Comparison
Vecinar or a WhatsApp group for your community of owners
A no-nonsense comparison between the community WhatsApp group and Vecinar: what each one does, what the law says and when the group is enough.
By the Vecinar team · Updated on
Comparison
| WhatsApp group | Vecinar | |
|---|---|---|
| Who gets in | Anyone who has the number. The AEPD (Spain's data protection authority) states that an owner cannot be added to a group without their express, informed and explicit consent. | By email invitation only. A resident with permission can only invite people to their own unit. |
| Contact details | Every member is in the group with their phone number. | Residents' email and phone number are only visible to admins. |
| Incidents | Messages in the chat, with no status of their own. | An incident with photos, comments and status (open, in progress, resolved). |
| Documents | Files sent to the chat. | Folders and tags, visible to everyone or only to admins. |
| Bookings | None. | Bookings per area with opening hours, time slots, capacity and a limit per unit. |
| Votes | No article of the law recognises a WhatsApp vote as a resolution of the owners' meeting. | Surveys to find out what residents think. They aren't resolutions of the owners' meeting either. |
| Price | Free. | €0.15 per unit per month + VAT (Basic), 30-day trial. |
When the group is enough
If the community is small, all residents are happy to be in the group and it is only used for the odd notice, WhatsApp is free and everyone has it. The problems come with personal data, the lack of history and decisions: we cover them in the guide to the community WhatsApp group.
Get started today
Register your community and try it with your neighbours.
- Nothing to install: it works in the browser on your phone or computer.
- Priced per registered unit, as an annual subscription paid by the community.
- 30-day trial on the first subscription.
Frequently asked questions
Is a WhatsApp vote valid in a community of owners?
No. The law treats resolutions as decisions of the owners' meeting, called with the agenda, place, day and time (art. 16.2) and recorded in the minutes book (art. 19.1). No article recognises a WhatsApp vote as a resolution.
Does Vecinar replace the owners' meeting?
No. Vecinar's surveys are for finding out what residents think; resolutions are still adopted by the owners' meeting.
Sources
- Ley 49/1960, de 21 de julio, sobre propiedad horizontal (texto consolidado, BOE, actualizado el 05/10/2026)
- AEPD: Protección de datos y administración de fincas (guide, under review)
This guide is for information only and is not legal advice. Check your community's bylaws too. The Ley de Propiedad Horizontal (LPH, Spain's Horizontal Property Act) is national law: in Catalonia, Book Five of the Civil Code of Catalonia applies instead.