While the state reform completes its parliamentary journey, the most prudent course is to shield any mixed or telematic meeting with a clear prior agreement and record in the minutes.
Delinquency in the Homeowner Community: Five-Year Prescription and Mandatory Mediation
Delinquency in homeowner communities continues to be one of the most common headaches: 38.43% of communities have at least one delinquent owner, according to the CGCAFE Global Delinquency Study, which estimates the total debt at around 1.6 billion euros. Added to this reality are two legal novelties that every administrator should be aware of: Supreme Court Judgment 1.726/2025, of November 26, which definitively consolidates that community fees prescribe in five years —ending decades of confusion over whether the term was fifteen—, and Organic Law 1/2025, of March 5, on Measures in the matter of Public Justice Service Efficiency, which imposes mandatory prior mediation before any monitoring procedure can be initiated in matters of community delinquency.
Despite this greater procedural complexity, the tools against non-payment remain effective if used in time: seizure without bond, allocation of costs to the delinquent, and real impact on the property offer very effective tools when used correctly and in time. The 2025 reform also incorporates preventive measures, as the community can temporarily deprive the delinquent of the use of non-essential services such as pools or gyms. However, there are red lines that should not be crossed: cutting essential services to the delinquent is illegal, and publishing the list of delinquents outside the internal board constitutes a data protection violation.
Mandatory Accessibility Works: When the Community Cannot Refuse
Article 10 of the LPH establishes that necessary works to ensure safety, habitability, and universal accessibility are mandatory, even if the meeting does not approve them, and the community cannot veto them if requested by a neighbor with a disability or over 70 years old, including elevators, ramps, mechanical devices, and various adaptations. The key to knowing whether to vote or not lies in the cost: the community of neighbors is obliged to carry out works that guarantee greater accessibility when the total cost of the work represents less than 12 monthly payments of the usual quota for common expenses for each neighbor, and to calculate this amount, the total cost of the work is reduced by any public subsidies or aids that may be received to carry them out.
Below this threshold, no meeting needs to be held, as the law directly obliges the works to be carried out if the cost is lower than these 12 monthly payments. Above, the works will be put to a vote and, if the majority of neighbors vote in favor, all owners will be obliged to pay their share, even if they voted against. Additionally, the responsibility for executing accessibility works in common areas falls on the homeowner community as a whole, not on individual owners, and if the community refuses, the applicant can resort to judicial or administrative means to demand compliance. To assess each case with guarantees, it is advisable to rely on specialized professionals: in the ForConnect directory you can find technicians and rehabilitation companies with experience in accessibility.
Agreements in Homeowner Meetings: Majorities to Know
Another recent change affecting meeting majorities is that of tourist rentals: since the 2025 reform, any owner who wants to allocate their home for tourist rental needs the express approval of the community, with an active agreement by a three-fifths majority. Such qualified majority requirements coexist with a structural problem that many administrators know well: the main problem of homeowner communities is not money, but that 6 out of 10 meetings are held with less than half of the neighbors. Such low attendance complicates achieving qualified majorities and multiplies the risk of challenges.
Therefore, before convening a meeting with works or changes of use on the agenda, it is advisable to:
Review what majority the agreement exactly requires (unanimity, three-fifths, simple majority, or special accessibility regime).
Document the call and agenda well to avoid nullities.
Remind owners of the importance of delegating their vote if they cannot attend.
Have comparable budgets before the vote, so the decision is not delayed due to lack of information.
How to Prepare from Property Management
In this changing scenario, the general recommendation is to update internal non-payment management protocols, review community statutes, and anticipate accessibility requests before they become conflicts. If your community needs to carry out an accessibility work, a reform derived from a meeting, or any action in common areas, you can request a quote through ForConnect and compare proposals from verified professionals. Staying up to date with these legal updates is not just a matter of regulatory compliance: it is the best way to avoid neighborhood conflicts and protect the building's value in the long term.