Strata valuations that make unit entitlements fair
Unit entitlements decide every owner’s share of a strata scheme and its levies. We are Qualified Valuers who have specialised in strata and community title since 1984 — for owners corporations, lot owners and developers across NSW.
- Qualified Valuers since 1984
- NCAT expert reports
- 8 am – 8 pm, 7 days
Unit entitlements decide who pays what — for the life of the building
Before the 2016 reforms, a developer could set unit entitlements however they liked. A penthouse the developer kept could be given a low number, leaving every other owner to pick up the difference in levies. Market value assessment by a Qualified Valuer fixes that.
Penthouse under-allocated
Share of a $100,000 annual levy budget
Each lot pays its fair share
Same building, same budget
Simplified illustration only — not a real scheme.
Strata valuation advice for everyone in the scheme
Whether you live in the building, manage it or are building it, unit entitlements affect you.
Owners corporations
Concerned some lots aren’t paying their way? Start with a Stage 1 review before deciding on NCAT.
Unit entitlement reviewsLot owners
Individual owners can apply to the Tribunal too. Find out if your lot’s entitlement is unreasonable.
Common questionsDevelopers
Market value unit entitlements and the Valuer’s Certificate to register your new scheme.
New schemesSurveyors & certifiers
Subdivisions of existing schemes valued on the right basis, first time.
SubdivisionsFrom brand-new schemes to long-standing disputes
Three services, one specialism: getting unit entitlements right.
Unit Entitlement Reviews & NCAT Re-allocation
Find out whether your scheme’s unit entitlements are unreasonable, then get a Tribunal-ready Expert Report if you proceed.
Read moreUnit Entitlements for New Strata & Community Schemes
Market value unit entitlements and the Valuer’s Certificate needed to register a new plan — including development lots.
Read moreSubdivision of Existing Strata Schemes
Revaluing unit entitlements when an existing scheme is subdivided, with or without common property or a development lot.
Read moreChallenging unreasonable unit entitlements at NCAT
If your scheme’s entitlements were set unfairly, section 236 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 provides a path to have them re-allocated by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal. It replaced section 183 of the 1996 Act on 30 November 2016, with the same broad intent.
The Tribunal relies on expert valuation evidence. A report that falls short of the Tribunal’s standards can be set aside, wasting time and money — which is why the choice of valuer matters.
How our two-stage review worksStage 1 · Review
We assess whether the current entitlements are unreasonable and tell you plainly whether to go ahead.
Stage 2 · Expert Report
If you proceed, we prepare an Expert Report in line with the Tribunal’s Code of Conduct.
Specialist strata valuers, not generalists
Unit Entitlement Valuations Pty Limited has focused on strata and community title for more than four decades, including unit entitlement assessments for some of the largest strata and community schemes in NSW.
- Helped reform the lawWal Dobrow served on the NSW Strata Industry Working Group and pushed for market value unit entitlements.
- Author of the Common Property MemorandumClarifying repair and maintenance responsibilities between lot owners and owners corporations.
- Experienced in expert evidenceA decade of training expert witnesses to present evidence in courts and tribunals.
Strata valuation and unit entitlement FAQs
Answers to the questions owners, strata committees and developers ask us most.
What is a unit entitlement and why does it matter to owners?
Every lot in a NSW strata or community scheme has a unit entitlement recorded in the Schedule of Unit Entitlement on the registered plan. It sets that lot’s share of the whole scheme, and it is used to divide the levies owners pay to run the building. If the numbers are wrong, some owners carry more than their fair share of the costs for as long as the scheme exists.
How are unit entitlements worked out for a new strata scheme?
Since the NSW strata reforms began on 30 November 2016, unit entitlements must be determined on a market value basis by a Qualified Valuer. Developers and their consultants can no longer choose the numbers themselves.
Our building’s unit entitlements look unfair. What can we do?
Section 236 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 lets certain people apply to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) to re-allocate unit entitlements that are unreasonable. Applicants can include a lot owner, the owners corporation, a local council or other rating authority, and a lessor of a leasehold scheme. The application needs an Expert Report from an experienced strata valuer.
How much does a unit entitlement review cost?
We use a two-stage approach so you are not committed to the full cost up front. Stage 1 assesses whether the existing entitlements are unreasonable and whether an application is worth pursuing. Stage 2, the Expert Report for the Tribunal, only goes ahead if you decide to proceed. Call us to discuss a quote for your scheme.
Who is allowed to value unit entitlements in NSW?
Only a Qualified Valuer: an Associate, Fellow or Life Fellow of the Australian Property Institute, a Fellow or Life Fellow of the Australian Valuers Institute, or a Chartered Valuer member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Our Warning page explains how to check.
Questions about your scheme’s unit entitlements?
Talk it through with a Qualified Valuer who has specialised in strata since 1984.