Building maintenance fee in Georgia: what owners owe the building and why it is not a tax

Building maintenance fee: a contribution owed to fellow owners, not a tax

A building maintenance fee is the regular payment each owner in a Georgian multi-apartment building makes towards maintaining and operating the common property, such as the roof, stairwells, lifts, lighting and cleaning, normally in proportion to the flat's floor area. Listings call it ამხანაგობის გადასახადი, literally "association tax", but the law never uses the word for tax here. The Law on Homeowners' Associations (No 5277-რს of 11 July 2007, consolidated text of 15 July 2020 on Matsne) speaks of "მოვლა-პატრონობისა და ექსპლუატაციის ხარჯები", maintenance and operation costs, shared under Articles 5(6), 7(3) and 21(1)(ვ), and of a "სადანახარჯო შენატანი", an expense contribution (Article 26(8)).

The money goes to the owners' homeowners' association or, in many new complexes, to a management company under a contract the buyer signed. A British service charge or an American condo fee usually comes with penalties, a reserve fund and a budget procedure. The Georgian law has no late-payment interest, no penalty and no reserve fund; anything of that kind comes only from a charter or a contract, and we could not confirm that charters commonly include one.

The area key: why the ground floor pays for the lift

Article 5(3) defines an owner's share as the flat's area set against the total area of the building's flats, and Article 5(6) makes that share the owner's part of the common costs unless the charter says otherwise. Paying per m² is therefore the statutory default; a flat amount per flat is lawful when a charter, or a management contract, sets it.

So a ground-floor owner pays towards the lift unless the charter carves that out, and a holiday flat empty from October to May owes the same share as one lived in all year. The registered area behind the share is explained under total area; whether an attached cellar counts in the building total is something we could not confirm.

Charter, chair or contract: who fixes the amount

Under Article 23(1)(გ) a charter, if adopted, may fix regular expenses and additional contributions for development. Where no charter has been adopted, Article 26(7)(ე) lets the chair set both "ბინათმესაკუთრეთა ამხანაგობის წევრთა კრებასთან შეთანხმებით", in agreement with the members' meeting, and Article 15(2) allows extra development costs only with two-thirds of members' approval. An owner who did not vote for a measure not directly linked to upkeep need not pay for it (Article 7(4)), and an owner who does maintenance work personally or through others has the contribution reduced accordingly (Article 26(8)), in both cases unless the charter or a meeting decides otherwise.

The words "management company" do not appear in the 2007 law; it speaks of an invited manager (მოწვეული მმართველი) whose liability is fixed by contract (Article 14(4)). Whether a contract signed by the developer binds owners before their first meeting is open; see our entry on the property management company.

Flat lari, dollars per m² or a capped rate

Three formats appear in listings. The examples are single listings with their update date, not a survey.

Housebook adds that premium complexes "can be several times higher". We found no published fee for a named Tbilisi complex; yearly totals by flat type are in our guide to the cost of owning an apartment. Article 34(2.1) of the Organic Law on the National Bank requires an entrepreneur advertising services to state prices only in lari, yet service charges are often quoted in dollars; we could not confirm whether the rule catches them, so ask for the lari amount and the conversion method.

What the fee does not cover

• Utilities: water, gas and electricity are billed per flat by the suppliers.
• Municipal waste fee: per registered person, GEL 2.50 a month in Tbilisi and GEL 1.30 in Batumi, capped by the Law on Local Fees at GEL 3 per person for at most 4 persons.
• Property tax: a state tax, due only when family income exceeded GEL 100,000; see property tax.
• Major repairs in city programmes: paid mostly by the municipality, with a one-off owners' deposit.

Tbilisi's 2026 budget, approved on 23 December 2025, "sets aside 62.5 million GEL for homeowners' associations" (Business Media Georgia); later amendments may have changed it. City Hall reported "around 2,000 elevators" replaced (June 2025, no period given). Under Resolution No 12-29 as amended in 2019, owners deposit 5%, 3% or at least 10% depending on the works; the table is in our guide to the homeowners' association in Georgia. Batumi's 2025 budget paid 99% of lift replacement.

Arrears: court, a GEL 500 registry entry and the buyer's liability

Instead of fines, the law gives the association court action (Article 21(3)) and a registry entry: under Article 14(5), the chair with the meeting's agreement, or another person the association authorises, may register a member's debt "თუ იგი აღემატება 500 ლარს", if it exceeds GEL 500, as an obligation attached to the property. The entry is optional, so a clean extract proves little. Under Article 14(6) the new owner "პასუხს აგებს ... პერსონალურად და როგორც სოლიდარული მოვალე", answering personally and as a joint and several debtor, and Article 21(1)(თ) obliges the seller to disclose existing or expected obligations.

