HOA glossaryProperty & ownership

What is a limited common element?

Common property assigned to the exclusive use of one unit or a small group of them, such as a balcony, patio or assigned parking space.

Also called: LCE

A limited common element is not private property and not general common area. Title sits with the association or the members collectively, but the right to use it belongs to a specific unit. Balconies, patios, entry stoops, assigned spaces, storage lockers and the exterior of doors and windows are frequent examples.

The consequential question is maintenance, repair and replacement, and the declaration frequently splits it: the owner cleans and maintains, the association repairs and replaces, or some other division. Insurance follows a similar split, and the two do not always align.

Alterations are also constrained. Enclosing a balcony or replacing a window that faces the street is usually architectural review territory even though the owner has exclusive use.

Why it matters to a board

Write the maintenance split into a chart the manager and the owners can both read. It resolves the majority of repair arguments before they start.

Where the answer lives

Your recorded declaration and bylaws first, then the act that governs associations in your state. Whichever is stricter is the one that binds you.

Related terms

Common areaThe land and improvements owned or controlled by the association for the benefit of all members.DeclarationThe recorded instrument that creates the community, submits the land to the association's authority, and defines what is common and what is owned.Architectural reviewThe process by which proposed exterior changes to a lot are submitted, measured against published standards, and approved or denied.Master policyThe association's property and liability insurance covering the common area and, in many condominiums, the buildings themselves.Condominium associationAn association governing a community where owners hold title to units and an undivided percentage interest in the common elements.
General information, not legal advice. This entry explains what the term means, not what your association must do about it. Any notice period, cure window, fine cap, vote threshold or deadline comes from your recorded declaration and your state's act — those differ in all fifty states and are amended every session. Updated August 2026. Confirm the current requirements with an attorney licensed in your state before acting.
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