Syndic cost in Belgium: judging the offers you receive
You receive three offers from syndics for the same building, and the prices range from one figure to double that. Here is why, and how to tell which one is right for your co-ownership.
Contents of this page
- Describe the buildingGather the number of units, facilities, current contracts and planned works on a one-page summary.
- Measure actual activityCount the general meetings, insurance claims, sales and building jobs over the last three financial years.
- Ask for detailed offersInsist on the list of services covered by the flat fee and the priced list of additional services.
- Convert to an annual costConvert each offer into a total annual cost including VAT, based on your typical year.
The property manager's (syndic's) mandate is coming to an end, the co-ownership council has asked for offers, and the replies are on the table. For the same building, one quotes a flat fee twice as high as the other. Which one is right? What is the real syndic cost in Belgium?
Let us start with what surprises people most: there is no scale of fees. The Professional Institute of Estate Agents (BIV/IPI) points out that there are no recommended or compulsory rates and that each professional sets their fees freely. A gap of one to two between two offers is therefore not abnormal in itself. What matters is what each price covers, and what it leaves out.
Our advice: do not start from a per-unit price you saw somewhere else, start from your building. A rate shown without a description of the services does not tell you what you will pay at the end of the year. The factors below explain most of the differences, and the last section gives a method for sorting the offers. For reading a contract clause by clause and renegotiating it, see the page on syndic fees.
Why can two offers for the same building differ by a factor of two?
Because a syndic's price always has two parts, and offers do not draw the line between them in the same place. The law governs the form, not the amount: the contract must be in writing and contain the list of services covered by the flat fee and the list of additional services and their fees (Article 3.89, § 1, of the Civil Code).
The flat fee pays for routine management: accounts, calls for funds, payments, the ordinary general meeting (GM), monitoring contracts. It is often expressed per unit, sometimes per building, monthly or annually.
Additional services pay for everything else, at an hourly rate, a price per act or a percentage of works. A service not listed in the contract cannot be charged for without a decision of the general meeting.
A low flat fee that pushes many tasks into additional services can therefore cost more by the end of the year than a high flat fee that includes almost everything. The only reliable indicator is the total annual cost, VAT included, calculated on your building's actual activity.
The factors that push the price up or down
The size of the co-ownership
Part of the work is fixed, whatever the number of units: keeping the accounts in line with the chart of accounts required by law, preparing the budget, convening and running the general meeting, handling the building's insurance. In a small building, that base is shared among few co-owners. The price per unit is therefore often higher than in a large co-ownership, even if the total stays lower.
The type of unit also plays a part. Cellars or parking spaces counted as separate units do not involve the same work as an apartment, and a contract that applies the same price to every unit is worth discussing.
The building's facilities
Each shared facility adds contracts to monitor, compulsory inspections, breakdowns and suppliers to chase.
| Facility | Effect on the syndic's work |
|---|---|
| Lift | Maintenance contract, periodic inspections, breakdowns and compliance works |
| Communal heating | Fuel, maintenance, meter readings and heating cost allocation |
| Shared water meter | Readings of the sub-meters and allocation |
| Underground car park, motorised gates | Maintenance contracts, insurance claims, access |
| Shops on the ground floor | Special allocation keys, additional contacts |
The age and condition of the building
An older building, with a facade, roof or installations needing renovation, generates extraordinary general meetings, quotes to compare and jobs to oversee. These tasks are often billed outside the flat fee. A recent building, still covered by the developer's guarantees, calls for other work, such as following up the handover of the common parts and the snagging points.
How active the co-ownership is
Number of unit sales, frequency of insurance claims, an ongoing dispute, co-owners in arrears: all of this weighs on the workload. A co-ownership where unpaid charges pile up costs more to manage, and recovery costs should in principle be borne by the defaulting co-owner, as explained in the page on a co-owner not paying.
The level of service requested
The property manager attending co-ownership council meetings, availability outside office hours, regular visits to the building, an online document platform, a quarterly financial report: every requirement has a cost. It is better to price it in the request for offers than to discover it as additional services.
