When a person purchases a condo, how do they typically hold title to the common areas?

When a person purchases a condo, they typically hold title to the common areas as tenants in common. This means that each condo owner has an undivided interest in the common areas of the condominium, such as hallways, parking lots, recreational facilities, and other shared spaces. The ownership is not divided physically, meaning that no individual owner can claim a specific section of the common areas; instead, all owners share access and responsibility for these spaces collectively.

This form of ownership is important in condominiums because it promotes a sense of community and cooperation among the individual unit owners. Each owner has the right to use the common areas, but they also share in the responsibility for maintenance and other issues that may arise regarding those areas.

While options like sole and separate would imply individual ownership with no shared responsibility, joint tenancy would mean that if one owner passed away, their share would automatically go to the surviving co-owners, which isn't typically how condo ownership works for common areas. Community property pertains to assets owned jointly by married couples, which does not apply in the context of individual condominium ownership. Therefore, holding the title to common areas as tenants in common reflects the nature of shared ownership that is fundamental to condominium living.