COMMON AREA DEFINED
CONDOMINIUMS

The common areas of condominiums and planned unit developments differ significantly. In condominium developments, everything is owned in common except the air space of the individual units and any improvements to that air space (hardwood floors, carpet, paint on the walls, etc.). Condominiums are normally stacked in structures that typically range from 3 stories to 30 stories. The common areas usually include the following:

• the lot, i.e., the dirt the development sits on
• the buildings (the entire physical structure)
• plumbing lines
• heating and air conditioning systems
• electrical systems
• windows
• roofs
• hallways and stairs
• elevators
• swimming pools
• tennis courts
• carports
• parking lots
• landscaping
• See common area definition in the Davis-Stirling Act: Civil Code §1351(b)

There is a subset of common areas called exclusive use common areas. Maintenance responsibilities for exclusive use common areas are often assigned to owners but may vary from association to association depending on their governing documents.

See maintenance duties for planned unit developments.

Updated by ADAMS KESSLER 7/30/2008