Buying an Apartment in PPE Ownership

What PPE ownership means in practice

When you buy an apartment in PPE ownership, you own your specific apartment (your "lot") and a proportional share of the common parts of the building — the entrance, stairwells, lifts, roof, facade, garden and any other shared areas. Your share of the common parts is expressed as a fraction or percentage of the total building.

You are free to use, renovate and sell your apartment as you wish, subject to the PPE regulations. However, decisions about the common parts — major renovations, changes to the building's appearance, management of the building — are made collectively by all co-owners at the annual general meeting.

The PPE regulations

Every PPE building has a set of regulations (règlement de copropriété) that governs the rights and obligations of co-owners. The regulations cover: the allocation of lots and shares; the rules for using the common parts; the rules for renovating individual apartments; the management of the building; the calculation and payment of service charges; and the procedures for the annual general meeting.

Buyers should review the PPE regulations carefully before purchasing. Key provisions to look for include: restrictions on the use of the apartment (e.g., no short-term rentals, no pets); rules about alterations to the apartment; and the procedures for resolving disputes between co-owners.

Service charges and the renovation fund

PPE co-owners pay monthly service charges (charges de copropriété) that cover the costs of maintaining and managing the common parts of the building — cleaning, insurance, lift maintenance, garden maintenance, building management fees and contributions to the renovation fund.

The renovation fund (fonds de rénovation) is a reserve fund maintained by the co-owners for major renovation works — roof replacement, facade renovation, lift replacement, etc. A well-funded renovation fund is a positive indicator; a depleted fund may mean that co-owners face special assessments for upcoming major works.

The annual general meeting

Co-owners meet annually at the general meeting (assemblée générale des copropriétaires) to approve the accounts, set the service charge budget, elect the building manager and vote on any proposed works or changes to the building. Decisions are typically made by majority vote, with larger decisions (major renovations, changes to the PPE regulations) requiring a qualified majority.

Buyers should review the minutes of recent general meetings before purchasing — they reveal the financial health of the building, any planned major works and any disputes between co-owners.

Key points

• PPE: you own your apartment plus a proportional share of common parts
• PPE regulations govern rights and obligations — review carefully before purchasing
• Monthly service charges cover common part maintenance and renovation fund contributions
• Renovation fund: well-funded is positive; depleted may mean upcoming special assessments
• Review minutes of recent general meetings — reveals building health and disputes