Condo House Rules and By-Laws: What Owners and Tenants Are Legally Bound By

A condominium’s house rules and its by-laws are not the same document, and only one of them is something a unit owner votes on directly. By-laws are the condominium corporation’s internal charter — adopted and amended by the owners themselves as members of that corporation under the Revised Corporation Code (Republic Act No. 11232) — while house rules are usually a more detailed, more frequently updated set of day-to-day conduct rules that the board issues under authority the by-laws and the project’s Declaration of Restrictions already give it (Republic Act No. 11232, LawPhil). Both bind unit owners directly as a matter of corporate membership. Tenants and guests are a murkier case: the Condominium Act speaks in terms of “condominium owners,” not renters, so a lessee’s duty to follow house rules generally traces back to their lease contract with the owner, not to direct corporate membership — a distinction that matters the first time a dispute, a fine, or an access suspension actually happens.

Decision Snapshot

• What they are: By-laws are the condominium corporation’s governing charter (board structure, voting, meetings); house rules are the board-issued conduct rules for daily building use (noise, pets, moving schedules, amenity booking) — both sit under the project’s Master Deed and Declaration of Restrictions.
• Where to check them: Ask the condominium corporation’s management office or administrator for the current house rules and by-laws before you buy or lease; the Master Deed and Declaration of Restrictions are also annotated on the property’s title at the Registry of Deeds.
• The key qualifying detail: Unit owners are automatically members of the condominium corporation and are directly bound by its by-laws and house rules; tenants are bound mainly through the lease contract they sign with the owner, unless the house rules themselves extend specific common-area conditions to all occupants and guests.
• The main rule on changes: By-laws are adopted and amended by a vote of the members (generally a majority, per the Revised Corporation Code), while the Declaration of Restrictions can only be amended by a majority in interest of the owners under the Condominium Act — a board cannot rewrite either one unilaterally.
• An important caveat: A pending 2026 bill in Congress would amend the Condominium Act itself — including setting a default voting quorum when a corporation’s by-laws are silent — but it has not yet been signed into law as of this writing.
• Next step: Before you buy or sign a lease, get a copy of the actual house rules and by-laws in writing, and if you’re a landlord, attach them to the lease and make compliance an express condition — because the corporation’s lien and penalties generally run against the unit and its owner, not the tenant.

The Document Hierarchy: Master Deed, Declaration of Restrictions, By-Laws, and House Rules

Every Philippine condominium project is governed by a stack of documents, and confusing them is one of the most common reasons owners misunderstand what they actually agreed to. (For the ownership rules the Condominium Act creates more broadly, see our guide to the Condominium Act.) The Condominium Act (Republic Act No. 4726) sets up the first two layers directly:

• Master Deed (or Enabling Deed): Registered with the Registry of Deeds before any unit is sold, it describes the land, the building, the units, and the common areas, and states the exact nature of each buyer’s interest. It is annotated on the land title itself (Republic Act No. 4726, Sec. 4, LawPhil).
• Declaration of Restrictions: Also registered before any unit is conveyed, this document “shall constitute a lien upon each condominium in the project, and shall inure to and bind all condominium owners.” It names the management body (a condominium corporation, an owners’ association, an elected board, or a management agent) and sets out that body’s powers — including the power to enforce the restrictions, levy assessments, and the procedure for amending the restrictions themselves, which requires “the vote of not less than a majority in interest of the owners” (Republic Act No. 4726, Sec. 9, LawPhil).

Where the common areas are held by a condominium corporation — the usual setup in Metro Manila — that corporation becomes the management body, and its articles of incorporation and by-laws must not contain any provision contrary to or inconsistent with the Condominium Act, the Master Deed, or the Declaration of Restrictions (Republic Act No. 4726, Sec. 10). Because the corporation is typically a non-stock corporation, its by-laws are adopted and amended under the general rules of the Revised Corporation Code: members holding at least a majority may adopt by-laws, and amendments generally require the board plus a majority of members, or a delegation of that power to the board approved by two-thirds of the members (Republic Act No. 11232, Secs. 45 & 47, LawPhil).

House rules sit on top of all of this. Neither RA 4726 nor the Revised Corporation Code uses the term, but it is the document real buildings actually operate on day to day: visitor and delivery policies, pet restrictions, moving-in and renovation schedules, amenity reservation procedures, parking assignments, and the fine schedule for violations. Because the by-laws and Declaration of Restrictions already give the board authority to manage the project and enforce restrictions, house rules are typically issued and updated by the board as an exercise of that existing authority — which is also why they change far more often than the by-laws themselves.

