Local Politics of Participation in Multi-owned Properties

Vast and increasing proportions of the world’s cities are now governed by private property owners. In master-planned estates and apartment buildings the world over, property owners are drawn together to form... [ view full abstract ]

Vast and increasing proportions of the world’s cities are now governed by private property owners. In master-planned estates and apartment buildings the world over, property owners are drawn together to form quasi-governments that govern the behaviour of residents (through by-laws or rules), levy taxes (levies or contributions) and maintain buildings and quasi-public spaces (common property) for their residents. Legislation is in place around the world to guide the actions of these ‘micro-governments’ of multi-owned property often known as strata title or condominium. These micro-governments impact on the lives of hundreds of millions of people and vast tracts of urban land worldwide, yet very little is known about their internal politics. While legislation usually stipulates that any owner can get involved in the formal governance of their multi-owned property, in practice some groups to hold more political power than others. This paper draws on findings of a survey of 2,074 residents of strata titled buildings in Sydney (Australia) to determine the profiles of people who are most likely to be involved in the formal governance of their buildings, as well as of those who are not involved but would like to be. It discusses the reasons for the exclusion of people from these local political processes and the implications for their satisfaction with the management of their properties. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings for urban governance more broadly.