The Ordinance sets out a clear procedure for registration, description of the necessary requirements and list of documents to be submitted to UISCO.
The amendments to the Condominium Management Act (CMA) of 2023 provided for the establishment of a Unified Information System under the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (MRDPW). This system will consolidate two centralized public electronic registers:
1) a register of professional condominium managers, and 2) a register of condominium ownership, containing data about owners’ associations and the managers (or management boards) of buildings or individual building entrances that fall under the condominium ownership.
A special Ordinance is also forthcoming, which will provide detailed regulation of the establishment and functioning of the Unified Information System and the registration in the said registers. The draft Ordinance has already been prepared and published on the websites of MRDPW and the Council of Ministers.
The Ordinance provides for public and free access to the Unified Information System for Condominium Ownership (UISCO). Registration in the system will be made by the respective municipal administration, and all condominium properties and owners’ associations already registered under the previous procedure will be automatically entered into UISCO by the authorities.
The Ordinance sets out a clear procedure for registration, description of the necessary requirements and list of documents to be submitted to UISCO. The goal is to ensure clear, fast, and easy access to the registers, along with the ability to search for and review the recorded information. The most significant changes in the Ordinance (and in the Condominium Ownership Management Act) affect professional condominium managers. The amendments introduce obligations for registration as a condition for carrying out their activity, compliance with legally established requirements, and the conclusion of an insurance contract with statutorily established minimum insurance amounts.
How is the procedure for registration and the start of operation of UISCO regulated?
According to the Ordinance, which is yet to be adopted, managers and management boards are required to submit a notification form for registration in the system to the respective municipality within one month of their election. Any changes to the registered circumstances should be notified within 14 days.
For owners’ associations, the procedure is different: the Chair of the Management board or the manager must submit an application form to the respective municipal administration within 14 days of the founding meeting. The application may be submitted electronically, on paper, or made orally. An oral application is made before the mayor or an official authorized by the mayor, after which the competent authority prepares a minute of receipt. Additional documents specified in the Ordinance must also be submitted along with the application. In case of changes to the registered circumstances, the Chair of the Management board or the manager is required to notify the mayor of the municipality within 14 days.
The ordinance and the law provide that professional condominium managers who operate as traders may begin their activity only after being registered in UISCO. Their registration will be valid for a period of five years.
These traders must submit a application form, either electronically or in paper form, to the MRDPW, not to the respective municipality. A mandatory requirement for registration is the submission of proof of payment of a state fee, along with declarations confirming that the applicant meets the necessary legal requirements.
To be entered in the register, the respective traders must ensure administrative capacity through at least one person employed under an employment contract.
The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works issues a certificate to the trader upon successful registration in the register.
The professional condominium managers is required to conclude an insurance contract for "Professional Liability" insurance liability with the minimum limit of BGN 25,000 per single insured event and an aggregate liability limit of BGN 50,000 for all insured events during the insurance period.
The trader must renew the insurance annually for as long as they carry out activities related to the management of condominium property. The insurance shall cover the trader’s civil liability in the course of performing their duties and is intended to compensate for damages caused by the trader to third parties.
The adoption of the Ordinance and the establishment of the Unified Information System for Condominium Management (UISCM) are expected soon, aiming to facilitate both the procedures for registration of condominium ownership and professional condominium managers, and to bring clarity and transparency to the performance of their activities.
