Spain’s lower house of parliament has taken the first formal step towards updating the rules that govern communities of property owners, known in Spain as “juntas de propietarios” or “juntas de vecinos”.
On Tuesday, 26 May 2026, the Plenary of Congress voted to start debating a bill to update Spain’s community‑living rules. The proposal now begins its journey through Congress.
Push to digitise community rules
The stated aim of the bill is to modernise and digitise how communities of owners work. It builds on measures first introduced after the COVID‑19 state of alarm, when owners’ meetings were temporarily allowed to take decisions online.
The initiative points out that the European Union has made the digitalisation of society a priority and argues that it should be easier to hold owners’ meetings and take decisions using all available tools, including digital ones.
What would actually change for communities of owners
The official note highlights three main changes for people who own property in a building or residential complex:
- Email for official notices: communities would be able to use email as an official way to send notices and other formal communications to owners.
- Online attendance at meetings: owners could attend the community meeting by videoconference, as long as this has been approved in advance by the community or written into its rules.
- Digital record of decisions: the minutes book, where decisions taken at community meetings are recorded, could be kept in digital form instead of only on paper.
Why this matters for foreign residents and non‑resident owners
For foreign residents and non‑resident owners in Spain, the proposed changes could make community life more manageable.
- Remote participation: owners who spend part of the year outside Spain, or who are travelling at the time of a meeting, could find it easier to take part in community decisions by videoconference instead of relying only on a proxy.
- Better access to information: using email for official notifications may help non‑Spanish residents receive calls to meetings and other formal communications more reliably, especially if they are often abroad or do not regularly use a Spanish postal address.
- Record‑keeping: a digital minutes book could make it simpler for owners to request and receive copies of community decisions in a format they can store and translate.
For now, this remains a bill under discussion in parliament, not a law in force.
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