What is a homeowners' association in Georgia?
It is the legal form through which the owners of flats in one building look after what they own together: the roof, the stairwell, the lift, the facade and the land. Georgian law does not wait for owners to set one up. Under the Law on Homeowners' Associations of 2007, an association arises automatically in any apartment building standing on one land plot that has more than two individually owned flats, and every buyer joins it on the day their ownership begins. Joining is not a choice, and neither is leaving while you own the flat.
The association is not a legal person, yet it can hold property in its own name, open bank accounts and be represented by its chair, including in court. Older texts point to the Civil Code, but only Articles 208 and 209 of its chapter on flats in apartment buildings remain in force; the rest was repealed when the 2007 law was adopted, so that law is where the current rules are found. This explainer covers how an association is run and registered, how it sets and collects fees, what owners may change in a building, the city co-financing available in Tbilisi and the house rules set by national law.
What the association looks after
The law lists the common property in detail: the land plot; the structures and the engineering and communication lines that serve the building; the load-bearing and facade structures, including foundations, walls, parapets, eaves, rain pipes and common balconies; the entrances, corridors, stairwells, and basements and attics that nobody owns individually; and the roofs, lifts, shafts, ducts and transit pipes and wiring. A flat cannot be sold or mortgaged separately from its owner's share in all of this.
That share is arithmetic: the area of your flat divided by the total area of the individually owned spaces in the building. Unless the association's charter says otherwise, the same fraction sets your part of the common expenses and the weight of your obligations. In an emergency any owner may act alone to prevent immediate damage to common property and claim the cost back from the others.
Who runs it: the chair and the members' meeting
There is no board. An association has one chair, elected by the members' meeting by two thirds of the votes for a term the meeting chooses. The chair can be one of the owners or a hired manager, and in a building with more than two entrances the chair may appoint a representative for each one. The chair calls meetings, carries out decisions, manages the money and the contracts, hires people for maintenance and represents the association. A departing chair must hand over all documents, information and assets to the successor.
The members' meeting is the association's decision-making body. Unless the charter provides otherwise, the chair must call it at least once a year, with written notice to the members. If the chair is absent or refuses, any owner may call it, and urgent matters justify an immediate meeting. Decisions bind every member, including those who stayed away or voted against, and any owner may read the minutes and challenge a decision in court.
How the meeting decides
| Decision | Majority needed | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary decisions, where there is no charter | Majority of members present, with 2/3 of members as quorum | Art. 28 |
| Electing the chair | 2/3 of the votes | Art. 26(3) |
| Adopting a charter | 3/4 of members in an association of up to 12 members, otherwise 2/3 | Art. 23(2) |
| Extra spending on development | 2/3 | Art. 15(2) |
| Enlarging a flat, creating a new unit or demolishing common property | 2/3 of members | Art. 10-1 |
| A significant change to common property | Unanimous decision of the meeting | Art. 10(1) |
| Giving a stairwell, lift or roof over to someone's use | Unanimous decision of all members | Art. 6(5) |
Without a charter, each flat carries one vote, so an owner of three flats has three votes, and co-owners of one flat vote together through one representative. A reconvened meeting is valid however many members attend. A member with a conflict of interest on an item, or who is being sued over it, does not vote on that item.
Taking part when you live abroad
The law says nothing about voting by power of attorney, by written ballot or electronically. It provides only that co-owners of a flat act through one representative and that minors are represented by their parents or guardians. A charter may say more, so the first step for a foreign owner is to ask the chair for a copy of the charter and of the latest minutes. A sensible next step is to ask the chair to send notices by email or messenger as well as on paper, and to keep a trusted person in the city informed about meetings.
To be added by the team: the partner lawyer to confirm whether a charter can allow voting by power of attorney, written or electronic voting, and whether a member may be represented at a meeting without such a clause.
Registering the association
An association exists by law, but to deal with the city it registers with the municipality, not with the Public Registry. In Tbilisi the chair applies to the administration of the district where the building stands with the notarised minutes of the general meeting, the signatures, names and personal numbers of the members who voted, a notarised copy of the charter, a full list of members with flat and phone numbers, a registry extract showing that the chair owns a flat in the building, and, if the chair is a hired manager, the manager's contract. The district then issues a registration sheet. The minutes must state the address and name of the association, the place, date and time of the meeting, the number of flats and of members present, the agenda, the votes and the chair's term.