The state of the file handed over
Taking over a co-ownership whose accounts are incomplete, whose minutes cannot be found or whose reserve fundGlossaryTotal of the periodic contributions intended for non-recurring expenditure, such as replacing the heating system or the lift. It becomes mandatory no later than five years after provisional acceptance, with an annual contribution of at least 5% of the previous financial year's ordinary service charges, unless the general meeting decides otherwise by a four-fifths majority. See the glossary has been poorly tracked means work to put things in order. Some syndics charge separately for this on takeover. Ask before signing.
The length and terms of the mandate
The mandate may not exceed three years, and its renewal requires an express decision of the general meeting; simply not renewing it gives no right to compensation (Article 3.89, § 1, of the Civil Code). A syndic who knows their mandate will be put back on the table has an interest in offering a sustainable price.
Be wary, on the other hand, of a low rate tied to side commitments, for example the exclusive use of certain suppliers. The BIV/IPI code of ethics points out that the syndic may receive fees or benefits only from their principal, and any contract between the owners' association (VME/ACP)GlossaryLegal entity that brings the co-owners together and whose sole purpose is the preservation and management of the building. It acquires legal personality as soon as a first unit is transferred, provided the deed of division and the co-ownership regulations have been transcribed. See the glossary and the syndic or their relatives requires the prior authorisation of the general meeting.
VAT and indexation: two lines not to forget
A professional syndic charges fees with VAT. Since the owners' association is in principle unable to recover it, it is the amount including VAT that weighs on your charges. The BIV/IPI in fact recommends that estate agents display their rates including VAT, in writing and legibly. An offer presented excluding VAT next to one including VAT distorts the comparison by 21%.
Contracts also generally provide for annual indexation. Over a mandate that can last three years, the indexation formula changes the final cost. Ask for it in black and white.
Is an offer too expensive or too low?
Without a public scale, the most solid benchmark remains comparing several offers drawn up on the same description of the building. Here is how we sort them.
- A very low flat fee with a long list of additional services signals a final bill higher than expected. Price your typical year before drawing conclusions.
- A high flat fee that includes a lot can work out cheaper in an active building. Check exactly what is included.
- An offer without a list of additional services does not meet the Civil Code requirement. Ask for a complete contract before any decision.
- A price clearly lower than the others deserves two questions: how many buildings does each property manager handle, and is the syndic registered with the BIV/IPI?
If, after this comparison, no professional offer suits your building, other formulas exist, from the volunteer syndic to the alternative to a professional syndic. To organise the comparison and then negotiate, follow the method in the page on syndic fees. The accounting requirements that justify part of the flat fee are covered in the page on co-ownership accounting, and all the budget items on the page on co-ownership service charges.
Do, avoid
- Compare offers drawn up on the same description of the building
- Check whether prices are quoted excluding or including VAT
- Ask how the fees are indexed each year
- Check that the professional syndic is registered with the BIV/IPI
- Taking a per-unit price found online without knowing what it covers
- Leaving additional services out of the comparison
- Ignoring the state of the accounts left by the outgoing syndic
- Comparing a building with a lift and communal heating with a small building with no facilities
Frequently asked questions
Is there an official scale of syndic fees in Belgium?
No. The Professional Institute of Estate Agents states that there are no recommended or compulsory rates. Each syndic sets their own fees, which must appear in a written contract listing the services covered by the flat fee and the additional services.
Why is the price per unit often higher in a small building?
Part of the syndic's work does not depend on the number of units: keeping the accounts, the general meeting, insurance, contracts. In a building with only a few units, that base is shared among few co-owners, which automatically increases each one's share.
Does the syndic's price include VAT?
A professional syndic charges fees with VAT at the standard rate of 21%. Offers are sometimes presented excluding VAT, which distorts the comparison. Always convert the amounts to a cost including VAT, since the owners' association generally cannot recover this tax.
Does a volunteer syndic really cost less?
They do not charge professional fees, but they can be paid an allowance if the general meeting so decides, and the co-ownership still has costs for insurance, software or possibly an accountant. The cost depends above all on how much time the co-owners are willing to devote to management.
- Volunteer syndic: does free come at a price?
No, a volunteer syndic is not free: it removes the fees, not the costs. Liability insurance, registration with the CBE, the accounts, any software and the volunteer's time still have to be paid for. In a small, quiet building, the bill stays light. Beyond that, it shifts onto the volunteer.