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By Jason Lim, REN 84424 · IQI Realty · Checked on 14 November 2026
The short answer for Malaysian condo and strata owners: share units are a whole number given to each parcel, worked out mainly from its floor area, type and any car park bays tied to it. They decide how much of the building’s maintenance charges you pay, and how much your vote counts when owners vote on a poll. You find yours on the strata title or, before titles are issued, in the developer’s schedule of parcels.
Quick answer
- What they are: a whole number approved for each parcel by the Director of Lands and Mines (Strata Titles Act 1985, section 18).
- How they are set: parcel area in square metres, multiplied by weighting factors for the type of parcel, plus a smaller weighting for accessory parcels such as car bays (Strata Management Act 2013, First Schedule).
- Money: maintenance charges are shared in proportion to share units, and the sinking fund is 10% of those charges unless a general meeting sets more (sections 25, 60 and 61).
- Votes: one vote per parcel on a show of hands, but on a poll each parcel votes by its share units; a comprehensive resolution needs two-thirds of all share units.
- Where to find them: the schedule of parcels filed with the Commissioner of Buildings before any sale, then the strata title itself.
What a share unit is, and where to find yours
Under section 18 of the Strata Titles Act 1985, every parcel has a share value, approved by the Director of Lands and Mines and expressed in whole numbers, known as share units. A parcel is your unit; car park bays or storerooms tied to it can be accessory parcels. Everything outside the parcels, such as the lobby, lifts, pool and roof, is common property that all owners share.
Share units are a ratio, not a measure of value: they say nothing about market price.
| Stage | Document | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Before any unit is sold | Schedule of parcels filed with the Commissioner of Buildings (COB) | Proposed share units for every parcel, and provisional share units for any future block (Strata Management Act 2013, section 6) |
| At the sales gallery | A copy of the same schedule | The developer must display it at its sales offices (section 6(5)) |
| After vacant possession, before titles | Schedule of parcels; the JMB’s charges notices | “Allocated share units”, used for charges and voting until the land office approves the final figures (section 6(4)) |
| After strata titles are issued | Your strata title | Your parcel’s share units and the total for the scheme, as registered |
A developer that sells without filing the schedule faces a fine of up to RM500,000, up to five years’ jail, or both (section 6(6)). If you are buying new, ask to see it; my sales gallery checklist lists other papers to ask for. For how titles are issued, see my strata title guide.
How share units are worked out
The First Schedule to the Strata Management Act 2013 sets out a formula, and The Edge Malaysia (August 2026) describes it as the method used to calculate share units. In plain terms:
Share units = (parcel area × WF1 × WF2) + (accessory parcel area × WF3), with areas in square metres and the result rounded to a whole number.
- Parcel area is generally the area stated in your sale and purchase agreement (SPA); if the SPA is silent, the approved building plan is used. If you suspect your unit is smaller than sold, see unit smaller than the SPA area.
- WF1 weights the type of parcel, and whether common corridors are air-conditioned and served by lifts or escalators.
- WF2 only applies to whole-floor parcels, such as an entire office floor.
- WF3 weights each accessory parcel, which counts for less because it is not lived in and costs less to build.
| Factor | Example | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| WF1 | Apartment, SOHO or home office; common areas not air-conditioned; with lift | 1.00 |
| WF1 | Same, without lift | 0.85 |
| WF1 | Same, air-conditioned common areas, with lift | 1.30 |
| WF1 | Retail complex, with lift, not air-conditioned / air-conditioned | 2.00 / 3.20 |
| WF1 | Hotel or medical centre complex, with lift, not air-conditioned / air-conditioned | 2.20 / 2.80 |
| WF2 | Not a whole-floor parcel (most homes) | 1.00 |
| WF2 | Whole floor, excluding / including lift shafts | 0.85 / 0.80 |
| WF3 | Accessory parcel inside the building (e.g. a podium car bay) | 0.50 |
| WF3 | Accessory parcel outside the building | 0.25 |
So in a mixed development, a shop or hotel suite carries more share units than a home of the same size. For new projects, the developer’s licensed land surveyor proposes the figures, and the Director must be satisfied they are equitable before approving the subdivision (Strata Titles Act, section 10(1)(h)). For older sales where no surveyor assigned them, the managing body applies the formula and files the result with the COB (section 8).
