Sounds like a nightmare just waiting to happen. I have heard horror stories about the stupidity and politics that can happen in a small condominium or town house complex. and a duplex is the smallest complex you can get. Bigger owners associations don't seem to have as many problems, although they still have some.

Just imagine the stupidest most obnoxios person you know moving in next door. and now you have to deal with him when the house needs painting, or repairs, or even the lawn mowed. He doesn't want to pay for anything, or he insists on the half a__ed cheap fix. You can't aford to take him to court every other week, you can't even sell your half because he has trashed his half and sits on the front lawn in his underwear drinking beer when you try to show the house.

My apologies if I have described any of the regular posters here!!

We own 2 duplexes new,we rent out.Insurance is pretty high.We dont have all the problems youre talking about.but my parents lived in 1/2 house when we were kids.we wanted to put siding on house neighbor would not.Same with roof.We did anyway but I never liked that ,it kind of says you dont get along I thought..

Is this a house that was split into 2, or was it built as 2 units? If the latter, both sides would usually be more or less identical.
If it was built as 2 units, the wall between them would be solid brick, same as brick row houses or semi detached as the ones I grew up with in the city. If it was an altered house, that's another story.
As far as roofing, painting, maintenance, again, if it was built as 2 individual, yet attached dwellings, each homeowner is responsible for their own side. If it's an altered dwelling, each taking care of their own side to their own taste can get rather dicey. In either case, it's always best if you have neighbors who share your own tastes and values.
Hope that helped a little bit.

Around here, it is more common for one family to own the entire duplex, and rent out half. That is not necessarily a trouble-free situation, either.

Thanks for the responses...I think I am going to run from this one, too many unknown variables that I cannot control (the main one being who lives in the other side of the house!)

:) jiggreen

Around here they are called semi-detached houses - two halves that pretty much mirror each other. Each is owned, insured and maintained separately and each owner takes title of his/her own property.

A duplex here in Canada, would be one home, one owner, split into two units, typically one up, one down. The owners unit is usually on the first floor and, depending on the owner's wishes, the tenant may have access to the gardens.