Short answer
All owners can attend a strata general meeting, along with proxies acting for owners and, in some cases, tenants and invited advisers. Attending and voting aren’t the same thing — being in the room doesn’t automatically mean you can vote.
Who can be there
- Owners of lots in the scheme.
- Proxies appointed in writing to act for owners.
- Tenants, who may attend in some circumstances (though generally without a vote), and may need to be told of meetings where the scheme has tenant representation.
- Advisers and the strata manager, where the meeting allows them to attend.
Attending vs voting
Being entitled to attend is not the same as being entitled to vote. To vote, you generally have to be a financial owner (or their proxy) — an owner in levy arrears can be present but their vote may not count. Tenants and advisers may take part in discussion where allowed, but voting is limited to those entitled.
Why the distinction matters
Getting this wrong at the meeting — counting a tenant’s view as a vote, or letting an unfinancial owner’s vote stand — is how results get challenged afterward. The safe approach is to be clear from the outset who is present, who may speak, and whose vote actually counts.
Managing attendance without a manager
Keeping the entitled-to-attend list, the proxy appointments, and the who-can-vote question straight is a lot to hold in your head on the day. Straita tracks owners, proxies and voting eligibility going into the meeting, so a self-managed committee knows exactly who may attend, who may speak, and whose votes to count — and can show it later.
Primary sources
- Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) — attendance at, and voting rights at, general meetings (Schedule 1).
- NSW Government — Strata schemes (Fair Trading) — who takes part in strata meetings.