Certified property manager under § 26a WEG (zertifizierter Verwalter): what owners can demand

What exactly is a "certified manager"?

§ 26a WEG allows someone to call themselves a certified property manager (zertifizierter Verwalter) if they have shown, before a Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), that they have the legal, commercial and technical knowledge needed to manage condominium property. The details are set out in the Certified Manager Examination Ordinance (ZertVerwV), in force since 17 December 2021. Exam dates and registration are handled by the respective IHK.

The title is personal. For a legal entity — such as a GmbH — the company counts as certified if the employees directly involved in management tasks are certified. A management firm with one certified person and ten uncertified case handlers does not automatically meet the requirement.

What the exam covers

Part	Scope
Written	around 90 minutes, mostly multiple choice
Oral	about 15 minutes
Content	basics of condominium ownership, commercial basics, technical basics, legal foundations

The exam is passed if a sufficient performance is achieved in each part. It is not a lifetime title in the sense of an exemption from further training — the general continuing education requirement under § 34c GewO still applies.

Who counts as equivalent?

The following, among others, count as certified without taking the exam:

• Fully qualified lawyers (Volljuristen)
• Real estate professionals with the recognised vocational qualification (Immobilienkaufleute)
• Certified real estate specialists (Geprüfte Immobilienfachwirte, IHK)
• People with a relevant real-estate degree from a university or university of applied sciences

Anyone relying on equivalence should be able to show proof. Ask for it — not for the word, but for the document. The qualifications our team brings are listed under About us.

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The owners' right: how it works

§ 19(2) no. 6 WEG counts the appointment of a certified manager as part of proper management — since 1 December 2023. Anyone who was already the manager of an association on 1 December 2020 was deemed certified towards it until 1 June 2024 (§ 48(4) WEG). That grace period has expired. In practice this means:

1. The right must be asserted. It does not arise automatically. As long as no owner raises it, an uncertified manager can be appointed and remain in office.
2. As a rule, a single owner is enough — regardless of the size of the association. No majority resolution is needed to trigger the right. Only in the situation described under point 4 does a higher threshold apply.
3. It affects the appointment. If an uncertified manager is appointed despite the demand, the appointment resolution can be challenged — within one month of the vote. The challenge deadline calculator gives you the exact date.
4. Exception for small associations: the requirement does not apply if three conditions coincide — there are fewer than nine units, an owner has been appointed as manager, and fewer than a third of the owners demand a certified manager. In these small, self-managed associations, one voice is therefore not enough; it takes a third.

If you want to use the right, send it to the property manager in writing before the meeting and ask for it to be put on the agenda. A remark called out at the meeting is weak as evidence.

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Certification is not everything — what else to check

The exam secures basic knowledge. It says nothing about capacity, processes or availability. These five points are more telling in practice:

1. Trading licence under § 34c(1) no. 4 GewO. Without it, nobody may manage condominium or residential property for others on a commercial basis. Ask to see the licence. That is the hard licensing requirement — certification is not.

2. Professional liability insurance. Under § 15 MaBV, at least €500,000 per claim and €1 million for all claims in a year. Ask for current confirmation, not the policy from two years ago.

3. Proof of continuing education. 20 hours within three calendar years (§ 15b MaBV). Ask which topics and with which provider.

4. Caseload. How many units does one full-time employee look after? A specific figure tells you more than any certificate — a manager who cannot or will not give one has answered the question too.

5. Separate accounts. Client money belongs in accounts of the owners' association, not in pooled accounts of the manager. Ask explicitly.

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For property managers: what the right means in practice

For providers in the Nuremberg, Fürth and Erlangen area, certification is now a selection criterion, not a differentiator. Advisory boards ask for it as standard. Newcomers to the market must have it; managers holding existing mandates will be asked about it at the next reappointment resolution at the latest.

How a change works if the current manager is not certified is explained under changing your property manager: deadlines and handover. The real competition happens elsewhere: in response times, in delivering the annual statement on time, and in whether anyone answers the phone at all. How we organise this in our WEG management is described on our services page.

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Want to check a provider's qualifications and cover? Ravenica includes its licence, proof of insurance and proof of certification with every quote, without being asked.