VvE painting explained: how Dutch owners associations handle exterior work

Every apartment building in the Netherlands that is split into separately owned units has a VvE by law. Membership is automatic when you buy, and you cannot opt out. The VvE owns nothing itself, but it manages and maintains the common parts on behalf of all owners: the facade, roof, foundations, stairwells, lifts, and, crucially for painting, the exterior joinery. Window frames and outer doors are almost always defined as communal in the splitsingsakte (deed of division), even though they belong to your flat, because they are part of the building envelope.

This means the outside of your window is the VvE's job even when the inside is yours. If your frames are flaking or rotting, you raise it with the board rather than calling a painter yourself. The rules are in the splitsingsakte and the model regulations (modelreglement) it refers to; every owner receives a copy at purchase and it is worth reading the maintenance sections.

Small VvEs of two to six flats, common in older Dutch towns, often run themselves informally. Larger complexes usually appoint a professional VvE manager (beheerder) who handles administration, collects contributions and organises maintenance on the board's instructions.

The VvE has a board (bestuur), elected from the owners or provided by the manager, and a general members meeting, the Algemene Ledenvergadering or ALV, which is the highest authority. The board can carry out routine maintenance within a budget the ALV has approved. A full exterior repaint is a larger decision and is normally put to the ALV as a specific proposal, with quotes attached, and voted on by the members. Voting weight usually follows the share of each flat as set out in the deed.

Most model regulations require a simple majority for maintenance decisions and a qualified majority, often two-thirds with a quorum, for major expenditure outside the approved plan. If the ALV votes for the painting, every owner is bound by the decision and must contribute, even those who voted against. Equally, one owner cannot block necessary maintenance indefinitely; if the building deteriorates because a VvE will not act, the municipality can intervene.

Expats are sometimes surprised by how formal this is. Attend the ALV, or give a proxy to a neighbour you trust, because decisions made there will affect your home and your monthly contribution.

Since 2018 Dutch law requires every VvE to set aside money for maintenance each year, either a fixed percentage of the rebuild value or an amount based on a meerjarenonderhoudsplan (MJOP), a multi-year maintenance plan. The MJOP is a technical document, usually prepared by a building surveyor, that lists every building element, its condition, when it will next need work and what that is expected to cost. Exterior painting typically appears as a recurring line every six to eight years.

A well-run VvE uses the MJOP to smooth costs: owners pay a steady monthly amount into the reserve fund, and when the painting year arrives the money is already there. A VvE with no MJOP or an underfunded reserve may have to ask members for a one-off extra contribution, which is the situation buyers most want to avoid. When you buy an apartment, ask for the MJOP, the reserve fund balance and the minutes of the last two ALVs; together they tell you whether a large painting bill is looming.

Painters can help here. After an inspection we can tell a board whether the MJOP timing is realistic or whether certain elevations need attention sooner, and provide the condition photos the surveyor needs at the next update.

Boards usually invite two or three painters to quote. A useful quote for a VvE is not just a total; it is a specification. It should state the paint system and manufacturer, the number of coats, how wood rot will be treated and whether repairs are included or charged separately, how access will be arranged (scaffolding, platform or rope access), what happens to balcony and window contents, the warranty period and the expected duration. Quotes that leave these open cannot be compared fairly and often lead to disputes later.

Kivits Vastgoedonderhoud prepares VvE quotes in this format as standard: a free inspection of the whole building, a photo report per elevation, an itemised written proposal within 48 hours, Sikkens or Sigma paint systems, epoxy wood rot repair and a 5-year warranty. We provide the documents in Dutch for the formal record and in English for boards or members who prefer it. Read more about our exterior painting service and epoxy wood rot repair.

Timing also matters for a VvE because many owners and tenants are affected at once. We schedule around the season, see our guide on the best time of year for exterior painting, and give residents a clear timetable per stairwell or elevation.

If you rent an apartment, the VvE process is invisible to you: your landlord is the VvE member and pays the contribution, and exterior painting is their responsibility. See our guide on who pays for exterior painting if you are unsure where your lease draws the line.

If you own, you have both a vote and an obligation. Check the ALV dates, ask the board or manager for the MJOP in advance, and do not be shy about asking for quotes to be explained. It is perfectly normal for a board to invite a painter to present at a meeting; Leroy Kivits regularly does this for VvEs in 's-Hertogenbosch, Tilburg and across Noord-Brabant, in English where needed.

Kivits Vastgoedonderhoud (KVK 94153965) supports boards and managers from the first inspection to the final walkthrough and warranty documentation. Contact us to arrange a free building inspection for your VvE.