Online Votes in Owners' Associations: Options and Limits

Owners’ associations, also called condominium or homeowners’ associations, can vote online in three ways: owners join a meeting remotely and vote electronically, the whole meeting takes place online, or owners agree a resolution in writing without meeting at all. Each route needs a basis in national condominium law or in the association’s own rules, and the requirements are often stricter than for clubs. This page explains the options, uses German law as a worked example and ends with a checklist.

Three routes to an online decision

Route	How it works	Typical requirement
Remote participation in a meeting	Physical meeting, some owners join and vote online	Owners’ resolution or rule permitting it
Fully virtual meeting	No physical venue at all	Often a qualified majority and comparable rights to an in-person meeting
Written resolution	Owners agree without a meeting	Often unanimous consent, unless the law allows otherwise for specific items

Why owners’ associations are stricter

Decisions in owners’ associations concern property and money: repairs, service charges, reserves, building works. Votes may be weighted by ownership share, and an owner who was effectively excluded can often challenge a resolution in court. Legislators therefore tend to protect owners who are not digitally active. Before you move a meeting online, make sure every owner can still take part on equal terms.

Worked example: Germany

German condominium law (the Wohnungseigentumsgesetz, WEG) shows how such rules can look. Under § 23 WEG:

• Remote participation: The owners can resolve that owners may take part in the meeting without being present at the venue and exercise all or some of their rights electronically. The physical meeting still takes place.
• Virtual owners’ meeting: Since 2024, owners can resolve with at least three quarters of the votes cast that meetings take place without physical presence for a period of up to three years. The virtual meeting must be comparable to an in-person meeting in terms of participation and the exercise of rights.
• Written resolution: A resolution without a meeting is valid if all owners declare their consent in text form. The owners can resolve that, for a specific item, a majority of the votes cast is sufficient.

The official text is available at gesetze-im-internet.de. Other countries regulate condominium meetings very differently, so treat this only as an illustration.

Choosing a voting method for owners

Owners’ meetings usually decide by majority, but the definition varies: a majority of owners present, of votes cast, or of ownership shares. Some decisions, such as structural changes, may need a qualified majority. Our explainer on majorities and quorum shows how the thresholds work, and proxy and postal voting covers owners who cannot attend.

Technology: what you need

• A video platform for discussion, with a waiting room and a way to identify participants.
• A voting tool that supports weighted votes if your association counts by shares, shows who is eligible and present, and produces a report for the minutes.
• A clear identification process, because several people may own one unit together. Decide in advance who casts the vote for a jointly owned unit.

For the general mechanics, see how online voting works, and for the meeting itself our guide to virtual and hybrid general meetings.

Checklist for managing agents and boards

1. Check national condominium law and the association’s declaration or bylaws.
2. If required, put the online format on the agenda of an in-person meeting and pass the necessary resolution.
3. Set up voting weights and the owners’ register, including joint owners and proxies.
4. State in the invitation how owners take part and vote online, and offer help.
5. Rehearse the vote, including weighted counting.
6. Record attendance, voting weights, results and any technical problems in the minutes.
7. Keep the voting tool’s report with the minutes.

Common mistakes

• Starting without a resolution where the law requires one.
• Ignoring weights and counting heads where shares should count.
• Joint owners voting twice because each received their own access code.
• No alternative for owners who cannot or will not participate online.

This page provides general information and is not legal advice. Condominium law varies by country; check the law and your association’s rules or seek legal advice.