Residents Committees

Myself and my husband have an investment property in a housing estate. Our tenant is brilliant and the house is kept very well with flowers in garden etc and no hassle to neighbours etc. There is a residents committee meeting coming up which we found out about accidentally (neither us nor our tenant were notified – although I believe all non-rented houses in the area received a mailshot).
I think there are a few cranks on this committee, for example we heard a rumour a number of months ago that they planned to “ban” people from the estate renting out houses – which I presume would be illegal!!

Anyway, we are going to go along to the meeting. Has anybody with an investment property had any dealings with residents committees? Can the membership be limited to owner occupiers or is a "residents" committee purely for residents? I would of course welcome a strong residents committee but as owners of houses, surely landlords have a right to be involved and know what is being discussed? I have a feeling that there may be a bit of an anti-landlord feeling going on here.

Thanks

Ger171 said:

I think there are a few cranks on this committee, for example we heard a rumour a number of months ago that they planned to “ban” people from the estate renting out houses – which I presume would be illegal!!

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Can't see any obvious reason why this would be legal! It this a residents committee or a management company for a privately managed estate? The latter has legal standing whrereas the former probably does not but I still can't see that they could put a ban on renting properties unless the original management company lease agreement has something about that already.

Anyway, we are going to go along to the meeting. Has anybody with an investment property had any dealings with residents committees? Can the membership be limited to owner occupiers or is a "residents" committee purely for residents?

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As above it depends on whether this is simply a residents committee or a mangagement company. If it's the latter then in all likelyhood you are an equal member with other householders.

Thanks for the reply. It is a normal residents committee (ie a newly built housing estate with everyone buying their own house off the builder). I doubt very much if it is legal in such circumstances to ban others in the estate renting out their houses. We will go along to the meeting in any case - although we might be ran as we are not residents and were not invited.

Ger171 said:

- although we might be ran as we are not residents and were not invited.

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...and so why would you pay any attention to any edicts they issue about renting out your property?

As an alternative, why not set up an owners commitee that will seek to serve the needs of all those who have purchased property?

I was elected onto a newly formed residents committee last year in an area where I lived for about 2 years before renting out my property, which is now rented out over 7 years.

Cranks is the correct word for these groups. Personally I would never join one as I have only been invited for two reasons. Other homeowners wanted me to join with a view to coming up with a plan to get rid of a family of travellers that were moving in to the hood. (they hadnt even set foot in the estate - just the mere thought put these people in such a tizzy that they raised over 10k to buy them out). The 2nd time I was on the recieving end of one of these invites. They wanted to meet to discuss my rental tenants (they assumed incorrectly my tenants were travellers when it turns out they just like to wear hoopy earings).

I ignored this invite as well as all letters sent to my address. They are time wasters - they will soon turn there attention to some other equally ignorant cause. I found that the temperature of the weather is in direct correlation to the amount of tizzy these types of people get into. They are always bothered around July/August when its HOT and they actually have to spend time looking at their neighbors. Come winter time they have other things to worry about.

There is no legal justification to pay any heed to these groups.

Not all residents organisations are full of cranks and busybodies. Maybe you just had a few bad experiences or something? The key issue here is that if this is a residents committee as opposed to a management company that may have some power to bring in new rules then they simply cannot ban owners from renting properties. Even if it is a management company I doubt that this can be circumscribed anyway. It's probably unconstitutional. If you do want to engage these people on this matter then it's best to do so on a calm and rational basis armed with as many facts as possible. Ranting about them is hardly constructive.

Apologies if it came off as a rant. However, when you are on the recieving end of knocks on the door, letters, and neighborhood wide delivered flyers it tends to get your collar up. For all I know the OP may be the subject of the meeting being called. Im only giving advice on my own experience - which is - if ignored these groups will move on.

A year later I have the same renter and still no issue with same.

Have you notified the local authority or the appropriate central authority that you are renting?
Are you registered with the Revenue Commissioners?
Is your property well maintained?

If the answer to these three questions is yes then your interests and those of owner occupiers coincide, namely keeping the estate looking well, maintaining law and order, dealing with any planning issues associated with nearby development that might jeopardise the value or quite enjoyment of your property.
By all means go to the meeting. Pay the few bob to keep the place tidy and have a neighbourhood watch sign(s) around the place. In fact some of the neighbours might keep an eye on your property also and in time could be prospective buyers or sources of referrals.

There are nutters in every walk of life but you will get a sense very quickly if that is what populates your Association or not.

Ive done all 3 of those and can safely say my interests (providing a safe home to a less well off yet deserving single mother of 4) in no way coincide with the very few "nutters" that formed a residence committee in my estate. BTW the residence commitee fell on its face when my renter got wind and attended said meeting. cowards the lot of em.

having said that - sure attend, why not. Just be prepared to leave when they put you on their agenda - no point getting worried about something that really has no bearing on your business. Lets face it - you arent posting here because you think the res commitee is going to roll out the red carpet for you.

There is quite a spectrum.

Some secure signage, help with grounds maintenance, buy ladders for collective use, obtain grants from the local authority. etc Others are an outlet for cranks. Others again are needed as almost defence committees against drugs.

One swallow does not make a summer so it is always worth taking the temperature. I have had experience of three men call to my door with a menacing disposition from another estate trying to whip up objections against travellers. I have also been contacted by other estates as we sought to get the local authority to widen a path on a busy road so it could be used by pedestrians , especially when accompanied by children. So they have their uses and their abuses.

Non resident landlords and owner occupiers have equal facility to be bad neighbours. Noise, litter , dogs, parties, indiscriminate parking, drugs, all are possible.

Not all residents associations are populated by cranks. Some work hard for the good of their estate, giving up their own free time to do so. I am speaking from the experience of being involved in a residents association so maybe I am biased.
We spend most of our time battling with the developer of the estate trying to get the place finished to the original standard promised. We have also had to deal with local councillors, T.Ds, garda (neighbourhood watch), organised quiz nights, kids parties etc etc.
No residents association can dictate whether you rent your property out or not. It's not any of their business. The committee of a residents association can be voted out and probably should be if thats what they spend their time worrying about.
However a good committee needs good and interested people to get involved in looking after the estate. If nobody cares or can't be bothered to get involved then nothing good gets done.
Sorry - that's my own rant over now!

Our estate has just formed a new residents association. The chairman is self serving and self important but he will get things done. Since a lot of our houses are owned by Dubliners as holiday homes it suits them to have him in that position.

It was a beautiful estate when we moved in, now it's noisy, dirty and unkempt. Dogs bark all night, kids scream and run through the neibours properties, "travellers" visit their family, alarms go off all weekend and rude keyholders giving us abuse when we complain.

All these problems will hopefully be sorted now we have our spanking new residents association....the only problem is, it's the newly appointed Chairman and his family that have caused them all!

Incase you're wondering, he was elected at a meeting a small clique set up, the rest of us weren't informed as there was "no time".

I'm sure they're not all cranks though.

LOL! That's a technique I hadn't thought of...the best defense is a good offense. Maybe this summer I will run my own campaign before the local busybody comes knocking at my door again. Or ill just get a dog.

Remember - as I said before residents committees have no legal standing or official power unlike management companies which do.