Side-by-Side: What Each Document Actually Covers

Who Can Adopt or Change House Rules

Because house rules are not a creature of statute the way by-laws and the Declaration of Restrictions are, the actual answer depends on what your specific condominium’s own documents say. In practice, there are usually two layers of authority at work:

1. The board of directors/trustees ordinarily has standing authority — delegated through the by-laws and the Declaration of Restrictions’ grant of enforcement and management power — to issue and update house rules without a full member vote each time, similar to how a company’s management can issue office policies without a shareholder vote on every one.
2. The members (unit owners) retain control over anything that amounts to amending the by-laws or the Declaration of Restrictions itself — for example, changing voting rights, altering assessment formulas, or imposing a restriction significant enough to affect property use in a way the original restrictions didn’t contemplate. That requires the statutory threshold: a majority in interest of owners for the Declaration of Restrictions, or the Revised Corporation Code’s by-laws procedure for the by-laws themselves.

A pending bill to amend the Condominium Act, House Bill No. 2286 — which passed second reading in the House of Representatives, with a counterpart measure advanced in the Senate as of September 2026 — would add a statutory default for one piece of this: where a corporation’s by-laws are silent on quorum, meetings would be quorate based on “the simple majority of the total condominium units held by members in good standing” (House Bill No. 2286, House of Representatives of the Philippines). That is a notable gap-filler, since quorum disputes are a common reason member votes on rule changes get challenged — but the bill had not been enacted into law as of this writing, so it should not yet be treated as current law. Confirm its status with Congress or the Official Gazette before relying on it.

Are Tenants and Guests Bound by House Rules, or Only Owners?

This is the question that catches landlords and renters off guard, and the honest answer is that it is not spelled out cleanly in any single statute — it has to be pieced together from how membership, contracts, and common-area access actually work.

• Unit owners are bound directly. The Condominium Act makes every unit holder a member of the condominium corporation automatically and without separate consent, and membership cannot be transferred apart from the unit itself (RA 4726, Sec. 10). As a member, the owner is bound by the by-laws and by the Declaration of Restrictions, which by its own terms is a lien against the unit that “shall inure to and bind all condominium owners” (RA 4726, Sec. 9).
• Tenants are not members, and the statute does not address them. A lessee occupies the unit under a separate lease contract with the owner, not under the Master Deed, Declaration of Restrictions, or by-laws. Under ordinary contract law, an agreement generally binds only its parties, their assigns, and their heirs (Civil Code, Art. 1311) — a tenant who never signed the condominium’s governing documents is not automatically a party to them merely by moving in.
• In practice, two mechanisms close that gap. First, well-drafted house rules and Declarations of Restrictions commonly state that compliance is a condition of using the common areas at all — a rule a condominium corporation can generally apply to anyone on its property (owner, tenant, or guest), the same way a private building can set conditions for anyone who enters it. Second, and more importantly in practice, the corporation’s real financial leverage — assessments, fines, and the statutory lien — runs against the unit and its registered owner, not the tenant (RA 4726, Secs. 9 and 20). That is why a landlord, not the tenant, typically receives the violation notice and the bill.

The practical fix is on the lease, not the law: a lease that expressly attaches the current house rules and makes tenant compliance a condition of the tenancy gives the owner a clean, contractual basis to pass consequences on to the tenant, and gives the tenant clear notice of what they’re agreeing to. Without that clause, an owner who leases out a unit is still the one exposed to the condominium corporation for a tenant’s violations.

What a Condominium Corporation Can — and Cannot — Enforce

A condominium corporation’s enforcement powers come from the Declaration of Restrictions and its own by-laws, not from unlimited discretion. Common, well-established tools include:

• Monetary fines for specific, posted rule violations, provided the house rules actually authorize a fine schedule — there is no single peso amount fixed by national law for a house-rule violation, since this is set building-by-building, not by statute.
• Suspension of privileges tied to delinquency or a serious violation — for example, barring a delinquent member from voting or running for the board, which the Supreme Court has treated as a legitimate internal corporate matter rather than a damages claim (see Medical Plaza Makati Condominium Corp. v. Cullen, discussed below).
• A lien on the unit for unpaid assessments and related charges, enforceable in the same manner as a mortgage foreclosure, once a notice of assessment is registered with the Registry of Deeds (RA 4726, Sec. 20) — see our guides on condo association dues and condo special assessments for how these charges are actually computed and billed, and our guide on what happens if dues go unpaid for how that lien plays out in practice.
• What it generally cannot do is adopt a rule that conflicts with the Master Deed, the Declaration of Restrictions, or RA 4726 itself (Sec. 10), or amend the Declaration of Restrictions or by-laws without the statutory vote those documents require — a board memo is not a substitute for a proper members’ vote when the change is substantive enough to qualify as an amendment rather than routine house-rule administration.

