Understanding Unit Entitlements Voting in Strata

Spend enough time around strata meetings and you’ll notice something pretty quickly: not all votes carry the same weight.

That catches people off guard. Especially new owners who walk in assuming it’s a simple one vote per person setup. In reality, a lot of decisions — particularly the ones that matter — are influenced by unit entitlements.

And depending on the mix of owners in your scheme, that can change outcomes quite dramatically.

What are unit entitlements?

Unit entitlements are essentially the numbers assigned to each lot when the strata scheme is created. They reflect the relative value of each property at that point in time.

Bigger apartments, better views, higher market value — they’ll usually have higher entitlements. Smaller or less valuable lots sit lower.

These figures are locked into the strata plan. They don’t just sit there for reference either. They drive a few key things:

If you’ve never checked your own entitlement, it’s worth doing. Most owners haven’t.

How voting power actually works

Here’s where the theory meets reality.

At most meetings, voting starts off fairly straightforward — a show of hands. One person, one vote. Simple enough.

But that’s not the whole story.

Any eligible voter can request what’s called a poll vote. When that happens, the entire calculation changes. Votes are no longer equal — they’re weighted based on unit entitlements.

So if one owner holds double the entitlement of another, their vote carries double the influence.

That’s not a technicality. It’s deliberate. The idea is that those contributing more financially to the scheme should have a proportionate say in certain decisions.

It makes sense on paper. In practice, it can get interesting.

Show of hands vs poll vote (and why it matters)

This is probably the single biggest source of confusion.

A motion might pass comfortably on a show of hands. Everyone assumes it’s done.

Then someone calls for a poll.

Suddenly, the numbers are recalculated based on entitlements — and the result flips.

If you’ve never seen it happen, it can feel like the rules have changed halfway through. But they haven’t. Both voting methods are built into the legislation.

you don’t really know the outcome until you know whether a poll will be called.

NSW Fair Trading explains the distinction fairly

Does this differ across states?

Yes — but not as much as people think.

The terminology changes, and the mechanics vary slightly, but the underlying idea is consistent.

If you’re working across multiple jurisdictions, it’s worth paying attention to those differences. Small procedural details can affect whether a vote is valid.

Queensland’s guidance is here if you need it:

https://www.qld.gov.au/law/housing-and-neighbours/body-corporate

A couple of real-world scenarios

This is where things tend to become less theoretical.

Special levy discussions

A building needs major works. There’s a vote on raising a special levy.

On a show of hands, most owners support it. Fairly clear outcome.

A poll is called.

Owners with larger lots — and higher entitlements — vote against it. The motion fails.

No one’s done anything wrong. But the room usually feels very different afterwards.

By-law changes

Special resolutions can be even trickier.

They’re not just about majority support. They often involve thresholds tied to unit entitlements as well.

If those numbers aren’t calculated properly, you can end up with a resolution that looks valid on paper but doesn’t hold up if challenged.

That’s not hypothetical. It happens.

Where mistakes tend to creep in

Most disputes around voting don’t come from the rules themselves. They come from how the process is handled.

None of these are particularly complicated on their own. But during a live meeting, with time pressure and competing views, errors slip in.

And once a decision is questioned, unwinding it can be painful.

How this is managed more effectively now

This is exactly why more schemes are moving away from manual processes.

When voting is handled digitally, unit entitlements can be built into the system from the start. If a poll is called, the weighting happens automatically.

No recalculating mid-meeting. No second-guessing the outcome.

Vero Voting, for example, handles this behind the scenes. The entitlements are already there, so when votes are cast, the system applies the correct weighting instantly.

It’s not about making meetings more “high-tech”. It’s about removing uncertainty — especially for decisions that might later be scrutinised.

Final word

Unit entitlement voting isn’t complicated once you’ve seen it in action a few times. But it does change the way decisions are made in a strata scheme.

Whether you’re chairing meetings, managing votes, or simply participating as an owner, understanding how and when voting weight applies can help avoid confusion and disputes.

And if your current process still relies on spreadsheets, manual calculations, or last-minute vote checks, it may be time for a smarter approach. Vero Voting can help streamline unit entitlement voting, improve accuracy, and give you confidence in every result.

Understanding Unit Entitlements Voting in Strata. Understanding Unit Entitlements Voting in Strata