Illustration: three units in one JB condo
| Unit (hypothetical) | Working | Share units |
|---|---|---|
| A: 85 m² (about 915 sq ft), one podium car bay of 12 m² | (85 × 1.00 × 1.00) + (12 × 0.50) = 91 | 91 |
| B: same layout, two podium car bays | 85 + 6 + 6 = 97 | 97 |
| C: 180 m² penthouse, two podium car bays | 180 + 6 + 6 = 192 | 192 |
An extra bay adds share units only if it is an accessory parcel on your title, not a bay merely allocated by management; see accessory parcels and extra car parks.
Provisional share units in phased projects
In phased Johor projects, a block not yet built can be a provisional block with provisional share units and a provisional strata title (Strata Titles Act, section 4). It pays charges as a whole (Strata Management Act, section 60(3)(b)) until it is completed and subdivided into parcels with their own share units.
What your share units decide
| Area | How share units are used | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance charges | Each parcel pays in proportion to its share units (allocated share units in the JMB period) | Sections 25(3), 52(2) and 60(3)(b) |
| Sinking fund | 10% of your charges, or more if a general meeting decides, so it follows your share units too | Sections 25(4) and 61 |
| Special levies | Extra sums raised at a general meeting are shared the same way | See my special levy guide |
| Voting on a poll | Each parcel votes by its share units instead of one vote each | Second Schedule; The Edge, August 2026 |
| Comprehensive resolution | Needs votes from parcels holding at least two-thirds of all share units | Section 2 |
| Handover to an MC | The MC’s first AGM is due once owners other than the developer hold at least a quarter of the share units | Section 46(2) |
| JMB liabilities | If a JMB cannot pay a debt, each owner’s exposure is limited to their share-unit proportion | Section 33(2) |
| Compensation if the land is acquired | Paid to owners in proportion to their share units | Strata Titles Act, Seventh Schedule |
Illustration: what the three units pay
Suppose the building’s approved annual budget is RM1,152,000 and the scheme has 40,000 share units. That is RM96,000 a month, or RM2.40 per share unit per month.
| Unit | Charges (× RM2.40) | Sinking fund (10%) | Monthly total | Poll votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A (91 units) | RM218.40 | RM21.84 | RM240.24 | 91 |
| B (97 units) | RM232.80 | RM23.28 | RM256.08 | 97 |
| C (192 units) | RM460.80 | RM46.08 | RM506.88 | 192 |
See also my maintenance fee and sinking fund guide and condo running costs in JB.
Comparing units in a JB condo?
Send me the project and the units you are considering. I’ll help you get the share units and current charges for each through the seller or the management office, so you compare the real monthly cost, not just the asking price.
WhatsApp JasonShare units vs the “per square foot” rate you hear about
Listings often quote maintenance per square foot. That is shorthand; the law shares charges by share units. The two differ when a unit has accessory bays, storerooms or a private garden or roof, when you compare a home with a shop or hotel suite, or when the psf figure uses built-up area rather than the parcel area in square metres (see built-up vs land area). Ask for the actual charges notice, especially for penthouses and duplexes.
Can shops, hotel suites and car parks pay a different rate?
For a management corporation (MC), section 60(3)(b) lets the MC at a general meeting set different rates of charges for parcels used for significantly different purposes, and for provisional blocks. The rule for a joint management body (JMB) in section 25(3) refers only to allocated share units.
This came up in a mixed development in Melaka. Different rates for the retail, hotel suite and car park parts had been passed at the JMB’s first AGM in 2021. The Strata Management Tribunal declared them void, the Court of Appeal restored that finding, and on 8 September 2026 the Federal Court refused leave to appeal (The Star, 28 September 2026). A general meeting vote cannot override the Act; if your building charges different rates, ask which resolution set them.
If you think your share units or charges are wrong
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1. Check the documents | Compare your title or schedule of parcels with your SPA area and the accessory parcels you bought. |
| 2. Write to the management | Ask the JMB or MC in writing which share-unit figure and rate they use. |
| 3. Raise it at the AGM | Owners decide budgets; see my condo AGM voting guide. |
| 4. The COB at your council | MBJB, MBIP, MBPG or MPKu. |
| 5. Strata Management Tribunal | Claims up to RM250,000, RM100 to file for a home; see my tribunal guide. |
| 6. Land office and a lawyer | Registered share units are approved by the land office; changing them is not routine. |
Keep paying while you dispute: arrears carry late interest and can stop you voting. See unpaid maintenance fees.