A Worked (Hypothetical) Example

Say a unit owner at a hypothetical Metro Manila condominium leases their unit to a tenant. The building’s house rules prohibit pets in common areas without prior registration, and the tenant’s dog is repeatedly seen unregistered and unleashed in the hallway. Management issues two written violation notices citing the house rules, then — because the house rules set an illustrative ₱2,000 fine per documented violation after the second notice — posts a ₱4,000 charge to the unit’s account. This figure is illustrative only; the Condominium Act does not fix a fine amount, and the real number depends entirely on that building’s own house rules.

Because the lease never attached the house rules or made compliance a tenant obligation, the owner — not the tenant — is the one the corporation can assess, and the charge can become a lien on the unit if unpaid (RA 4726, Secs. 9 and 20). The owner’s practical recourse is against the tenant under their own lease contract (for example, treating repeated violations as a lease breach), not against the condominium corporation, since the corporation enforced its rules correctly against the party the rules actually bind.

2026 Update: A Pending Rewrite of the Condominium Act

The Condominium Act has stood largely unchanged since 1966, and Congress has been working on updating it. House Bill No. 2286 — described in House proceedings as providing for the redevelopment of condominiums and amending RA 4726 — passed second reading in the House of Representatives, and a counterpart measure was reported approved by the Senate as of early September 2026 (House Bill No. 2286, House of Representatives of the Philippines). Provisions relevant to governance and house rules include:

• A default quorum rule — simple majority of total units held by members in good standing — that applies whenever a corporation’s own by-laws are silent on the point;
• Lower voting thresholds for dissolving older condominium corporations (projects 30–50 years old would need a two-thirds vote, and those over 50 years old a simple majority, down from requiring all stockholders to agree);
• Authority for corporations to lease out common areas and to assess dues based on actual use, access, and enjoyment of common areas, rather than a flat per-unit share;
• A requirement that property transfers be accompanied by certification that the unit carries no outstanding condominium dues or arrears.

None of this is law yet. A bill that has passed second reading (and even a Senate counterpart approved on third reading) still needs to clear a final vote in both chambers, bicameral reconciliation if the versions differ, and the President’s signature before it takes effect. Treat this section as something to watch, not something to rely on, and check the current status with Congress, the Senate, or the Official Gazette before assuming any of it applies to your building.

If You Disagree With a House Rule or a Fine: Where Disputes Actually Go

A common assumption is that condominium disputes go to the same government housing regulator that handles developer-buyer complaints — currently the Human Settlements Adjudication Commission (HSAC), successor to the HLURB. That assumption is usually wrong once a unit has already been sold and the dispute is between an owner and their own condominium corporation.

In Medical Plaza Makati Condominium Corporation v. Cullen, a unit owner disputed an assessment and was barred from voting and running for the board over it. The Supreme Court held that a dispute between a condominium corporation and a unit owner — over assessments, enforcement of restrictions, or membership privileges like voting — is an intra-corporate controversy, not an ordinary civil case and not a housing-regulator matter, because it is rooted in the corporate relationship between the member and the corporation and concerns rights under the Corporation Code and the project’s own governing rules. The Court also confirmed that Republic Act No. 9904 (the Magna Carta for Homeowners and Homeowners’ Associations), which gives HLURB/HSAC jurisdiction over homeowners’ association disputes, was deliberately not extended to condominium corporations during its drafting — lawmakers considered and rejected including condominiums, planning a separate bill instead. Intra-corporate disputes instead fall under the jurisdiction of Regional Trial Courts specifically designated as Special Commercial Courts, pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 902-A as transferred by the Securities Regulation Code (Medical Plaza Makati Condominium Corp. v. Cullen, G.R. No. 181416, Nov. 11, 2013, LawPhil).

This is a different track from the HSAC’s role, which remains limited to contractual disputes between a buyer and the project’s developer/seller under Presidential Decree No. 957 — for example, a developer’s failure to deliver a unit or title, not a sitting owner’s disagreement with their condo corporation’s house rules (Cadungog v. Sung Ha Jung, G.R. No. 254543, Apr. 2, 2025, LawPhil). If a house-rule dispute escalates past the building’s own internal grievance process, it is a Special Commercial Court case, not an HSAC complaint — a distinction worth raising with a lawyer early, since filing in the wrong forum can mean starting over.

