What is a TMO?

A TMO is a means by which council or housing association tenants and leaseholders can collectively take on responsibility for managing the homes they live in.

Those resident members of the TMO create an independent legal body and usually elect a tenant led management committee to run the organisation. The TMO can then enter into a legal management agreement (contract) with the landlord. The TMO is paid annual management and maintenance allowances in order to carry out the management duties that are delegated to them.

TMO's can take different forms and sizes. Many are tenant management co-operatives – using co-op rules. Others may take the form of not-for-profit companies. Some TMO's manage just a handful of homes while others manage large estates of two or three thousand properties. The small TMO's may rely mainly on voluntary effort but most employ staff such as housing managers, caretakers and repair workers.

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.

Why form a TMO?

Independent Government sponsored research has proved the benefits of forming a TMO:

• TMO's often manage their housing more effectively than their landlord.
• Their performance matches the top 25% of local councils in England.
• This better performance by TMO's covers repairs, re-lets, rent collection, and tenant satisfaction.
• TMO's, being ‘on the spot’ and with local knowledge tend to act sooner and more effectively when dealing with tenancy management problems.
• TMO's can work well in socially excluded communities
• Many TMO's are involved in wider community activities and play an important part in neighbourhood regeneration.
• The majority of TMO tenants say the TMO helps to increase community spirit and improve the quality of life. 

If you are having problems email us at info@watmos.org.uk