Registration matters because only a registered association can apply for the city's funding programme. In 2023 Tbilisi's ten districts reported about 10,274 registered associations. Batumi has a similar registration, normally filed through the city's electronic portal.
Fees: how they are set
The charter fixes the amounts of regular and extra contributions, and the association may also have any other income the law does not prohibit. Development spending beyond ordinary upkeep needs a two-thirds decision. An owner who voted against a measure that is not directly linked to keeping or using the common property does not have to pay for it, unless the charter or a meeting decision says otherwise. Owners can also contribute work instead of money: the chair records and values the work, and the owner's contribution falls by that amount.
The law does not require a reserve fund, so whether money is set aside for a future roof or lift depends on each association. Members answer for the association's decisions in proportion to their shares, and its creditors can be paid from members' property, while the association does not answer for a member's private debts. Market sources quoted on our handover page put basic service at GEL 20-40 a month and fuller service in complexes with a concierge at a higher rate per square metre.
When an owner does not pay
- A court claim. The association may sue a member who does not meet their obligations.
- A registry entry. If the members' meeting agrees, the chair can have an unpaid debt above GEL 500 entered against the member's flat in the Public Registry, where it appears as an encumbrance.
- A sale does not wipe the debt. A new owner answers jointly for the previous owner's unpaid obligations to the association, and a seller must tell the buyer about existing or expected ones.
- No power to cut services. The law gives the chair no right to switch off a lift, water or electricity for a member who does not pay.
For a buyer the third point is the one to act on: ask the chair for written confirmation of what the seller owes before signing.
Works in your flat and changes to the building
Inside your flat you may renovate without the association's consent, even where the work touches common property, as long as you do not increase the area you own or create a new unit. You must follow the construction, technical and safety rules that protect the common parts, and give access to your flat for repairs to them; damage caused during such access is reimbursed. Enlarging your flat, for example by taking in part of a corridor or attic, needs two thirds of the members, and a significant change to common property needs a unanimous meeting.
The law does not mention glazing a balcony, fitting an outdoor air-conditioning unit or changing windows on the facade. The facade and common balconies are common property, so where such works stand between "your own flat" and "a significant change" is a question for the lawyer and, for permits, for the city. Members can also agree in writing on restrictions on how units are used, for example on short stays, but such restrictions take effect only once they are registered in the Public Registry.
To be added by the team: the partner lawyer to confirm how balcony glazing, outdoor air-conditioning units and window changes are treated, and which Tbilisi and Batumi permit rules apply.
City co-financing in Tbilisi
Tbilisi's district administrations run a programme for registered associations under City Council Resolution No 12-29 of 2018, as amended in 2018 and 2019. The district pays 100% of the cost of eligible works and their design, and buys them through state procurement. The eligible works are roof repairs, lift repairs, internal water and sewer pipes, capital strengthening of buildings of up to four floors, common internal works such as stairs, balconies, gates, entrances and doors, repair of cracks between floors, and architectural and construction design.
| Works | Owners' deposit in the association's account |
|---|---|
| Roof, lift, water and sewer, cracks between floors | 5% of the cost |
| Strengthening works up to GEL 100,000 | 5% of the cost |
| Strengthening works over GEL 100,000 | 3% of the cost |
| Other funded works | Contributions of at least 10% set by the meeting |
The deposit stays with the association for maintenance under a one-year plan, and proof of it is due within 10 working days of approval. Members with socially vulnerable or large-family status are exempt, and the deposit falls in proportion. A district can refuse an application if the work is not justified, if the same work is still under a quality guarantee, if the budget has run out, or if an inspection does not confirm the need. A June 2023 report found about 2,750 lift applications filed since 2020 and about 1,181 approved. Earlier rules, in force until 2015, made associations pay 20-50% of the cost.
To be added by the team: the partner lawyer to confirm that Resolution No 12-29 and the 100% / 5% terms are still current in 2026, and Batumi's co-financing percentages.
