In collaboration with Climatiza. Radar Panamá works with this company, and the analysis follows the same editorial standards. How we work
Last verified: 20 October 2026. Every fact links to its official source.
Contents of this guide
Which part of the air conditioning is a common area and how it is paid
Common area equipment is what serves the building rather than a single unit: air conditioning for the lobby, hallways, social room, gym and rooftop, and the central systems. Law 284 does not name air conditioning equipment. It defines common property by function: assets owned by all owners that, by nature or purpose, allow or facilitate the operation, conservation, use and enjoyment of the property (article 6). Article 116 mentions the lobby, hallways and social areas, among others. The unit serving one apartment or office is private property, and each building’s Co-ownership Regulations (Reglamento de Copropiedad) set what is common (article 49).
Each owner contributes to the costs of administration, conservation, maintenance, operation and repair of common property according to the share set in the Co-ownership Regulations (article 25). The Contingency Fund (Fondo para Imprevistos) is not for this: it cannot be used for usual or normal maintenance (article 46), so preventive maintenance belongs in the ordinary budget.
Who decides and how it is approved
Administration and maintenance of common property belong to the Owners’ Assembly and are carried out by the Board of Directors and the administrator (article 60). Each has a role:
| Who | What it decides or does | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Owners’ Assembly | Approves the annual budget, which includes the Contingency Fund, in ordinary session at least once a year. | Arts. 47, 61 and 62, Law 284 |
| Board of Directors | Evaluates the administrator’s quotes and approves or rejects contracts. May authorize an urgent extraordinary expense not in the budget. | Art. 80, Law 284 |
| Administrator | Prepares the draft budget and signs approved contracts within the current budget. | Arts. 93 and 94, Law 284 |
| Assembly, special cases | Extraordinary fee: 51% of units current on payments at first call and 30% at second call. Use of the Contingency Fund: 51% of all units. | Arts. 35 and 48, Law 284 |
In an emergency, the Assembly may meet in extraordinary session (article 64). The Contingency Fund sits in a separate account drawn only with the Assembly’s authorization (article 82).
What the common-area maintenance contract should cover
A contract that works for a board fixes which equipment is included, what is done at each visit, how often, and what document is left behind. The indoor air quality preventive maintenance checklist from ASHRAE sorts tasks by frequency and draws on the ANSI/ASHRAE/ACCA 180 standard. It is written for building operations staff and does not replace each manufacturer’s manual. Some of its tasks:
| Frequency | Task per the ASHRAE checklist |
|---|---|
| Monthly | Read filter pressure and replace any filter above the maximum in the manual; check seals and housing. |
| Monthly | Inspect drain pans and condensate drains for standing water, biological growth, sediment or rust; clear traps. |
| Semiannual | Full drain pan inspection and visual check of coil cleanliness. |
| Annual | Full cooling coil cleaning and air handler interior cleaning, with before and after photos. |
The contract should also fix covered and excluded equipment, the report after each visit and who approves major parts. The guide to the maintenance contract for businesses develops those clauses.
How to compare proposals and take them to the board
The Board evaluates the quotes, so the comparison must be readable by non-technical people and use the same format for every offer. A cheaper offer that omits the written report or the drains is not equivalent to a more complete one. Radar’s guide on what to check when an office air conditioner stops cooling shows the symptoms maintenance aims to prevent.
- Gather the inventory. Brand, model, location and condition of each common unit, even as a first draft.
- Request proposals in the same format. Scope per visit, frequency, report and treatment of spare parts.
- Check against the approved budget. The Board approves contracts based on the Assembly’s budget (article 80).
- Prepare a one page summary. What is contracted, how much of the budget line it takes and what report the board will receive.
- Keep a record. Minutes of approval and a file of proposals; owners may request quotes and contracts in writing (article 2).
Climatiza Panamá, a company based in Panama City, describes on its maintenance page contracts at three levels (Básico, Prioritario and Integral) with a written report per visit and an initial survey of the equipment fleet. On its page for buildings and PH it says it works mainly with common areas and central systems.
Equipment inventory and log
Without records, every new administrator starts from zero. The ASHRAE checklist asks for the date, the technician’s initials and the result for each task, a corrective action when something fails, and photos and readings attached to the building manual. The U.S. EPA air quality guide offers a log of activities and system operations and HVAC checklists as a free model.
A useful log records per unit the location, visits, findings, parts replaced, photos and next service. With that history, asking for an investment becomes data instead of opinion.
Myths and facts
- Myth: the Contingency Fund pays for air conditioning maintenance. Fact: the law reserves it for unforeseen costs and excludes usual maintenance (article 46).
- Myth: the administrator can contract whatever seems right. Fact: the Board approves or rejects contracts (articles 80 and 93).
- Myth: all the building’s air conditioning is a common area. Fact: a unit’s own equipment is private property.
- Myth: if the air is cold, no inspection is needed. Fact: per the ASHRAE checklist, most indoor air quality problems in operating buildings are maintenance failures, such as clogged filters, fouled coils or blocked drains.
- Myth: hiring a provider removes the need for records. Fact: the history per unit is what lets the administration justify spending to the board.
On its page for buildings and horizontal properties, Climatiza Panamá describes asset surveys, maintenance contracts and reports written for boards.
Frequently asked questions
Is air conditioning in common areas paid from the common expense fee?
Yes. Article 25 of Law 284 of 2022 requires each owner to contribute to the conservation, maintenance, operation and repair costs of common property.
Who approves the maintenance contract for common air conditioning?
The Board of Directors, based on the budget approved by the Owners’ Assembly (article 80). The administrator signs it once approved.
Can the Contingency Fund be used for air conditioning maintenance?
Not for usual or normal maintenance. Article 46 reserves it for unforeseen costs, and using it requires the vote of 51% of units (article 48).
How often should a building’s central air conditioning be inspected?
It depends on the equipment and its use. The ASHRAE checklist spreads tasks across monthly, quarterly, semiannual and annual checks, with filters and drains among the most frequent.
What should the provider deliver after each visit?
A written report covering what was checked, the findings and pending actions, filed per unit.
Related articles
- Horizontal property in Panama: how a PH works
- Air conditioning maintenance contract for businesses in Panama
- Office air conditioning not cooling: what to check
- Air conditioning duct cleaning in Panama: when and how to check
- Air conditioning by the sea in Panama and salt air
Sources
Checked on 20 October 2026. Law 284 is a scanned PDF of Gaceta Oficial 29476-C, in Spanish; the articles cited were transcribed from that document.
- Law 284 of February 14, 2022, Gaceta Oficial 29476-C (Legispan, National Assembly).
- ASHRAE, Indoor Air Quality: A Preventive Maintenance Checklist for Facility Operators.
- U.S. Department of Energy (FEMP), O&M Best Practices Guide, Release 3.0 and its official page.
- EPA and NIOSH, Building Air Quality: A Guide for Building Owners and Facility Managers.
- EPA, Log of Activities and System Operations.
- EPA, HVAC Checklist, Long Form.
- Climatiza Panamá, buildings and horizontal properties.
- Climatiza Panamá, air conditioning maintenance.
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