Suppose you own an apartment in Taipei, live in Seattle, and rent the unit out. A letter from the building's management committee (管理委員會, or 管委會) lands in the Taipei mailbox. It may be a written demand for three months of unpaid management fees, or a notice that water is coming through the ceiling of the unit below.
Who pays, and how far the committee can go, is set by the Condominium Administration Act (公寓大廈管理條例, last amended May 11, 2022). A US condo owner will recognize something like an HOA board. But US condo law varies by state, while Taiwan's voting thresholds, collection steps and fines come from this one statute and the building's own rules. The definitions in Article 3 draw no line by nationality or place of residence.
The owners' meeting decides and the committee carries it out
The owners' meeting (區分所有權人會議) consists of all unit owners and must meet at least once a year (Article 25). The management committee carries out its resolutions and looks after the building (Article 3). A committee resolution may not conflict with the Act, the building rules or an owners' resolution (Article 37).
The building rules (規約) are adopted by the owners' meeting and may govern the use and management of the building and relations among residents. A ban on keeping animals, and the way breaches are handled, have no effect unless written into the rules (Article 23).
Unless the rules say otherwise, a resolution needs two thirds of the owners, holding two thirds of the ownership ratio, to attend, and three quarters of those present, by number and by ratio, to agree (Article 31). If no resolution results or the quorum is missed, a reconvened meeting can decide with at least three owners who make up one fifth by number and by ratio, voting by majority. Each owner then has seven days from delivery of the minutes to object in writing, and the resolution is deemed adopted unless objections exceed half of all owners and of the total ratio (Article 32).
Meeting notices go to each owner in writing ten days ahead, or by public notice of at least two days if urgent (Article 30). Minutes are delivered within 15 days (Article 34). An owner who cannot attend may appoint a proxy in writing, but Article 27 limits the choice to a spouse, a lineal blood relative with legal capacity, another unit owner, or the tenant.
The rules follow the unit and bind the tenant
Before taking over a unit, an incoming owner must ask the committee for access to read or copy the rules, the minutes and the record of arrears, and afterwards must take on every right and obligation the previous owner had under the Act and the rules (Article 24). The purchase is covered in Buying and Selling a Flat in Taiwan as a Foreigner.
A tenant is a resident (住戶) under the Act. Article 3 defines residents as unit owners, tenants and anyone else using a unit with the owner's consent, and Article 6 requires residents to comply with what the rules provide.
Management fees, and what follows when they go unpaid
Under Article 10, the committee repairs and maintains the shared parts. The cost comes from the common fund (公共基金) or is shared by the unit owners in proportion to their co-ownership shares, unless the owners' meeting or the rules allocate it differently. A lease clause putting the monthly fee on the tenant is an arrangement between landlord and tenant, so a fee the tenant did not pay can still come back to the owner.
When an owner or resident is more than two periods behind on the common fund or shared costs, or the arrears reach a considerable amount, the committee sets a reasonable period and demands payment in writing. If payment still does not come, it may sue for the amount plus default interest (Article 21, Article 54). The statute says "two periods" and "a reasonable period" and gives no number of days.
Article 22 goes further. If, after compulsory enforcement, the same person again owes an amount reaching 1% of the unit's total value and does not cure the default within three months of the committee's request, the committee may, on a resolution of the owners' meeting, ask the court to order the resident to move out. Against an owner it may ask for an order to transfer the unit and its land share, and may apply for a court auction if the transfer is not registered within three months after the judgment becomes final.
A leak into the unit below
The repair bill depends on where the water comes from. If the source is inside a unit, that owner repairs it and pays. If it is in a shared part, the committee repairs it from the common fund or the owners' contributions, but a repair attributable to an owner or resident is charged to that person (Article 10). For a party wall or floor slab between units, or the pipes inside it, Article 12 splits the repair cost between the owners on either side of the wall or above and below the slab, unless the cause is attributable to one owner, who then pays. Article 12 covers repair costs only, not compensation for a ruined ceiling or furniture.
Tracing a leak usually means going into the unit above. A resident may not refuse entry when another resident needs it to repair their own unit, or when the committee needs it to repair a shared part. Whoever enters must use the least damaging place and method and must repair or pay for any damage (Article 6). If the resident still refuses after attempts to arrange entry, whoever needs access may ask the competent authority to act or go to court, and missing the authority's deadline carries a fine of NT$3,000 to NT$15,000 (Article 47). In a rented unit the tenant opens the door and the owner answers for the repair cost, so the owner in Seattle needs a line to both. Access under the lease is covered in Repair Visits to Your Taiwan Rental While You Are Away.
