What should I ask about the day-to-day running of shared areas?

Understand the operating arrangements

Identify which areas and services are shared: entrances, stairs, gardens, access roads, lighting, pools or other equipment. Ask who organises cleaning, holds keys, appoints contractors and responds to faults. Establish how an owner reports a problem when away from Crete.

Request the available rules, budgets, accounts, meeting records and maintenance history. Ask about planned works, unresolved disputes and unpaid contributions, while letting your lawyer determine what evidence is needed and how any liability should be handled.

Examine how decisions become action

Clarify how owners approve spending, respond to emergencies and change service providers. Informal cooperation may work well, but you should understand what happens when owners disagree or someone cannot be contacted.

Have your lawyer verify the governing documents, your rights and obligations, and the treatment of outstanding matters in the transaction. Ask an engineer about the condition of significant shared structures or equipment where relevant. A tidy communal garden on viewing day does not establish adequate maintenance planning for the whole development.