Where the fee appears in writing

The law sets no format for invoices or statements. A charter or management contract that still cites Civil Code Articles 210 to 232 relies on rules repealed in 2007. Landlords will find who pays what between owner and tenant on our page about running costs of a let flat.

Worked example: how fast arrears pass GEL 500

This is our own arithmetic on the published ranges, at the official rate of GEL 2.624 per USD valid from 5 August 2026. The flat is 60 m²; we assume the fee is owed to the association, as Article 14 covers association debts only.

An owner who never visits still pays (Article 21(2)): GEL 480 a year at GEL 40 a month, or USD 288 to 1,080 (GEL 756 to 2,834) at USD 0.4 to 1.5 per m². If a seller owes the association 18 months at USD 1 per m², that is GEL 2,834, and the buyer answers for it as a joint and several debtor whether or not it was registered. With the Batumi cap of USD 35 at USD 0.7 per m², the cap bites only above 50 m²: a 46 m² flat pays USD 32.20, a 60 m² flat USD 35 instead of USD 42.

Fee, service charge, pool charge or deposit?

The building fee in five languages

In Georgian charters and contracts expect the law's wording, ხარჯები and შენატანი; გადასახადი belongs to listings and conversation. In Hebrew דמי ניהול and in Arabic رسوم الإدارة mean a rental manager's fee, not the building fee.

Mistakes with the building fee

• Stopping payment while the flat stands empty: Article 21(2) excludes that.
• Reading a clean registry extract as proof of no arrears: registration is optional.
• Budgeting the per-m² rate on a large flat without checking for a monthly cap.
• Assuming the fee includes water, gas, electricity or the waste fee.
• Paying a dollar amount without knowing the conversion date and rate.
• Charging a tenant the fee when the lease is silent: Article 553(2) leaves it with the owner.

Checking the fee before you sign

1. Ask who collects it

   Association chair or management company.

2. Get the basis in writing

   Charter clause or service contract.

3. Check the formula

   Flat sum, per m² or capped, and the currency.

4. Ask for the balance

   The chair's written confirmation of arrears.

5. Order a fresh extract

   Look for an obligation in favour of the association.

6. Write it into the contract

   The seller's statement under Article 21(1)(თ).

Frequently asked questions

Is the building maintenance fee a tax?

No. The law calls it a contribution to maintenance and operation costs, owed to fellow owners, not to the state.

How is my share calculated?

By default, your flat's area against the total area of the flats, unless the charter sets another key (Articles 5(3), 5(6)).

Do I pay if the flat is empty?

Yes. Article 21(2) says non-use does not release an owner.

Does a ground-floor owner pay for the lift?

Yes, unless the charter says otherwise (Article 7(3)).

How much is it?

Housebook's November 2025 ranges for Georgia: basic service without reception costs GEL 20 to 40 a month, while complexes with concierge and security charge USD 0.4 to 1.5 per m².

Is there a late-payment penalty?

Not in the law. One can come only from a charter or a contract.

Can I inherit a seller's unpaid fees?

Yes, for arrears owed to the association. The new owner answers personally and as a joint and several debtor (Article 14(6)).

Can I pass the fee to my tenant?

Only if the lease says so (Civil Code Article 553(2)).

Sources

1. Law of Georgia on Homeowners' Associations, No 5277-რს, consolidated text of 15 July 2020, Matsne (accessed 2 November 2026)
2. Organic Law on the National Bank of Georgia, Article 34(2.1), Matsne
3. Tbilisi City Council Resolution No 50-101 of 20 December 2019, amending Resolution No 12-29, Matsne (accessed 2 November 2026)
4. How Much Does Property Maintenance Cost in Georgia in 2025-2026?, Housebook, 28 November 2025
5. New complex listing, Vazha-Pshavela Street, Batumi, Realting, updated 14 December 2025 (accessed 2 November 2026)
6. Wyndham block listing, Adlia Street 12, Batumi, Realting, updated 3 December 2025 (accessed 2 November 2026)
7. Tbilisi City Council approves 2026 budget, Business Media Georgia, 23 December 2025
8. Spending on Tbilisi infrastructure projects, Business Media Georgia, 23 June 2025

Change log

• 2 November 2026 - Glossary entry published from the Law on Homeowners' Associations, the Organic Law on the National Bank of Georgia, Tbilisi City Council, Housebook, Realting and Business Media Georgia.