“4 Units in a small block” – but how are the Unit Entitlements split? Commonly in small blocks of equivalent Units, each owner has 1 Unit Entitlement, with in this case, the total being 4. Keep in mind that at general meetings, a regular motion requires a majority to pass – which if the Unit Entitlements are as assumed above, that means 3 of the 4 owners must agree. If the other 3 owners gang up, or are happy not spending the OC’s money, then the new owner cannot influence anything.
And for a special resolution (such as is required for major renovations) not only must a majority vote for a resolution, but also “not more that 25% are cast against” for it to pass, which in this situation of 4 equal Unit Entitlements, means that 3 of the 4 owners must vote for it. But sometimes in small blocks the Unit Entitlements are not split equally, and there might be (say) 100 Unit Entitlements, with 26 allocated to the 2 upstairs Units, and 24 to the downstairs. For special resolutions, either of the owners of the upstairs Units will have an effective veto over anything requiring a special resolution.
So before you buy into a small block, check how the Unit Entitlements are allocated, and find out if the majority and any owner with more than 25% of the entitlements is likely to treat OC expenditure…