Majority votes, three-quarter votes, and recording them properly
Almost every strata decision is either a majority vote or a three-quarter vote. Knowing which is which, and writing down the result, keeps decisions safe.
Two numbers govern almost everything a general meeting decides. A majority vote passes when more than half of the votes cast are in favour. A three-quarter vote passes when at least three quarters of the votes cast are in favour. The phrase "votes cast" does real work in both definitions: abstentions are not votes cast, so they do not count against a resolution. Fifty owners in the room, twenty voting in favour, ten opposed, twenty abstaining is a passed majority vote and a passed three-quarter vote would need the same arithmetic applied to thirty votes cast.
Which decisions need which vote
| Decision | Vote required |
|---|---|
| Approving the annual budget | Majority vote |
| Electing council | Majority vote |
| Special levy shared by unit entitlement | 3/4 vote (s. 108) |
| Amending or repealing bylaws | 3/4 vote, then filing at the Land Title Office (s. 128) |
| Spending from the contingency reserve fund | 3/4 vote in most cases; a majority vote can suffice where the spending follows the depreciation report (s. 96, check the current text) |
| Significant changes to common property | 3/4 vote (s. 71) |
| Ratifying a rule made by council | Majority vote (s. 125) |
A small number of decisions, such as changes to unit entitlement, need a unanimous vote. They are rare; when one appears, read the Act's exact wording before the meeting.
One lot, one vote
Each strata lot ordinarily carries one vote, regardless of unit size, unless the strata plan includes a schedule of voting rights that says otherwise (common in mixed residential and commercial buildings). A lot owned by four people still casts one vote, and co-owners who disagree cast no vote at all. Proxies carry the lot's vote to the meeting; our proxy guide covers the mechanics.
Recording results: the part that protects you
Section 35 requires minutes to include the results of votes. For routine majority votes, "CARRIED" after the motion is enough. For three-quarter votes, record the actual count: 41 in favour, 9 opposed, 3 abstentions. The threshold is mathematical, the resolution often authorizes spending or gets filed at the Land Title Office, and "carried by a good margin" cannot be audited. If a count was taken by show of hands and then confirmed by a counted poll, record the counted numbers.
Owners can also ask that their opposition be noted by name at a council meeting. Record it neutrally and move on; it costs nothing and prevents a dispute about what was said.
Let us handle the minutes themselves
StrataMinutes turns your council's rough notes into complete, professionally formatted minutes that meet the requirements of the Strata Property Act, usually within minutes. Every document comes with a compliance checklist.
No payment details needed for your first council meeting.
This page is general information for BC strata councils, not legal advice. See the current text of the Strata Property Act and the Strata Property Regulation on BC Laws.