Can a tenant go to the community meeting in Barcelona?
Not as of right. Article 553-22.1 of the Catalan Civil Code gives the right to attend the junta to the owners, who can go in person or send a representative with written proof of authority. A tenant has no seat of their own, so if you turn up uninvited you're there only as long as the owners don't object.
This is the rule for every building under Catalan horizontal property law, which covers flats in Barcelona and the rest of Catalonia. The Spanish Ley de Propiedad Horizontal you may read about on national websites doesn't apply here; Book Five of the Catalan Civil Code replaced it. Some buildings let a tenant sit in and listen when nobody objects. That's goodwill, though, and it gives you no vote.
Attending in person isn't the only option. The statutes, or a decision of the meeting itself, can allow owners to join by video call (art 553-22.1). If your building does that, ask the administrador whether a representative can join the same way.
Arts 553-20 to 553-32 of Llei 5/2006, Book Five of the Catalan Civil Code (BOE consolidated text, last amended 3 July 2026).
How can a tenant vote at the junta?
Only as the landlord's representative. Article 553-24.2 lets an owner vote in person, through a representative under article 553-22.1, or by delegating the vote to another owner. A tenant who holds a written authorisation from the landlord can attend, speak and vote for that flat.
| Route | Who goes | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Representation | You, the tenant | Written authorisation from the owner. You get voice and vote |
| Delegation | Another owner in the building | Written delegation naming that owner, for one specific meeting, received before it starts |
| Owner attends | Your landlord | Nothing from you, but tell them what you need raised |
| Nobody attends | No one | For qualified-majority decisions the absent vote counts with the majority unless the owner objects within a month of being notified |
One catch: an owner who owes the community money keeps the right to speak but loses the vote (art 553-24.1), unless they've paid the debt into court or before a notary, or are contesting it in court. The notice of meeting has to list the owners in arrears. If your landlord is on that list, your proxy won't let you vote either.
What should the landlord's authorisation say?
The law only asks for it to be in writing (art 553-22.1), but the clearer it is, the less room for argument at the door. Ask your landlord, or the agency that manages the flat, for a short signed note that covers:
- the owner's full name and the flat (floor and door);
- your full name and DNI or NIE number;
- the date of the meeting, or that it covers a stated period;
- whether you can speak and vote on every agenda item, and any voting instructions.
A simple Spanish form of words: "Yo, [nombre], propietario/a de la vivienda [piso y puerta], autorizo a [nombre], con NIE [número], a representarme con voz y voto en la junta de propietarios del [fecha]." Take a copy and send one to the administrador (the building's property manager) in advance. If your landlord would rather keep the vote, ask them to delegate it to a neighbour you trust and brief that person instead.
How do you find out when the junta is and what's on the agenda?
Look at the noticeboard. The notice of meeting goes to each owner at least eight calendar days ahead, and the same notice must be posted, with the same notice period, on the community noticeboard or another visible spot (art 553-21.2). That's usually the board in the lobby or by the letterboxes.
The notice must give the agenda, the day, place and time, and the list of owners in arrears (art 553-21.4). The board meets at least once a year to approve the accounts and budget and elect the officers (art 553-20.1), and extra meetings can be called when needed. For an urgent extraordinary meeting the eight-day rule is relaxed: owners only need to have been able to learn of it before the date (art 553-21.3), so check the board more often when something in the building is going wrong.
The meeting can only take decisions on items on the agenda (art 553-25.1). If you want your problem discussed, it has to be on there.
Can a tenant get a copy of the minutes (acta)?
Not directly. The secretary must write up the minutes, signed by the secretary and the president, within five days of the meeting, and send them to every owner within ten days (art 553-27). The law doesn't require them to go to tenants, so your route is through the landlord.
