How much notice is needed to call the owners' general meeting and by what means? Is WhatsApp or email valid?

Question

José Manuel Alburquerque · Accepted Answer

In Catalonia, the notice of the meeting must be sent at least eight calendar days before the meeting, whether it is the annual general meeting or an extraordinary general meeting, unless the by-laws expressly say otherwise or it is an extraordinary general meeting on an urgent matter. It is sent by post or email to the address each owner has given to the secretary of the owners' association (the “comunidad de propietarios”) or, if they have not given one, to their flat or commercial premises. It must also be put up on the noticeboard the same number of days in advance. WhatsApp is not mentioned in the law and the courts have no clear position on it, so the prudent course is not to use it as the only means, only as a reminder. The eight days The law requires a minimum of eight calendar days, which include Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and the month of August. It does not make clear whether the day the notice is sent and the day of the meeting are counted, so the prudent course is to leave eight full days between the two. For example, for a meeting on Friday 20 November 2026, the notice would have to be sent and put up on the noticeboard by Wednesday 11 November at the latest. If it is sent by post, it is advisable to allow a few extra days, because the letter may take time to arrive and an owner might argue that they did not have enough time. There are two exceptions: Where the association's by-laws expressly provide otherwise. Where it is an extraordinary general meeting on an urgent matter. In that case it is enough that the owners were able to learn of the notice before the meeting. The urgency must be genuine. It is not enough simply to describe the meeting as urgent. In Catalonia there is no first and second call, because the meeting is validly constituted with whichever owners attend, however many there are. In the rest of Spain, the Horizontal Property Act (“Ley de Propiedad Horizontal”) provides for a first and a second call and requires six days' notice for the annual general meeting. Sending the notice and the noticeboard The notice is sent to the address each owner has given to the association's secretary. If they have not given one, it is sent to their flat or commercial premises. It can be sent by post, by email or by other means, provided they make it possible to prove that the communication and its content are authentic. Email is therefore valid if it is the address the owner has given for that purpose. If you would rather receive notices that way, tell the secretary or the managing agent in writing. In addition, the notice of the meeting must be put up the same number of days in advance on the association's noticeboard or in a visible place set aside for that purpose. If the notice sent to an owner personally does not reach them, the posted notice counts as notification. But it does not replace sending the notice, which must always be done. And WhatsApp The law does not mention it. It could fall within the other means the law allows if it makes it possible to prove that each owner received the message and what it said, but it is not clear that the courts will accept it. A message in the neighbours' group chat does not ensure that every owner receives it, because not all of them are necessarily in the group. If an owner says they did not receive it, the association will have to prove that they did. The prudent course is to: Send the notice by post or email to the address each owner has given. Always put it up on the noticeboard. Use WhatsApp, if desired, only as a reminder.