Checklist before you buy a strata unit in Johor
- Get the unit’s share units and the scheme total.
- Check which car bays are accessory parcels on the title.
- Work out the rate per share unit from the current charges notice and compare buildings.
- Read the last AGM minutes for levies and rate disputes (see reading JMB and MC accounts).
- Confirm whether the developer, a JMB or an MC runs it (see JMB vs MC).
- Without strata titles, allocated share units can change on approval (see buying without an individual strata title).
Gated landed schemes work the same way; see landed strata titles. Foreign buyers have the same share-unit rights and duties, but in Johor can generally buy homes only from RM1 million, with some exceptions (New Straits Times, April 2026); see Johor’s foreigner minimum price. General information only, not legal advice.
Where to buy if this matters to you
Share units are set building by building, so compare the rate per share unit when you shortlist:
- Mount Austin: many completed condos.
- Tebrau, Setia Indah and Molek: condos and gated strata homes.
- JB Sentral and Bukit Chagar: mixed developments near the RTS Link station.
- Danga Bay: waterfront towers.
- Iskandar Puteri: newer, often phased, projects.
- Permas Jaya and Senibong: east-side condos.
Compare them on my JB property map.
More Johor living guides: Checking condo management before buying · Standing for the condo committee · Dual-key condos in JB · Condo parking disputes · The Urban Renewal Act
Frequently asked questions
What are share units in a Malaysian condo?
Share units are a whole number approved for each strata parcel by the Director of Lands and Mines. They are based mainly on the parcel’s area, its type and any accessory parcels such as car bays, and they set your share of maintenance charges and your voting weight on a poll.
How are share units calculated?
The First Schedule to the Strata Management Act 2013 uses parcel area in square metres multiplied by weighting factors for parcel type and whole-floor parcels, plus each accessory parcel’s area multiplied by 0.50 if inside the building or 0.25 if outside, rounded to a whole number.
Where can I find the share units of my unit?
On your strata title once titles are issued. Before that, check the schedule of parcels the developer filed with the Commissioner of Buildings, which must be displayed at its sales offices, or ask the JMB or management office.
Do share units affect the sinking fund?
Yes, indirectly. The sinking fund contribution is 10% of your maintenance charges unless a general meeting sets a higher rate, and the charges themselves are shared by share units.
Does a bigger unit get more votes at the AGM?
Only on a poll. On a show of hands each parcel has one vote; if an owner or proxy demands a poll, each parcel votes by its share units, so larger units carry more weight.
Can share units be changed after the strata title is issued?
Not as a routine matter. Registered share units are approved by the land office and change only in limited situations, such as part of the land being acquired. Ask a lawyer first.
Buying or owning a strata unit in Johor Bahru?
Tell me the project and the units you like. I will help you get the share units, charges and AGM minutes through the seller or management, explain what they mean for your monthly costs, and arrange viewings. You can also book an appointment, or a Zoom consultation if you are abroad.
Sources: Laws of Malaysia online (Attorney General’s Chambers): Strata Titles Act 1985 (Act 318), sections 4 and 18; Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757), sections 8, 60 and 61; text as at 23 September 2026; Strata Titles (Amendment) Act 2013 (Act A1450), section 10(1)(h) and Sixth Schedule forms, gazetted 7 February 2013; Strata Titles (Amendment) Act 2016 (Act A1518), Seventh Schedule, gazetted 9 September 2016; Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757), sections 2, 6, 25, 33, 46 and 52 (copy published by DBKL), checked November 2026; Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, teaching note on the share-unit formula (First Schedule), September 2015; Pejabat Tanah dan Galian Pulau Pinang, FAQ on strata titles (share units and accessory parcels), checked November 2026; KPKT, Soalan Lazim Tribunal Pengurusan Strata, updated 9 July 2025; The Edge Malaysia, “Understanding your strata stake”, 27 August 2026; The Star, “Landmark ruling bans unequal fees”, 28 September 2026; New Straits Times, “Foreigners hit Johor property resale wall”, 20 April 2026
Jason Lim, REN 84424, IQI Realty Sdn. Bhd. E (1) 1584/6. General information checked on 14 November 2026, not legal advice. Share units, charges and voting rules depend on your title, your building’s resolutions and the law in force; confirm with the Commissioner of Buildings at your council, the land office, the Strata Management Tribunal or a lawyer before you act.