A co-ownership share is a share in the ownership of a piece of property. The term is most widely used in connection to real estate.
In Switzerland, a property can be solely owned by just one person or entity, or ownership can be shared among multiple owners. In order for a property to be shared by multiple owners, it must be divided up into co-ownership shares. Each owner is entered into the land register along with their co-ownership share in a property.
A co-ownership share is generally shown as a promille or a percentage of the property’s total value. Example: The co-ownership share of an apartment which is part of a condominium is 7 percent. If you buy that apartment, you will own a 7-percent share of the condominium.
Co-ownership of standard properties
Any house or apartment can be divided into co-ownership shares. For example, a property inherited by multiple heirs may be divided into co-ownership shares corresponding to compulsory inheritance shares. Another scenario in which co-ownership shares apply is real estate crowdfunding.
In Switzerland, co-ownership of a standard property is called “Miteigentum” in German, and “copropriété” in French.
The co-ownership share of a standard property is generally determined by the amount paid or inherited in relation to the property’s value. For example, if two heirs jointly inherit a property, their co-ownership shares will generally be 50 percent each.
All of a property’s co-owners share the ownership rights and responsibilities in proportion to their co-ownership shares.
Condominiums
There are special laws governing co-ownership of condominiums – known as “Stockwerkeigentum” in German and “propriété par étage” in French. Determining co-ownership shares for condominiums is more complicated for standard properties.
There are many different factors which collectively determine co-ownership shares. These include:
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The floor space (in square meters). This is generally the interior floor space of a home, balconies, and storage areas, hobby rooms and parking space over which one co-owner holds exclusive rights.
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The accessibility of the home (which floor an apartment is on, for example).
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The direction which a home faces.
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The home’s position in relation to the entire condominium.
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The home’s exposure to noise or other emissions.
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The views from a home.
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The number of rooms, and the way in which space is divided.
Your co-ownership share of a condominium determines how much you have to contribute to communal expenses, including renovation funds, buildings insurance, property management, liability claims, maintenance, and repairs.
Jointly owned property
Joint ownership of a property is based on a legal relationship between owners. The most common reason for joint ownership is marriage. There are no co-ownership shares. All owners share equal ownership rights over the entire property.
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