Short answer: ask for six documents: the deed of division (splitsingsakte), the maintenance plan (MJOP), the minutes of the last two to three years, the annual accounts and budget, the current reserve fund balance and the policy schedule of the building insurance. In each you look for a few concrete things: what is yours, what maintenance is coming, is there money for it, and have decisions been made that you will pay for. A buyer's agent does this for you. Without one, it's up to you.
When do you ask for the documents?
At the first serious viewing. Ask the seller's agent. You want to have read them before you make an offer, and at the latest in the three-day cooling-off period after signing the purchase agreement. After that you usually can't walk away without costs.
Not getting a document? Ask why. A VvE that can't show an MJOP or minutes is a signal in itself (see below).
The documents, and what to look for in each
| Document | What to look for | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Deed of division (with drawing and amending deeds) | What is private and what is shared; your share of the costs; rules on letting, pets, renovating | Your balcony, storage room or roof terrace is not marked as private on the drawing; letting is banned while you want to let |
| MJOP (long-term maintenance plan) | How old, adopted by the general meeting, which big items are coming | Older than five years, never adopted, or big items "to be determined" |
| Minutes (last 2 to 3 years, plus the next agenda) | Decisions on extra contributions, loans, postponed maintenance, conflicts | "Maintenance postponed", "investigate a loan", meetings without a quorum |
| Annual accounts and budget | Which part of the contribution goes to the reserve fund; does the budget match the spending | Structural deficit, rising arrears of other owners |
| Reserve fund balance (current) | Set it against the big expenses in the MJOP | Balance falling year on year, or going below zero in the MJOP |
| Building insurance policy schedule | The rebuild value; recalculate the minimum reservation | Rebuild value not updated for years: the building may be underinsured |
Also ask whether there are house rules (huishoudelijk reglement). They hold the day-to-day rules.
The three questions that really matter
All documents together should answer three questions:
- Is there enough money for the maintenance that's coming? Set the balance plus the yearly reservation against the spending in the MJOP, year by year. If the balance goes negative anywhere, an extra contribution or a loan is coming. Read How big should a VvE's reserve fund be? and Reading an MJOP.
- Are there decisions you will pay for? A decision on a levy or loan taken before the transfer can land on you after it. That is in the minutes, not in the listing. Read VvE loan when buying.
- Can you do with the apartment what you plan to? Letting, a pet, moving the kitchen: the deed of division decides. Read Reading the deed of division.
Signs the VvE itself isn't working well
Sometimes the problem isn't in one document but in what's missing:
- There is no MJOP, or only a very old one.
- There are no recent minutes: the meeting doesn't convene.
- There is no managing agent and nobody who can supply the documents quickly.
- The contribution hasn't been raised for years, while building costs rose sharply.
A VvE that doesn't function often only arranges maintenance when things go wrong. That costs more, and you pay your share.
How much work is this?
Count on a few evenings. An MJOP is often dozens of pages, so is the deed of division, and three years of minutes aren't something you read in passing. Most of the work is in setting things side by side: the MJOP against the balance, the minutes against the budget. And most of these documents are in Dutch.
Rather not do the sums yourself? Upload the VvE documents: within a minute you see where the warning signs are, free, and the full report sets everything side by side for you, in English.
Frequently asked questions
Does the seller have to give me the VvE documents?
The seller must tell you what they know and what matters to you. As a buyer you also have a duty to investigate. So ask for the documents actively; what you could have found but didn't ask for often counts against you in a dispute.
Which document matters most?
The MJOP together with the reserve fund balance. That shows whether an extra contribution or loan is coming, and those are the biggest costs you can't see at a viewing.
What if the deed of division is missing?
You can request it yourself from the Kadaster (Land Registry). Read Requesting the deed of division, or order it through us.
Sources
- VvE.nl: Reservefonds VvE, hoe groot moet het minimaal zijn in 2026? (Dutch)
- Dutch Civil Code Book 5, article 126 (reserve fund and minimum reservation, Dutch)
- Dutch Civil Code Book 5, article 122 (buyer's liability for arrears, Dutch)