Owners' association meetings in Peru: what quorum and majority do you need, and how can common areas be sold or de-designated?

First: your internal regulations set the quorum

This page builds on the guide to the owners’ association and common expenses, which covers how meetings are called and who loses the vote for unpaid dues. Here we look at how many votes you need, what happens to common property, and how resolutions are recorded.

The general rules set no meeting quorum. The regulations of Law 27157 (D.S. 035-2006-VIVIENDA) hand that to each building:

“El Reglamento Interno deberá contener, obligatoriamente, lo siguiente: […] i) Todo lo relativo a las sesiones ordinarias y extraordinarias, quórum, votaciones, acuerdos, funciones y demás, de la Junta de Propietarios.” — Article 153, literal i)

(The internal regulations must cover everything about ordinary and extraordinary meetings, quorum, voting and resolutions of the owners’ association.)

So the first question is always: what does your building’s reglamento interno say? If nobody shows it to you, the building’s file at Sunarp is where to look.

Simple majority and qualified majority

The regulations use two levels:

“Las obras que se ejecuten en bienes comunes, requieren autorización expresa de la Junta de Propietarios, adoptado por mayoría simple si están destinadas a su conservación o mantenimiento, y por mayoría calificada si están destinadas a algún fin que implique la modificación o limitación de su uso.” — Article 136

(Works on common property need the association’s express approval: a simple majority for upkeep, a qualified majority if they change or restrict how the area is used.)

The qualified majority is defined here:

“Salvo disposición distinta del Reglamento Interno, se considera mayoría calificada al voto conforme de cuando menos los propietarios de secciones de propiedad exclusiva que representen los dos tercios de las participaciones de los bienes comunes, incluyendo los porcentajes de quienes renunciaron a la Junta.” — Article 148

(Unless the internal regulations say otherwise, a qualified majority means the votes of owners holding at least two thirds of the shares in the common property, counting the percentages of owners who left the association.)

Simple majority is not defined in the norms we read. How it is counted depends on your internal regulations.

Selling, mortgaging or leasing a common area: two thirds

The law is direct:

“La transferencia de bienes de propiedad común debe aprobarse por los dos tercios de los votos de la Junta de Propietarios. […] Cualquier transferencia realizada sin contar con la votación antes dispuesta es nula de pleno derecho.” — Law 27157, article 43

(A transfer of common property must be approved by two thirds of the association’s votes. Any transfer made without that vote is void.)

The regulations extend this to other acts:

“La transferencia, gravamen, cesión en uso o la celebración de cualquier otro acto o contrato que importe disposición o limitación de uso de los bienes comunes susceptibles de ser transferidos, deberá ser autorizada por la Junta de Propietarios mediante acuerdo adoptado con el voto conforme de cuando menos las dos terceras partes de los propietarios de las secciones de propiedad exclusiva.” — Article 135

(Selling, mortgaging, leasing or any other act that disposes of or restricts the use of transferable common property needs approval by at least two thirds of the unit owners.)

The same article sets limits: approval is only valid if the act does not break zoning and building rules, does not harm the building’s safety, and does not affect the rights of owners or third parties.

Worth knowing: the norms do not count “two thirds” the same way. The law says “two thirds of the votes”; article 135 says “two thirds of the owners”; article 148 and Sunarp’s directive say two thirds “of the shares” (participaciones). We do not settle that difference here. Check how your internal regulations define it, and note that for registration Sunarp’s directive asks for two thirds of the shares.

Which common areas can and cannot be transferred is covered in the guide on building extra floors and air rights.

De-designating a common area and amending the internal regulations

Desafectar means removing an item’s status as common property. The law and its regulations do not use the word; Sunarp’s Directive 009-2008-SUNARP/SN does:

“El reglamento interno se modifica por acuerdo de la junta que cuente con más del 50% de la participación de los propietarios. De conformidad con el artículo 135 del Decreto Supremo No. 035-2006-VIVIENDA, para los casos de modificación del porcentaje de participación, desafectación de los bienes comunes, venta, gravamen, cesión en uso o afectación permanente de zonas comunes, se requiere un acuerdo por mayoría calificada de 2/3 partes de las participaciones.” — Directive 009-2008-SUNARP/SN, section 5.3

(The internal regulations are amended by a resolution backed by more than 50% of the owners’ shares. Changing participation percentages, de-designating common property, or selling, mortgaging, leasing or permanently assigning common areas needs a qualified majority of two thirds of the shares.)

In short, for Sunarp:

That last row is the only unanimity rule we found:

“También se extingue el régimen por acuerdo unánime de todos los propietarios, en cuyo caso se procede a la acumulación respectiva en la partida matriz.” — Directive 009-2008-SUNARP/SN, section 5.14

(The regime also ends by unanimous agreement of all owners, and the units are then merged back into the main registry file.)

