Analysing the MJOP as a buyer
The long-term maintenance plan tells you what has to happen to the building in the coming years and what it will cost. It is the only document that looks forward rather than back.
In short
- An MJOP describes planned maintenance and its costs, usually over a period of ten to fifteen years.
- Only an MJOP no more than five years old counts towards the statutory reserve contribution.
- Since 1 January 2026 it is checked more strictly whether associations have a current MJOP.
- An MJOP without a matching reserve contribution is a wish list, not a plan.
What is an MJOP?
A long-term maintenance plan is an inventory of all the building components (roof, facade, window frames, installations, lift, drainage), with the expected lifespan of each, the moment of replacement or major maintenance, and the estimated costs. The result is a table with an amount per year. On that basis the association determines how much has to be saved each year.
For you as a buyer, the MJOP answers the question: what is coming my way in the next few years? An apartment in a building with a roof replacement due in two years and an empty reserve fund is a very different product from the same apartment in a building where the roof was replaced last year.
First: how old is the plan?
This is the most important question and it is often skipped. An MJOP from 2016 with 2016 prices is practically worthless: construction costs have risen sharply since, so the contribution based on it no longer covers the real costs. The law recognises this: for the statutory reserve contribution, only an MJOP that is no more than five years old counts. Since 1 January 2026 municipalities, insurers and lenders also look at this more strictly.
The four questions you put to the MJOP
- What is planned in the first five years? That is the period in which you will probably be the owner. Add those amounts up.
- Is the reserve fund adequate for it? Lay the MJOP schedule next to the balance of the fund and the annual contribution, see spotting underfunding.
- Which items sit just beyond the horizon? A plan running to 2036 with a lift due for replacement in 2037 looks calmer than it is.
- Is the plan based on an inspection? An MJOP drawn up from the year of construction and standard lifespans is an assumption; an MJOP following an on-site condition survey is an observation. The difference should be stated in the document.
Signs of a weak MJOP
- No foundation in the plan. For buildings from before 1970 on timber piles, the foundation should be in view, even if it is "still fine".
- Round numbers. €50.000 for the facade, €25.000 for the roof, those are guesses, not estimates.
- No indexation. A plan that budgets ten years ahead at today's prices comes out structurally too low.
- Deferred maintenance is not named as such. If the minutes discuss leaks and the MJOP shows nothing there, the documents do not line up.
An MJOP and a structural survey are not the same thing
An MJOP covers the communal parts of a building and looks ahead. A structural survey covers the whole home including your private part and describes the current condition. They complement each other: the MJOP tells you what the association is going to do, the survey what you have to do yourself. For an apartment you ideally want to see both.
Frequently asked questions
Is an MJOP compulsory?
An association must maintain a reserve fund and can substantiate it in two ways: with 0.5% of the rebuild value per year, or with a current MJOP. Whoever follows the MJOP route needs a plan no more than five years old. Since 1 January 2026 this is checked more strictly.
How far ahead does an MJOP look?
Usually ten to fifteen years, sometimes twenty. The longer the horizon, the better you see large items such as roof or lift replacement coming.
What does drawing up an MJOP cost?
That varies widely by building and provider. For a smaller association it is usually in the order of a few hundred to a few thousand euros. If the association considers this "too expensive", that in itself says something about how maintenance is handled.
Does an MJOP apply to a single-family house too?
Not as an obligation, since there is no association. But the same principle helps: knowing when your roof, window frames and boiler are due for replacement makes your own budget more realistic.
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