Ask the landlord or their agency to forward the acta, or to tell the administrador it's fine to send it to you. Two practical points. The minutes must be written at least in Catalan (art 553-27.2), so be ready to run them through a translator. And they record who voted and how, which tells you whether a decision affecting your flat, such as works or a new rule about the roof terrace, actually passed.
How do you raise a building problem without a vote?
Go through your landlord, in writing. Keeping the common parts in good order is the community's job (art 553-44.1), but your contract is with the landlord, and the Spanish tenancy law makes the landlord responsible for keeping the flat habitable (LAU art 21.1). You must tell them about needed repairs as soon as possible (LAU art 21.3).
- Write to the landlord or agency. Describe the problem with dates and photos, and say how it affects your flat: no lift up to the sixth floor, damp coming through the facade, an entry door that won't lock.
- Ask them to get it on the agenda. Any owner can send the president items in writing before the meeting is called, and those items must be included (art 553-21.4.a).
- Tell the administrador as well, with your landlord in copy. For common areas they can often arrange a repair without waiting for a meeting.
- Keep everything in writing. If the problem drags on, those messages are what you'll rely on in any claim against the landlord.
For the detail on who fixes what, see our guide to repairs responsibility in Barcelona rentals, and for one of the most common building disputes, what to do when the lift is broken.
Which junta decisions bind a tenant?
The building's internal rules do. Article 553-12.2 says the reglament de règim interior, the house rules on neighbourly living and use of shared spaces, binds both owners and the users of each flat. That includes you, even though you never voted on it.
The community can also act against occupants directly. If someone in a flat does things that disturb normal neighbourly life, damage the building or break the statutes, the president must formally ask them to stop. If they carry on, the meeting can authorise a court action against the owner and the occupants. The community can then ask the court to bar use of the flat for up to two years and, where it applies, to end the tenancy (art 553-40). Noise is the usual trigger; our guide to noise and neighbours in a Barcelona rental covers it from both sides.
Money is different. Community decisions bind the owners, and you only pay community costs if your contract says so. Under LAU article 20.1, passing community fees on to a tenant needs a written clause that states the annual amount at the date of the contract. A one-off levy for works is a separate question, covered in our guide to who pays a derrama. If your contract is unclear, check with a professional before you pay.
LAU arts 20, 21 and 22 in the Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos (BOE consolidated text, last amended 7 October 2026).
Can a tenant challenge a junta decision?
No. Only owners can take a junta decision to court: those who voted against, absent owners who objected, and owners wrongly denied their vote (art 553-31.2). The deadline is one year for decisions that break the law, the deeds or the statutes, and three months for decisions that harm the community's interests or seriously harm one owner, counted from notification of the minutes (art 553-31.4).
A challenge doesn't stop the decision being carried out, though a judge can suspend it (art 553-32). So if a decision hurts you, say, works that will block your balcony for months, tell your landlord straight away. They're the one with standing, and the clock is already running. If works mean you can't use part of the flat, ask a professional whether a rent reduction applies; the LAU provides one for long repair and improvement works (arts 21.2 and 22.3).
What should you ask about the building before you sign?
Ask the agent a few questions about the building itself, not just the flat:
- Are any big works planned or already agreed, such as a facade, lift or roof?
- Are community fees included in the rent, and if not, what's the annual amount in the contract?
- Can I see the house rules (reglament de règim interior)? Pets, bikes in the hall, laundry on balconies and use of the terrat are the usual flashpoints.
- Who is the administrador, and how do I contact them about common areas?
If the answers worry you, keep looking. You can set up a Llavai search with your budget and neighbourhoods and compare the next few flats calmly.
How Llavai helps
Llavai watches the main Barcelona rental portals, scores every new agency listing against your brief (budget, neighbourhoods, bedrooms) and puts the best ones first, with the agent's number one tap away, so you can call before the queue forms. That call is also your chance to ask about planned works and community fees. Set up your search in a couple of minutes. If you'd rather not make the call yourself, Julia can make it in Spanish on the Pro plan.