What is not a Concern?
Disputes between AHBs, tenants and/or third parties
AHBRA’s role does not involve resolving disputes between AHB landlords, tenants and third parties. AHBRA acts in the public interest and not on behalf of any individual member of the public or group. AHBRA is a statutory regulator, and its role is not one of an advocate or representative body.
All AHBs are required to have a complaints process in place which clearly outlines their approach to complaint handling, including how tenants can make a complaint, how the complaint will be dealt with and what escalation processes may exist. If you feel your landlord is not meeting its obligations in relation to your tenancy, you should raise a complaint directly with your landlord, in the first instance, to allow the issue to be resolved by them directly.
If you have already raised a complaint with your landlord, and you are unhappy with the outcome of the complaint, you can submit an application for dispute resolution to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). The RTB are the body responsible for resolving disputes between landlords, tenants and third parties, including where the landlord is an AHB. Further information is available on the RTB website: https://www.rtb.ie/info-hub/dispute-resolution-services/submit-dispute-online
Other issues that do not ordinarily fall under this process.
- Matters that do not relate to the regulation of AHBs under the Act, for example contractual employment issues.
- Complaints/feedback from individuals or AHBs about the quality of service provided by AHBRA or AHBRA staff. We do however, welcome comments, suggestions and complaints about our performance and conduct in the discharge of our statutory duties and responsibilities. Information on this process is available here: Customer Complaints – Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (ahbregulator.ie)
- Issues that are primarily within the remit of other regulators; for example, the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) are the body responsible for resolving disputes between landlords, tenants and third parties, including where the landlord is an AHB.
- Complaints related to services provided by AHBs or complaints related to AHB staff. These should be reported to the AHB.
- Overruling a decision made by an AHB that is valid and within their powers to make.
How do you raise a concern?
Where reasonable and appropriate, it is recommended that Concerns be raised directly with the AHB in the first instance. In many cases it will allow the concern to be resolved by the AHB.
Concerns raised should be in writing and be accompanied by evidence that supports the concern being raised. Please do not make offensive remarks about the people that you may have been dealing with and please do not include any personal views unless you have evidence to support them.
If you wish to raise a concern with us, please submit your concern via email to concerns@ahbregulator.ie. Please set out the main points of your concern (for example, include dates and particulars of the parties involved). Please also set out any evidence you have to support your concerns.
If you are unable to submit a concern via email, please contact us at:
Concerns about AHBs
Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority,
AHBRA, 4th Floor Grattan House,
67-72 Mount Street Lower,
Dublin 2,
D02 H638
Phone:
01-224-3900
While AHBRA will accept anonymous concerns, it may not be possible to progress the concern without contact details for the person raising the concern.
What is AHBRA’s approach to concerns?
Where an issue is raised with AHBRA, our focus is on whether there has been non-compliance with the Act. Our evaluation of a concern is based on our evidential, risk-based and proportionate approach to regulating AHBs. AHBRA will evaluate concerns within its legislative framework. This will include the Standards for AHBs which relate to the governance, financial management, property management and tenancy management of AHBs.
AHBRA will not disclose the identity of those who have raised concerns with us unless we have been given permission or have a legal obligation to do so. This is because it is important that concerns about AHBs can be raised with us in confidence.
How does AHBRA communicate with concern-raisers?
Upon receipt of a concern, and where contact details have been supplied, AHBRA will review and assess the information provided to determine if it is within its regulatory remit. If further clarification is required from the concern-raiser, we will contact them.
Please note that AHBRA does not comment or provide updates to concern-raisers while our inquiries are ongoing, as this could prejudice our regulatory work. When our regulatory processes are complete, we will inform the concern raiser of the outcome in general terms only.
Protected Disclosures
The Protected Disclosures Act 2014 (“the 2014 Act”) protects workers from penalisation if they speak up about wrongdoings in the workplace. People who make a protected disclosure (sometimes called “whistleblowers”) are protected by this law. They should not be treated unfairly or lose their job because they have made a protected disclosure.
AHBRA is a “Prescribed Person” under the 2014 Act in relation to all matters relating to the regulation of AHBs pursuant to the 2019 Act.
If you believe that your issue falls within the definition of a Protected Disclosure, please see the Protected Disclosures section of our website here: Protected Disclosures – Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (ahbregulator.ie) for more information.