Lifts
A lift belongs to the common property, so the association is the owner responsible for it. Under the technical regulation on the safe operation of lifts, the owner must arrange periodic technical inspection and annual static and dynamic tests, maintenance must be done by a qualified operator, and a lift that endangers health may not be used. A separate government resolution of 2013 placed lifts among installations of increased technical danger that receive a scheduled state inspection every third year. The Mayor of Tbilisi said in January 2023 that associations are responsible for lift safety and inspection and that city offices help financially when an association applies.
House rules set by national law
- Noise. Night runs from 23:00 to 08:00. Exceeding the permitted noise limits in a residential building is fined GEL 150 for an individual and GEL 1,500 for a company, rising for repeat offences to GEL 500 and GEL 5,000 and then GEL 1,000 and GEL 10,000. Construction and repair work in daytime hours is outside this rule.
- Smoking. The Law on Tobacco Control bans smoking in buildings of any purpose, with an exception for a person's own home. It does not name stairwells and lifts, but they are part of the building, not anyone's home.
- Pets. The Law on Pet Animals of 2025 requires dogs and cats to be identified and registered by 1 January 2027 and dogs to be leashed or muzzled in parks and similar public places. It sets no limits for flats; municipalities had until 1 March 2026 to align their own rules.
Anything else, such as rules on short stays, prams in the stairwell or the use of the courtyard, comes from the charter, written agreements between members and decisions of the meeting.
Management companies in new buildings
The law lets members elect a hired manager as chair, and in Tbilisi the contract between the association and the manager is part of the registration file. A professional manager therefore acts under a contract with the association after a two-thirds election. In a new complex the developer or a company it chooses may run the building at first, under the terms of the sale contract, and how that arrangement fits the association once owners hold their first meeting is a point to read in your contract.
To be added by the team: the partner lawyer to confirm whether a developer holding unsold flats can control the first meeting, and whether a management contract signed by the developer binds buyers before any members' meeting.
Questions to ask the chair
Risks and exceptions
- The seller's unpaid contributions. They become your problem as the new owner.
- Decisions taken without you. They bind you even if you did not attend.
- No reserve fund. A large repair can mean a sudden extra contribution.
- Facade works. Glazing or an outdoor unit may need the other owners' agreement.
- Registered use restrictions. They may rule out short stays.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to join the association?
Yes, you are a member from the day your ownership begins, if the building has more than two individually owned flats.
Is the association a company?
No, it is not a legal person, but it can hold property, have bank accounts and go to court.
How is my share of costs calculated?
Your flat's area divided by the total area of the flats, unless the charter says otherwise.
Can the chair register my debt on my flat?
Only a debt over GEL 500 and only with the agreement of the members' meeting.
Can I renovate without permission?
Inside your flat, yes, if you do not enlarge it or create a new unit.
Does Tbilisi pay for a new roof?
For a registered association, the district can pay 100% of the works, with owners depositing 5%.
Can I vote from abroad?
The law does not regulate it; check the charter and ask the chair.
Who is responsible for the lift?
The association, as owner of the common property, including inspections and tests.
Sources
- Law of Georgia on Homeowners' Associations (Articles 5-28), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Civil Code of Georgia (Articles 208, 209, 1512), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Tbilisi City Council Resolution No 50-101 of 2019 amending Resolution No 12-29, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Report on lifts and associations in Tbilisi (21 June 2023), Publika (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Batumi City Council Resolution No 30 of 29 November 2022, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Technical Regulation on the Safe Operation of Lifts, Government Resolution No 446 of 2013, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Government Resolution No 173 of 2013 on technical inspection, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Mayor on associations and lift safety (18 January 2023), First Channel (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Code of Administrative Offences of Georgia (Article 77-1), legal.ge (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Law of Georgia on Tobacco Control (Article 10), Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Law of Georgia on Pet Animals, Legislative Herald of Georgia (accessed 18 October 2026)
Change log
- - Explainer published from the Law on Homeowners' Associations, Tbilisi City Council Resolution No 12-29, the lift regulations and the noise, tobacco and pet laws.