Awnings, pergolas and screens: what can go on a balcony

The first awning in a building decides the colour of every one after it. Better to decide that at a meeting than at random.

Come summer, balconies get covered: awnings, shade sails, reed screens, pergolas, parasols clamped to the railing. Each installation looks harmless on its own; together they turn the façade into a patchwork, and the subject eventually reaches a meeting as a conflict.

The principle is the same as for anything visible from outside: use of the balcony is private, but its appearance belongs to the façade, which is common.

What requires approval

• An awning fixed into the façade and visible from the street.
• A pergola or any structure fixed to the floor or wall.
• A privacy screen permanently attached to the railing.
• A satellite dish or visible aerial on the façade.
• External lighting fixed to the wall.
• Changing the colour or material of the railing.

Conversely, anything placed without drilling or fixing, removable in five minutes and not lastingly altering the appearance — furniture, movable planters, a free-standing parasol — is normal balcony use. The boundary is the one in private works and common areas.

The real issue: the fixing

An awning is three things: a visible appearance, holes drilled into the façade, and a considerable wind load. The last two concern the association as much as the first.

A badly made hole creates a water entry point; a badly fixed awning becomes dangerous in high wind. These join balconies and railings and water ingress.

The framework resolution, again

Handling requests one by one guarantees an incoherent façade and endless meetings. The solution that works is the same as for windows: a framework resolution, voted once, setting what is acceptable.

• The type of awning allowed and its shade, with a precise reference rather than a generic colour.
• The permitted fixing method, and the duty to make good the waterproofing.
• Which screen materials are allowed, and which are not.
• Any ban on the street façade, with tolerance on the courtyard side.
• The duty to inform the manager before installation.

Everyone then knows what they can do without another meeting. Same logic as replacing windows and fitting air conditioning.

And installations already in place

Many buildings already carry installations fitted without approval, sometimes fifteen years ago. The board has no sanctioning power; it observes, documents and passes to the manager.

In practice a framework resolution voted for the future, with explicit tolerance for existing installations that match the new rules, unblocks more situations than a campaign of formal notices. See documenting observations.

A consistent façade cannot be recovered: it is decided before the first installation, not after the tenth.

Track approvals with CoproHarmony

CoproHarmony records each request, the conditions set by the meeting and before-and-after photos, unit by unit. Create your free space.