A home needs attention between visits. Allocate practical responsibilities in advance: who will check after bad weather, let a contractor in, notice an unpaid bill and prepare for your arrival? Discuss this before buying as part of the full ownership budget.
Who looks after the apartment and the common parts?
Separate the responsibilities of the owner, the syndic and your chosen coordinator. The syndic manages the building's common property within its remit. That does not automatically include servicing your apartment or preparing it for your arrival.
For a villa, allocate garden, pool, equipment, drainage and access maintenance separately. Where roads or facilities are shared, establish who manages them. The list depends on the property; the next task is to agree access and inspections.
What should be agreed before a long absence?
Write a short list of actions and contacts. Inspection frequency depends on equipment, season, condition and insurance terms.
| Task | What to agree |
|---|---|
| Keys and access | Key holder, permitted visitors, issue records and a backup contact |
| Inspections | Frequency, areas checked, photos and how problems are reported |
| Bills and notices | Who receives and pays them; who tracks deadlines and building meetings |
| Contractors | Who selects them, obtains quotes, approves work and checks completion |
| Your arrival | Date, cleaning, equipment, water, access and readiness of requested services |
| Unexpected events | Who is notified, immediate actions permitted and who decides what follows |
This allocates responsibilities but does not replace a contractor agreement or insurance contract. Next, consider what happens when a routine check uncovers a problem.
What happens if there is a leak or another fault?
Agree a contact and permitted first actions in advance. When something happens, limit damage, record the circumstances and contact the appropriate specialist, building manager and insurer as needed. Check the notification method and deadline in your policy.
Set an emergency spending limit and a way to obtain your decision; retain invoices, photographs and correspondence. Round-the-clock availability and contractor arrival times require separate confirmation. Having a local contact does not establish them.
How do you check insurance and regular costs?
In a copropriété, every owner must carry at least personal civil liability insurance, whether occupying the property or not. This is separate from the building’s insurance.
Tell the insurer how the property will actually be used. Discuss long absences, rental, equipment, access and damage-prevention requirements. Check exclusions and deductibles; building insurance should not be assumed to cover all apartment contents and the owner's liability. See Service Public on owners' insurance obligations.
Separate taxes and charges, utility contracts, insurance, inspections, maintenance and potential repairs in the annual budget. Amounts and a reserve depend on the property. Compare coordinators using the same list of included actions and exclusions.
What changes if I sometimes rent the property out?
Guest or tenant stays create additional responsibilities. Before estimating income, confirm that your chosen rental use is permitted at the address. Then identify who handles arrivals, cleaning, linen, damage, payments and reporting.
Arranging maintenance does not itself establish an agreement to market or manage rentals. See the second-home rental guide for the rules and checks that come first.
What support does IMMO BTC provide after purchase?
We find specialists and regularly coordinate maintenance and contractors. We agree the scope separately: assigned tasks, decision-making responsibilities, expense approvals and how completed work is reported to you.
Before work begins, we discuss access, the timetable, pricing, included actions and responsibilities. Ongoing servicing should not be assumed to be included automatically in purchase assistance.
The next question is which arrangements your apartment or villa needs. Email us or call us about the property, your visiting seasons and the tasks you want to delegate. We will start with a conversation and define suitable assistance.
Basis and review date
Reviewed on 22 September 2026. IMMO BTC confirmed the service description on that date; specific obligations are set by agreement. Service Public on the syndic's role and owners' insurance help distinguish responsibilities. The organisational checklist is practical guidance, not a universal legal requirement.