ZGRADONAČELNIK Toni Šoljan

Guest Toni ŠoljanHosted by Tin BašićMay 3, 2026

Toni Šoljan

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

The Croatian real estate sector is bracing for a significant shift: a new Law on Building Management and Maintenance is set to take effect on January 1, 2025. While intended to clarify roles and responsibilities, the proposed legislation is still in parliamentary debate, leaving many questions unanswered for the country’s building managers and co-owners. The complexity isn't just in the details; it's in the fundamental redefinition of how buildings are legally perceived and managed. Toni Šoljan, who directs the management sector at Tehnoplast and is an active member of the Association of Building Managers, is at the heart of these discussions. His firm is on the front lines of implementing these changes, and he is directly involved in the working group shaping the law. He offers a rare, insider perspective on the proposed changes, the practical challenges they present, and the unexpected legal conflicts that are emerging. This conversation reveals that even well-intentioned legislative efforts can create a maze of new uncertainties. You'll leave understanding the practical implications of giving a building its own legal personality, the dilemmas around maintaining old owner agreements, and why even seemingly small details, like where to install an air conditioner, become major points of contention under new rules.

Insights from the conversation

What to take from this episode

The new Law on Building Management is not an "organic law" like the Law on Ownership, meaning it will be much easier to amend and adapt as real-world issues emerge. The true value of a new regulation often lies not in its initial completeness, but in its capacity for agile correction and adjustment over time.

The new law assigns an OIB (identification number) to every building, formally giving it legal personality and requiring registration of all co-owners and parts. This shift from a collection of individual properties to a distinct legal entity fundamentally redefines the scope of responsibility for both managers and co-owners.

The law mandates annual adjustments to the minimum reserve fund and requires co-owner meetings to be held electronically. When passive co-owner participation is a persistent problem, legislative shifts that create mandatory, recurring decision points can be the only effective way to drive engagement.

Some co-owners believe that if a building gains its own OIB and legal personality, they might no longer need a professional manager. The new law explicitly states the opposite: a building *cannot* operate without one. New legal frameworks often formalize the necessity of specialized expertise, rather than eliminating it.

In regions like Dalmatia, a frequent question concerns the placement of air conditioning units on building facades, especially where balconies are absent or street-facing. The law's broad application often clashes with highly localized architectural realities, turning a seemingly minor detail into a significant practical challenge for residents.

The current draft of the law is still subject to change, with further rulebooks and implementing regulations to follow. Industry associations are actively collecting practical questions from the field and forwarding them to the working group, demonstrating that even late in the legislative process, engaged feedback can still shape the final text.

The proposed law contains provisions, such as allowing a section of a building to separate from the co-owner community with only partial consent, which directly conflict with the higher-ranking Law on Ownership. Even a "lex specialis" cannot override fundamental principles of an organic law, creating a critical legal tension that must be resolved.

Explore further

ScenariosBusiness challenges CardsEducational cards TimelineTopic evolution