What Powers Does the Manager Have? Duties and Responsibilities

Who Is the Manager, and How Is One Determined?

The manager is the person elected by the board of unit owners to run the day-to-day affairs of the building. The manager may be one of the unit owners or may be an external professional or management company. The election is held at the board meeting and recorded in the decision book. If a manager cannot be determined, the court may appoint one upon the application of any unit owner.

Basic Duties of the Manager

The manager's duty is to carry out the decisions of the board and to run the ordinary affairs of the building. The main duties are as follows:

• Collecting common expenses, making payments, and keeping records
• Organizing the building's maintenance, repair, and cleaning work
• Arranging necessary insurance policies
• Providing regular accounts to the unit owners and submitting the operating ledger at the end of the period
• Taking necessary measures to protect the building in emergency situations

Regular recording of these tasks is the foundation of transparent management. When income and expense movements, collections, and payments are kept on a digital panel, end-of-period accountability becomes far easier and less open to objection.

What the Manager Cannot Do

The manager cannot make decisions on matters that are within the authority of the board. For example, the manager cannot increase the dues on their own, cannot change the way common areas are used, and cannot undertake large-scale investments without a board decision. If the manager exceeds these limits, the action may not be accepted by the owners, and the manager may be personally liable for the resulting damages.

Obligation to Give Account

The manager is obligated to give account of every lira collected and spent. Unit owners have the right to see the management's income and expense status; this is a natural right to information. Upon request, the manager must present the documents and, at the end of the period, submit a comprehensive report. A transparent account preserves trust in management and prevents unnecessary disputes.

Manager's Liability

The manager is obligated to perform the duty with care. If the manager neglects the duty, mismanages funds, or fails to keep proper records, the manager is liable for the resulting damages. This liability is even heavier for professional managers because they are considered experts in the field. For this reason, documenting every action is important not only for transparency but also for the manager's own protection.

Common Mistakes

• Making expenditures without a board decision: Unauthorized large expenditures may come back to the manager personally.
• Failing to keep documents: Undocumented, unrecorded transactions cause problems at the accountability stage.
• Avoiding accountability: Refusing to share information undermines trust and creates legal risk.

Related Topics

We covered the manager's obligation to give account in our operating ledger article, legal liability in our risk management article, and the management plan — the source of these powers — in our management plan article.

This content is for informational purposes. The manager's powers and responsibilities may vary depending on the management plan and the specific situation of the building; seek legal counsel where necessary.