What is a TMO

Tenant management organisations (TMO) are organisations that were set up under the UK Government's Housing (Right to Manage) Regulations 1994.

TMOs allow residents of council housing or housing association homes to take over responsibility for the running of their homes by providing some or all housing management tasks on behalf of the council.

The landlord still owns the properties and, in the case of local authority housing, all tenants remain tenants of the Council.

To take over management, the tenants must set up a properly constituted organisation - a tenant management organisation (TMO). TMO committee members become directors with the responsibilities to run the organisation in accordance with the TMO’s constitution and the law.

Tenants involved in the TMO's process undergo extensive training to develop the necessary skills and competencies required to manage housing and business services.

The council and the TMO then enter into a formal legal agreement, known as the management modular agreement (MMA). The contract outlines the role and responsibilities of the TMO and the council in delivering housing services to the properties under management. Services provided by TMOs are mainly funded by the management fees paid by the council under the agreement.

Download our Guide to Tenant Management Organisations.

Page last updated: 30 June 2023