The majorities in French co-ownership
| Majority | How it is calculated | Provision |
|---|---|---|
| Article 24 | Majority of votes cast by co-owners present, represented or voting by post | Act of 10 July 1965, art. 24 |
| Article 25 | Majority of the votes of all co-owners | Art. 25 |
| Article 25-1 second vote | If the proposal won at least one third of the votes of all co-owners, an immediate second vote at the article 24 majority | Art. 25-1 |
| Article 26 | Majority of members representing at least two thirds of the votes | Art. 26 |
| Unanimity | Votes of all co-owners | Art. 26 |
Article 24: majority of votes cast
This is the default majority: general meeting decisions are taken by a majority of votes cast by co-owners present, represented or voting by post, unless the law provides otherwise (article 24, I). A resolution passes as soon as votes for exceed votes against.
Decisions under article 24
| Decision | Letter |
|---|---|
| Works needed to preserve the building and protect the health and physical safety of occupants (structure, walls, roof, networks, bringing flats up to standard) | a |
| How to carry out works made compulsory by law, regulations or a police order | b |
| How to carry out works notified under article L. 313-4-2 of the French Planning Code (building restoration) | c |
| Accessibility works for disabled people or people with reduced mobility, on the conditions set by the text | d |
| Removal of rubbish chutes for hygiene reasons | e |
| Changes to the co-ownership rules made necessary by changes in the law | f |
| Deciding to commission the building survey under article L. 731-1 of the French Construction and Housing Code, and how it is carried out | g |
| Standing permission for the municipal police to enter the common parts | h |
| Fitting private secure parking spaces with charging points for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, and the related study | i |
| Permission for co-owners to carry out, at their own cost, works for secure bicycle parking in the common parts, on the conditions set by the text | j |
| Installing solar photovoltaic and thermal energy equipment on roofs, facades and railings | k |
| Changing the split of general charges made necessary by a change in the purpose of private units, in the cases set by article 9 | l |
List in article 24, II, as in force since 18 June 2025. The text says "in particular": other decisions also fall under article 24.
Article 25: majority of the votes of all co-owners
Article 25 decisions only pass with a majority of the votes of all co-owners. Absent co-owners count: their silence weighs like a vote against. Out of 10,000 shares, at least 5,001 votes for are needed.
Decisions under article 25
| Decision | Letter |
|---|---|
| Delegating power to the managing agent, the co-owners' council or any person to take an article 24 decision | a |
| Permission for co-owners to carry out, at their own cost, works affecting the common parts or the outside appearance of the building, in keeping with its purpose | b |
| Appointing or dismissing the managing agent and the members of the co-owners' council | c |
| Terms of disposals of common parts or related rights where they result from legal or regulatory obligations | d |
| Changing the split of general charges made necessary by a change in the use of private units | e |
| Energy-saving works or works reducing greenhouse gas emissions | f |
| How the entrance doors of the building are opened | g |
| Installing a radio station needed for a public network, on the conditions set by the text | h |
| Authorising the chair of the co-owners' council to sue the managing agent for the loss suffered by the association | i |
| Installing or changing electrical installations supplying parking spaces for electric vehicle charging, on the conditions set by the text | j |
| Installing individual cold water meters | k |
| Installing heat meters or heating cost allocators | l |
| Authorising the transfer to the police of images recorded to protect the common parts, on the conditions set by the text | m |
| Works involving conversion, addition or improvement | n |
| Requesting individual water supply contracts, and the studies and works needed | o |
Letters a to o of article 25, as in force since 18 June 2025. Several letters refer to detailed conditions in the text.
The article 25-1 second vote
Where the meeting has not decided at the article 25 majority, but the proposal won at least one third of the votes of all co-owners, the same meeting decides at the article 24 majority by holding an immediate second vote (article 25-1).
Example: in a building of 10,000 shares, appointing a new managing agent wins 4,600 votes for, 1,200 against and 400 abstentions. The article 25 majority is not reached, since 5,001 votes are needed. The proposal does clear one third of the votes, or 3,334. The meeting votes again at once: 4,600 for against 1,200, the resolution passes. These figures are a worked example.
For article 25, f energy-saving works that did not win one third of the votes, a new meeting called within three months on the same proposal can decide at the article 24 majority.
Article 26: the double majority
Some decisions need a majority of the members of the association representing at least two thirds of the votes. Both conditions apply: a number of co-owners and a number of votes. Out of 10,000 shares and 40 co-owners, at least 21 co-owners must vote for, representing at least 6,667 votes.
Decisions under article 26
| Decision | Letter |
|---|---|
| Property acquisitions and disposals other than those under article 25 d | a |
| Changing, or drawing up, the co-ownership rules on the use, enjoyment and management of the common parts | b |
| Abolishing the caretaker's post and selling the caretaker's flat if owned by the association (unanimity if this affects the building's purpose) | c |
| Changing the rules to ban short-term holiday lets of homes other than main residences, where the rules already ban all commercial activity | d |
Letters a to d of article 26, as in force since 21 November 2024.
Decisions that require unanimity
The general meeting cannot, by any majority, force a co-owner to change the purpose of their private unit or how it may be used, as set by the co-ownership rules.
Only a unanimous vote of all co-owners can approve selling common parts needed to respect the building's purpose, or changing the provisions of the rules on that purpose (article 26).
Challenging a decision: two months
Co-owners who voted against or did not attend must bring any challenge to a general meeting decision within two months of being notified of the minutes, or lose the right to do so. The managing agent sends the minutes within one month of the meeting (article 42 of the Act of 10 July 1965).
Except in an emergency, works decided under articles 25 and 26 are put on hold until the two months have passed. A resolution passed at the wrong majority can be annulled, but only if proceedings are brought in time. Our French limitation periods calculator gives the date to watch.
