Quorum
The minimum share of owners that must be present or represented for a vote to be valid.
In short
Quorum is the share of a building's total voting power that must be present or represented before an owners' meeting can lawfully take a decision. It is always measured in permillage (ownership share), never by counting heads, and it is separate from the majority threshold needed to actually pass a resolution.
A quorum is the threshold at which a general meeting can lawfully take decisions. It is usually expressed as a fraction of the building's total voting power (for example half of permillages present on first call, a quarter on second call). If the quorum isn't reached the meeting is reconvened. CoCollab tracks quorum live during a vote, including proxies, so the chair knows in real time whether a resolution can pass.
Quorum vs majority
Quorum decides whether the meeting can vote at all. Majority decides whether the resolution passes. A meeting can comfortably reach quorum and still reject every item on the agenda.
Most invalidated condo decisions come from confusing the two, or from applying a majority of those present when local law requires a majority of all owners.
Worked example
In a building with 1,000 total permillages and a 50% quorum requirement:
- Owners physically present: 340 permillages.
- Valid proxies received before the meeting: 180 permillages.
- Total present or represented: 520 permillages.
- Threshold: 500 permillages — quorum is met.
Thresholds vary by jurisdiction
The UK (leasehold and RTM), Ireland (MUD Act 2011), Portugal (propriedade horizontal), France (loi du 10 juillet 1965), Belgium (loi du 18 juin 2018) and Canada (provincial condominium acts) all set different rules. Some impose an attendance quorum; France does not, relying instead on tiered majorities per resolution type.
Your building's by-laws can raise the statutory threshold but almost never lower it. Check both before opening the vote.
Free tool
Enter your building's total permillage and how much is present or represented — the calculator tells you instantly whether quorum and each majority threshold is met.
Free quorum calculatorFrequently asked questions
How is condo quorum calculated?
Add the permillage of every owner present to the permillage of every valid proxy received, then compare the total to the threshold in your by-laws. In a 1,000-permillage building with a 50% requirement, 340 present plus 180 by proxy gives 520 — quorum is met.
What happens if quorum is not reached?
The meeting cannot validly decide the affected resolutions and must be reconvened, usually with a lower threshold on the second call. Decisions taken without quorum can be struck down if challenged within the statutory window.
Does a proxy count towards quorum?
Yes, provided the proxy was signed and delivered within the window set by law or your by-laws. Verbal or late proxies generally do not count, and most jurisdictions cap how many proxies one person may hold.
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