Frequently Asked Questions

A management company is a corporate entity formed for the purposes of management and administration of a multi-unit development. This is usually a company limited by shares or by guarantees.

The management company consists of all owners of properties in the development.

Like all limited companies the Board of Directors are responsible for all key decisions in the management company.

To become a Director of a management company you must put your name forward at an Annual General Meeting. Your nomination must then be voted by other members of the management company.

The role of the Directors is a voluntary role and all directors must act in the best interests of all the members of the management company. These responsibilities include ensuring compliance with all statutory & regulatory obligations on the management company.

Usually, at the start of an estate/development an ad-hoc owners’ committee is formed to liaise with the management agent and/or developer on estate management issues. Although the owners’ committee has no legal standing the committee members often volunteer as Directors when the developers eventually handover the estate to the members.

The management agent is a person or company employed by the Board of Directors to carry out day to day management functions of the management company.

As the Board of Directors act in a voluntary capacity it often makes practical sense to delegate day to day management functions to an agent. The agent should be experienced and also have expertise in the area of statutory and regulatory requirements for the management company.

The managing agent’s duties include collection of service charge, repairs & maintenance, communication with members, financial management including preparation of accounts for audit and insurance management.

The agents contact details will be displayed on all of their correspondence and their website.

The service charge is determined by the apportionments detailed Head Lease of the management company and the annual running costs of management of the multi-unit development.

Each year the agent compiles a draft budget of costs and this is presented to the Board of Directors who may suggest amendments. When the amendments are made the Board of Directors will approve the budget. The budget is then discussed and approved at an owners meeting before service charge notices are sent to individual members.

The Head Lease is very important and sets out the apportionment ratios for each unit type. This affects how much service charge you pay each year.

The management requirements for a multi-unit development changes from year to year. An increase in your service charge may be due to additional maintenance works that are scheduled for the year ahead.

You can pay your service charge by cheque, bank draft, postal order or direct debit/standing order or credit card.

You must pay your service charge at the start of every financial year.

If you are in arrears immediately contact your management agent as soon as possible. Failure to do so may result in legal proceedings being taken against you by the management company.

Yes, the service charge remains on your property. The buyer’s solicitor will insist that the property is not conveyed until all outstanding service charges are discharges.

This may be because your solicitor has not contacted the management company to advise that you now own the property. Please contact the management agent who will advise.

For further information on your rights as a member of an Owners Management Company please contact the National Consumer Agency.

If you have any complaints/queries please email info@fpl.ie or contact our office by telephone at 01- 4264890.

As a member of the management company you are entitled to view the company’s audited accounts, copies of the block insurance policy and any other relevant financial and operational information.

You should receive every year a breakdown of the costs involved in management of your estate. This should include a proposed budget, description of services and the third party contractors used.

You should contact solicitor to advise on the legal implications of living in a privately managed estate. You should also contact your managing agent to ensure that your solicitor has forwarded details of the purchase/sale to the management company.

A sinking fund/building investment fund is a reserve fund established to finance long term maintenance projects that will arise over the lifetime of a multi-unit development. As these costs can be very expensive it is essential that a sinking fund is created for all management companies to ensure that the members do not have to pay large levies to pay for the works when they arise.

Please contact our head office on 01- 4264890 or email info@fpl.ie.

FPL operates an out-of-office emergency line at no additional charge. In the case of an emergency (fire, flood, security breach) please ring 087 2783869

The management company is responsible to repairs to the common areas only. The management company is not responsible for any repairs and maintenance works inside your apartment/house.

No, the management company alone has responsibility to authorise contractors to undertake works in a development.

The House Rules are a set of regulations for living in a multi-unit development that all residents must adhere to. The rules are laid out in the Head Lease signed by all members on close of sale; House rules should be provided to every owner and should be displayed in the communal areas in the development.

The Multi-Unit Development Bill has been enacted to improve the regulation of multi-unit developments and the governance of management companies in such developments.

The Bill is designed to give greater transparency & control to homeowners in multi-unit developments. It aims to tackle many of the issues that have arisen in the area of service charges, handover of estates and general meetings.

The Property Services Regulatory Bill aims to regulate property professionals involved in the area of selling, management and letting of property. The Bill will set out a new licensing system, standards of education and procedures for investigation of malpractice.

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