Use, noise, corridors and renovation work
Residents must use their unit in line with the purpose stated in the use permit (使用執照) and with the rules (Article 15). Article 16 prohibits dumping rubbish and causing foul odors, noise or vibration. It also prohibits piling belongings or installing gates in stairwells and shared corridors, and altering the building's main structure during renovation work without the building authority's approval. Animals may not interfere with public hygiene, peace or safety, and if the rules ban them, that ban governs. Changes to the exterior walls or rooftop, including iron or aluminum windows, are subject to limits in rules or owners' resolutions filed with the local government (Article 8).
The committee must first tell the resident to stop. If ignored, it reports the matter to the municipal or county government. The fines below are the statutory ranges as of October 6, 2026, and can be repeated if the breach is not corrected by the deadline.
| Breach | Provision | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Noise, odors, pollutants, nuisance from animals | Article 16(1), (4) | NT$3,000–15,000 (Article 47) |
| Blocking corridors or stairwells; altering the main structure | Article 16(2), (3) | NT$40,000–200,000 (Article 49) |
| Changing a unit's use without authorization | Article 15 | NT$40,000–200,000 (Article 49) |
A resident fined under Article 49 for a breach in the table who then does not comply, or who repeats the breach, falls within Article 22.
Letting by the night
If the rules prohibit lodging use, the committee can act under Article 15 in the same way.
Separately, the Act for the Development of Tourism (發展觀光條例, last amended November 28, 2025) defines a hotel business (旅館業) as a for-profit business providing lodging or rest to unspecified persons by the day or week for a charge (Article 2). It requires a registration certificate from the local authority before operating (Article 24). Operating without the certificate carries a fine of NT$100,000 to NT$2,000,000 and an order to cease business. For an unregistered homestay (民宿) the fine is NT$100,000 to NT$1,000,000, with the same order (Article 55). Advertising such a business online or in other media without the certificate carries a fine of NT$100,000 to NT$1,500,000 and an order to remove the listing by a deadline (Article 55-1).
When the owner lives outside Taiwan
Minutes and payment demands come on paper, so an owner abroad who has not given the committee a mailing address and has no one in Taiwan collecting the mail can miss the seven-day objection window or the period set in a demand. Any interested person may, when necessary, ask to read or copy the rules, minutes, financial statements and record of arrears, and the committee may not refuse (Article 35). Paying by bank transfer or another method that leaves a record lets you answer a demand with proof of payment.
Other owners and interested persons may report conduct covered by the fine provisions to the municipal or county government, with facts and evidence (Article 59). Local governments may also set up a committee to mediate condominium disputes (Article 59-1).
If a management committee has sent you a written demand or a court filing, you can email Hovering International Law Firm at wei@hoveringlaw.com.tw with the building's location, the document and a copy of the rules. This column is general information as of October 6, 2026. The answer for a particular building depends on its rules and minutes.
Official sources
- Condominium Administration Act (公寓大廈管理條例, last amended May 11, 2022), Art. 3, Art. 6, Art. 8, Art. 10, Art. 12, Art. 15, Art. 16, Art. 21, Art. 22, Art. 23, Art. 24, Art. 25, Art. 27, Art. 30, Art. 31, Art. 32, Art. 34, Art. 35, Art. 37, Art. 47, Art. 49, Art. 54, Art. 59, Art. 59-1
- Act for the Development of Tourism (發展觀光條例, last amended November 28, 2025), Art. 2, Art. 24, Art. 55, Art. 55-1
- Official English translations, used to check the English titles of the two Acts: Condominium Administration Act, Act for the Development of Tourism
Checked: October 6, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
- My tenant stopped paying the management fee. Can the committee come after me as the owner?
- It can. Article 10 of the Condominium Administration Act has the cost of the shared parts paid from the common fund or shared by the unit owners in proportion to their co-ownership shares, unless the owners' meeting or the building rules allocate it differently. A lease clause that puts the fee on the tenant is an arrangement between landlord and tenant. Once arrears pass two periods or reach a considerable amount and a written demand goes unanswered, Article 21 lets the committee sue for the amount and default interest.
- Water is leaking into the unit below mine. Who pays for the repair?
- It depends on the source. The owner pays for repairs inside the unit, and the common fund or the owners together pay for shared parts, under Article 10. For the floor slab between two units or the pipes inside it, Article 12 splits the repair cost between the owners above and below, unless the cause is attributable to one owner, who then pays.
- Can I let my Taipei apartment to travelers by the night?
- The Act for the Development of Tourism treats lodging offered to unspecified persons by the day or week for a charge as a hotel business that needs a registration certificate. As of October 6, 2026, operating without one carries a fine of NT$100,000 to NT$2,000,000 and an order to cease business under Article 55, and advertising without one carries NT$100,000 to NT$1,500,000 under Article 55-1. The building rules may separately prohibit lodging use.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice on any individual matter.
