The issue of management and maintenance of condominium buildings, especially of their parts in common property, has remained as one of the most severe consequences of complete privatization of socially-owned housing in Serbia. This problem lasts for almost two decades. Short-term legal solutions brought up five years after the privatization (Law on maintenance of residential buildings of 1995 and Law on Basis of Property Relations of 1996) haven’t produced the expected effects. Thus, the housing stock, as the largest capital of an individual and the state, as well, have continuously decayed. The same future is to be expected for the newly built housing, whose operation and maintenance are not properly organized and financed, as well. 

Therefore, this issue, considered as one of the major problem of housing policy in all countries in transition, has attracted interest of USAID – MEGA program to initiate the reform campaign. Such reform should coprehensevly ensure legal, institutional, financial, professional and organizational conditions for introduction of larger frame of rules and improvement of management and maintenance practice. This is in direct interest of millions of homeowners, local governments and the state, and also represents a very significant business sector. 

The workshop, held as central part of the project, brought together about 70 participants, representatives of key stakeholders: the relevant government ministries, local governments, public housing companies, private companies for housing maintenance, banks, non-governmental organizations.