If you missed the meeting

When the association authorizes transferring common property, absent owners must be notified:

“Los acuerdos que autoricen la transferencia de propiedad de bienes comunes deberán ser notificados a los propietarios de secciones que no concurrieron a la Junta, aún cuando hubieran renunciado a ella, mediante carta notarial dirigida al domicilio designado por ellos ante la Junta. En estos casos, los propietarios podrán manifestar su discrepancia con el acuerdo, en el plazo de veinte (20) días hábiles. Esta discrepancia se entiende sólo como salvedad. De no hacerlo quedarán vinculados a dicho acuerdo.” — Article 148

(Resolutions authorizing a transfer of common property must be sent by notarial letter to owners who did not attend, even if they left the association. They may object within 20 business days. The objection counts only as a reservation. If they don’t object, they are bound.)

The law (article 43) says “20 (veinte) días útiles”, requires the objection to be made “por escrito notarial” (in writing through a notary), and adds that the resolution “no será ejecutado hasta que transcurra tal plazo” (will not be carried out until that period ends).

What this means for you: if you get a notarial letter like this and you disagree, reply through a notary within the deadline. If you don’t, you are bound. The regulations call your objection “sólo salvedad”, which suggests it does not by itself cancel the resolution.

The minutes: what they must say

“Las sesiones de las Juntas de Propietarios y los acuerdos adoptados en ellas, deberán constar en el Libro de Actas legalizado conforme a Ley.” — Article 148

(Meetings and resolutions must be recorded in a minute book legalized as the law requires.)

“En el acta de cada sesión, deberá indicarse el lugar, fecha y hora en que esta se realizó; la relación de los propietarios concurrentes, con indicación de sus porcentajes de participación en los bienes de dominio común; el nombre de las personas que actuaron como presidente y secretario de la junta; los puntos de la agenda; la forma y resultado de las votaciones y los acuerdos adoptados. Será firmada por el Presidente y el designado, o por los miembros de la directiva si la hubiera, y por todos los participantes en la Junta.” — Article 149

(Each set of minutes must state place, date and time; the owners present with their percentage shares; who acted as chair and secretary; the agenda; how the vote was taken and its result; and what was decided. It is signed by the president and the designated person, or the board, and by everyone who took part.)

Listing each attendee’s percentage matters. It is what lets anyone check later whether two thirds was really reached.

What gets registered at Sunarp

• The association and the internal regulations. Law 27157 (article 46.1) requires registering the internal regulations and the owners’ association.
• The president. “Se inscribe en la partida matriz el presidente de la junta de propietarios o la directiva, de ser el caso” (the president or board is registered on the building’s main file; Directive, section 5.16). The law requires registered minutes for the president to represent the association in court (article 48.2).
• Amendments to the internal regulations. They are registered by public deed or a private document with the president’s signature legalized; when only the president signs, a certified copy of the minutes is enough (section 5.15).
• Proof of the meeting call. It can be shown through the mechanism of the directive on regularizing the boards of civil associations, by public deed or sworn statement from the president or someone the meeting designates (section 5.10). For the notarial notice to absent owners and the 20-day period, the directive accepts a sworn statement from the president (section 5.3).

How to challenge a resolution

What the norms we read provide:

1. A notarial objection if you were absent and the resolution transfers common property (law article 43 and regulations article 148).
2. Voidness of a transfer made without two thirds: the law calls it “nula de pleno derecho” (article 43).
3. Mandatory out-of-court conciliation before any case:

“a) La conciliación extrajudicial, obligatoria en cualquier caso, como trámite previo al inicio del proceso administrativo, judicial o arbitral.” — Article 156

(Out-of-court conciliation is mandatory in every case before starting an administrative, court or arbitration process.)

What we did not find: a specific court action to challenge owners’ association resolutions, or a deadline to bring one. Civil Code article 92, which covers challenges to resolutions of associations, is often mentioned, but we did not read any norm or official text saying it applies to owners’ associations. So we do not claim it does. If you want a resolution annulled, talk to a lawyer.

The new law that is not in force yet

Decreto Legislativo 1568 (2023) creates a new horizontal-property regime, but it is not in force yet: as of 30 September 2026 its regulation has not been published. That is why this page applies Ley 27157 and its regulation. We explain what would change in «Possible changes ahead» below.

What this page does not cover

• Calling meetings, losing the vote for unpaid dues, and common expenses: see owners’ association and common expenses.
• What the internal regulations can ban and how they are enforced: see internal regulations of a building.
• The details of D. Leg. 1568, which is not yet in force. «Possible changes ahead» only summarizes what would change for this page.
• Registry Tribunal decisions and court rulings on owners’ associations.
• Buildings with more than one set of internal regulations or a general assembly of delegates.