Did you know that tenants’ or residents’ organisations have a legal right to set up a Tenant Management Organisation, or TMO? A TMO is the means by which council or housing association tenants and leaseholders can collectively take on responsibility for managing the homes they live in.
The services managed by the TMO vary with local circumstances but may include day-to-day repairs, allocations and lettings, tenancy management, cleaning and caretaking, and rent collection. Some TMOs manage just a handful of homes while others manage large estates of two or three thousand properties. The small TMOs may rely mainly on voluntary effort but most employ staff such as housing managers, caretakers and repair workers.
Setting up a TMO is a lengthy process and ultimately tenants will be asked to vote on whether they support the proposals. Volunteers need to go through intensive training and will be required to create an independent legal body which can enter into a legal management agreement with the landlord. Through the Tenant Empowerment Programme tenants can access grants, independent advice, training and information.
For more information about the Right to Manage email wnwhl.involvement@wnwhl.org.uk ring 0113 2477104 or write to Customer Involvement, Freepost, RRJX-TUHK-JKAA, Westfield House, Lower Wortley Road, Leeds LS12 4PT