Our Constitution

1) NAME

The name of the Association shall be the York Residential Landlords Association hereinafter referred to as “The Association” &/ or York RLA.

2) THE SCOPE

The Association shall represent and promote the interests of private residential landlords in the Greater York area.

3) THE OBJECTIVES

In pursuing its objectives, the Association will have particular regard to the following:

The Association will:

  • encourage and help members to work to a Code of Practice approved and adopted by the Committee
  • support all members by providing help and advice on maintaining & improving their businesses
  • co-operate with similar associations in other areas
  • publicise the case for fair treatment of landlords
  • pursue such policies as may from time to time become desirable and which are endorsed by a general meeting of members
  • raise funds to further the objectives and interests of the Association and its members.
4) MEMBERSHIP
  1. Membership shall be open to:
    1. Landlords of residential property
    2. Managing Agents of residential property
    3. Those persons with an interest in residential property who are prospective Landlords
    4. Individuals/Companies who support the objectives of the Association whether private landlords or not.
  2. Any application for membership will be subject to approval by the Committee and, upon being accepted, members must pay the annual subscription and any enrolment fee from time to time in force. The Committee may, in their absolute discretion, suspend or withdraw membership if any member fails to comply with the Rules of the Association or any Code of Practice adopted by the Committee.
  3. The Membership Year shall run from 1st January until 31st December in each year for Landlord members and annually from the joining anniversary for Recognised Service Providers.
  4. There shall be three categories of membership:
    1. Individual -This person will be entitled to attend and will have one vote at General Meetings of the Association.
    2. Joint – Both persons will be entitled to attend General Meetings of the Association and will be entitled to share one vote.
    3. Recognised Service Providers - Companies and or Organisation who own and/or let residential property in its name, or who have an interest in supporting the objectives of the Association. One contact person will need to be specified. The contact person will be entitled to attend General Meetings of the Association and be entitled to one vote on behalf of the Recognised Service Provider.
5) CONDUCT OF MEMBERS
  1. Members are expected to work to any ‘Code of Practice’ that has been approved and adopted by the Committee.
  2. Members must always behave in the best interests of the Association and not bring it or its members into disrepute.
  3. Any written complaint against a member shall be investigated by the Committee.
  4. What is or is not serious is a matter for the discretion of the Committee, as is the action to be taken and their decision on any such matter is final and binding
  5. A member may resign at any time by giving notice in writing.
  6. Membership of the Association constitutes acceptance of this Constitution.
  7. The Committee shall have power at any time, by a majority vote, to expel members of the Association who fail to provide a good standard of accommodation, or who bring the Association into disrepute by some action or omission. The Committee will nominate three members who will act as an appeals Sub-Committee, if required, for any disciplinary actions. The three named will take no part and will withdraw from any initial hearing of a disciplinary nature.
  8. No member of the Association may run any business or personal venture that purports to be York Residential Landlords Association, YRLA or York RLA. No member may therefore use the Association’s name, the acronym YRLA, the term York RLA, the York RLA’s logo, letter heading or other similar emblems of the York RLA in the name of their company/organisation for any purpose other than that for which it was originally intended.
  9. This does not stop members from stating that they or their organisation are members of York RLA or comply with its adopted code of practice.
  10. A member expelled by the Committee will have the right to appeal in writing to the Committee within 14 days of their expulsion detailing their grounds of appeal. The Committee will appoint an ‘Appeals Sub-Committee’ made up of three people who were not party to hear the appeal. The decision of the Appeals Sub Committee will be final and binding.
6) COMMITTEE

The management of the Association shall be vested in an Executive body termed ‘the Committee’, as hereinafter provided.

The Committee shall consist of:

  • Chair
  • Treasurer (this role maybe combined with the Chair’s role if Accountants are employed to oversee and produce the year end accounts)
  • Up to five General Members
  • Co-opted members as required, who shall have no voting rights
  1. The officers and elected members of the Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Association.
  2. No member may be elected to the Committee at an AGM unless they have been a fully paid-up member of the Association for at least one year and one day.
  3. Nominations for Committee members must be made in writing on the official prescribed form available from the Membership Manager. A nomination can only be made by a fully paid-up member and must also be seconded by a different fully paid-up member. Fully completed Nomination forms must be received by the Membership Manager at least two months before the date of the AGM. The ‘proposer’ must obtain the permission of the person being proposed before submitting this nomination.
  4. Only full members of the association whose subscription fee is fully paid up to date may be nominated for, or retain, a place on the Committee.
  5. The Committee and officers shall serve until the next AGM following their election.
  6. Any officer or Committee member shall be eligible for re-election.
  7. Any fully paid-up member can propose (or second) as many people as they wish onto the Committee
  8. The Committee shall meet as often as necessary and the last business on the agenda of any meeting shall be to fix the date of the next one.
  9. At meetings of the Committee, properly notified by the Chair, fifty percent of the Committee members shall constitute a quorum.
  10. Decisions of the Committee, on which a vote is taken, shall require a simple majority of those present and eligible to vote. The Chair shall have a second casting vote in the event of a tie.
  11. Either the Chair or any other officer shall be empowered to act on behalf of the Committee in matters which are of a routine character which will not permit delay and subject to such action being ratified at the next meeting of the Committee.
  12. The Committee may fill any vacancy among the elected Officers or Members, which may occur during the year by a majority vote at a Committee Meeting. The person so appointed shall hold office for the remaining unexpired period of his predecessor’s term of office but shall be eligible for election at any AGM.
7) HONORARY MEMBERSHIP

The Committee shall have the power to appoint as an honorary member any person who, in the opinion of the Committee, is deserving of such appointment. Each individual honorary member will be entitled to one vote at any General Meeting of the Association.

8) THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
  1. The AGM will normally take place during the month of December in each year, on a date and at a time and place to be fixed by the Committee for the following purposes:
    • to receive reports on the work and activities of the Association during the preceding year
    • to receive from the Committee a report on the financial position of the Association and to receive from the Committee a copy of a balance sheet and statement of accounts for the preceding financial year
    • to elect the Committee
    • to fix the annual subscription and enrolment fee (if applicable) for the following membership year to decide upon any resolutions
    • to appoint auditors.
  2. At least two months before an AGM, members shall be given advance notice of the date of the AGM.
  3. Any resolutions which members wish to be considered at the AGM, should be submitted in writing to the Membership Manager of the Association at least one month before the date of the AGM
  4. A quorum at the AGM of the Association shall be 10% of members or 30 members attending, whichever is the lower.
  5. At the AGM, or any other General Meetings of members, all questions shall be determined by a show of hands of those attending. Only paid-up members shall be eligible to vote, and each such member shall have one vote as defined in terms of membership. In the equality of votes, the Chair shall have a second casting vote.
  6. Minutes of all General Meetings of the Association and its Committee together with all papers relevant to policy and non-financial matters are to be kept by the Membership Manager. These papers will be available for scrutiny by any member after first giving 7 days’ prior notice.
9) EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
  1. An Extraordinary General meeting shall be convened by the Committee where required for the proper management of the Association or where at least 10% of members shall apply in writing for such a meeting and those members shall declare a particular purpose for the meeting. The Extraordinary General Meeting should be convened giving a minimum of three weeks’ notice and shall be conducted in accordance with the requirements of an Annual General Meeting.
  2. The Quorum at an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be 10% of members or 30 members attending, whichever is the lower.
10) SUBSCRIPTIONS
  1. The annual membership fees and enrolment fee (if applicable) are determined at the AGM.
  2. The Committee shall have the discretion to arrive at an equitable arrangement for new members joining the Association late in any subscription year.
  3. The membership and/or enrolment fee is not returnable under normal circumstances unless specifically agreed upon by the Committee.
11) FINANCE
  1. No member shall by reason of his/her membership of the Association be financially liable to or on behalf of the Association except for payment of the Annual Subscription nor shall the Association be liable for any act, or matter or anything done for or on behalf of the Association by a member (whether or not a member of the Committee).
  2. The Association shall not borrow money.
  3. All monies belonging to the Association shall be paid into a bank as agreed from time to time.
  4. The Committee shall keep proper accounting records and shall regulate the signing of cheques, to be signed by two officers.
  5. Accounts shall be prepared annually for an accounting year ending on a date to be agreed by the Committee. The Committee shall appoint a qualified accountant, independent of the Committee, to review and comment upon the accounting records, prior to submission to the AGM.
  6. The Association is empowered to raise funds by receiving subscriptions, donations and gifts.
  7. The property and funds of the Association shall be held by the Committee as trustees for the membership. The funds of the Association shall be administered by the Treasurer under the supervision of the Committee.
  8. Expenditure by a Committee member on behalf of the Association
    • All amounts over £100 will be agreed by the Chair and the Membership Manager
    • shall not exceed £1000.00 between any two consecutive Committee Meetings without the prior approval of the Committee.
  9. The Committee shall not commit the Association to more expenditure than its current assets.
  10. Committee Members shall not receive any payment from the Association funds except for materials supplied to the Association or for expenses properly incurred on the Association’s behalf. The Committee must sanction any such payment according to the authority limits mentioned above. The Committee may, however, employ (or dismiss) a full-time (or part-time) member of staff (who may or may not also be a member of York RLA) providing it is authorised by a clear majority of the full elected Committee Members (i.e., not those co-opted onto the Committee).
  11. Money or property of the Association or any gain arising from the activities of the Association shall not be applied other than for the benefit of the Association or for causes whose objectives are similar to those of the Association.
  12. All financial records will be kept by the Treasurer/Membership Manager. These papers will be available for scrutiny by any member giving seven days’ prior notice.
12) INDEMNITY

Written and oral advice from the Association shall be given in good faith, but no responsibility whatsoever shall be accepted by the Association or its officers or members for the accuracy of its advice, nor shall the Association or individual members be held liable for the consequences of reliance upon such advice. The Committee will in any event ensure that it has proper and sufficient Indemnity Insurance in place to protect the actions of its officers and elected members.

13) CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION

Changes to the Constitution shall only come into effect if:

  • they are approved by not less than two thirds of members present at any duly constituted AGM or other General Meeting of the Association
  • one month’s written notice has been given of the meeting
  • the notice must contain details of the proposed alteration.
14) DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION
  1. The Association shall be dissolved if at a General Meeting a resolution for dissolution of the Association obtains two thirds of the votes cast. One month’s notice shall be given of any such proposal.
  2. If after the dissolution of the Association, there remains after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities any property whatsoever, then it shall be equally distributed amongst the members of the Association. Any dispute which may arise from the interpretation of these rules shall be determined by the Chair, whose ruling may be challenged by any two members acting as proposer’ and ‘seconder’, according to the rules of debate.
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