What to Verify Before You Rely on This

• Get the actual, current house rules and by-laws for your specific building in writing — they vary significantly from one condominium corporation to another, and this article describes the general legal framework, not any one building’s rules.
• Confirm with the management office exactly what body (board vs. full member vote) adopted the specific rule you’re asking about, especially for anything affecting assessments or use rights.
• Check whether your lease contract (if you’re a tenant or a landlord) actually incorporates the house rules by reference — many standard leases don’t, which is the single most common gap that causes disputes.
• Verify the current status of House Bill No. 2286 and its Senate counterpart before assuming any of the pending changes described above are in effect.
• For an actual dispute, consult a lawyer to confirm the correct forum (Special Commercial Court vs. HSAC vs. ordinary civil court) based on the specific facts, since jurisdiction turns on how the complaint is framed and who the parties are.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the real difference between house rules and by-laws?

By-laws are the condominium corporation’s governing charter — board structure, officer terms, voting and meeting procedures — adopted and amended by the members under the Revised Corporation Code. House rules are the detailed, frequently updated conduct rules for daily building life (noise, pets, visitors, amenity use) that the board typically issues under the authority the by-laws and Declaration of Restrictions already give it.

Who has the authority to create or change a condominium’s house rules?

Usually the board of directors/trustees, acting on the management authority the by-laws and Declaration of Restrictions already grant it. A change substantial enough to amount to amending the Declaration of Restrictions or the by-laws themselves requires the statutory member vote instead — a majority in interest of owners for the Declaration of Restrictions, or the Revised Corporation Code’s procedure for the by-laws.

Are renters (tenants) bound by the condo’s house rules, or only owners?

Unit owners are bound directly as members of the condominium corporation. Tenants are not members and are not directly addressed by the Condominium Act — their obligation to follow house rules generally comes from their lease contract with the owner. Many house rules also condition common-area access on compliance by anyone on the property, but the corporation’s financial penalties and liens typically run against the unit and its owner, not the tenant.

Can a condominium corporation fine a unit owner for violating house rules?

Yes, provided the house rules the corporation adopted actually authorize a specific fine for that violation. There is no single fine amount fixed by Philippine law — each condominium corporation sets its own fine schedule through its own house rules and Declaration of Restrictions.

Can a condo corporation suspend access to amenities like the pool or gym?

Suspending privileges tied to delinquency or a documented rule violation is a commonly used enforcement tool, and Philippine courts have treated similar privilege restrictions (such as barring a delinquent member from voting) as a legitimate internal corporate matter rather than an automatic damages claim. Whether a specific suspension is valid still depends on what the building’s own house rules and Declaration of Restrictions actually authorize.

Where do I go if I disagree with a house rule or a fine — DHSUD, HSAC, or court?

Generally not DHSUD or the HSAC. Disputes between a unit owner and their own condominium corporation over assessments, fines, or enforcement of restrictions have been treated by the Supreme Court as intra-corporate controversies falling under Regional Trial Courts designated as Special Commercial Courts, not the housing regulator — whose jurisdiction over condominiums is generally limited to contractual disputes between a buyer and the project’s developer.

Is the Condominium Act (RA 4726) about to change?

A bill is pending in Congress (House Bill No. 2286, with a Senate counterpart) that would amend several governance provisions, including setting a default quorum rule and lowering dissolution voting thresholds for older buildings. As of this writing it has not been signed into law — check its current status before relying on any of its specific provisions.

Where can I actually read my condo’s house rules and by-laws?

Request a copy from the condominium corporation’s management office or administrator — reputable buildings will provide this to owners, prospective buyers, and often tenants on request. The Master Deed and Declaration of Restrictions are also annotated on the property’s title and can be verified at the Registry of Deeds.

What to Do Next

If you’re buying, request the current house rules, by-laws, and Declaration of Restrictions before you commit — not after turnover. If you’re leasing out a unit, attach the house rules to the lease and make compliance an explicit tenant obligation, since the corporation’s fines and liens will come to you, not your tenant, if you don’t. And if a dispute with your condominium corporation ever escalates past its own internal process, get a lawyer to confirm whether it belongs in a Special Commercial Court rather than with the housing regulator — filing in the wrong forum can cost you the time you spent building your case.

This article reflects the Condominium Act (RA 4726), the Revised Corporation Code (RA 11232), and published Supreme Court decisions as of October 3, 2026, along with House Bill No. 2286, a pending amendment to the Condominium Act that was not yet enacted into law as of this writing. House rules, fine schedules, and quorum requirements vary by building and are set by each condominium corporation’s own governing documents — always confirm your specific building’s current rules with its management office, and consult a licensed attorney before relying on this article for an actual dispute.