Tenant Management Organisations (TMOs)

What a TMO is

A Tenant Management Organisation (TMO) is an organisation that council tenants and leaseholders create to manage their homes.  

In Islington we have 23 TMOs. Find out which properties they manage, their contact details and which services they provide. 

TMOs are paid an annual allowance to take on some management of housing services. The services managed by TMOs may include: 

• day-to-day repairs and maintenance 
• cleaning grounds
• maintenance 
• rent collection and rent recovery    

TMOs can choose how much or how little responsibility they want to take over from us. Which services TMOs can manage must be agreed with us. 

Members of a TMO are volunteers. They remain council tenants or leaseholders, and their existing rights are protected. The only thing that change is that the TMO manages the tenancy and lease on behalf of the council. 

We still own the property.  

TMOs operate independently under the Government’s Housing (Right to Manage) Regulations. 

You need to set up a TMO under the Right to Manage scheme. This is when a group of residents living in council homes choose to manage the maintenance of their homes themselves. 

Our relationship with TMOs

TMOs act as: 

• our ‘managing agent’ 
• a council ‘contractor’ 
• a representative body for the residents on the estate  

They are responsible for the housing services that they agree to run, as written in their management agreement. 
 
We are still responsible for any housing services that the TMO does not operate. 

It is important that we work together in partnership to provide seamless services to residents on the estate.   

Residents’ rights 

Tenants who live on TMO-managed estates still have the same rights as if their property was managed by us, including: 

• secure tenancy 
• right to exchange 
• right to buy 
• right to repair 
• rent levels set as for other council tenants 

For leaseholders, you continue to have the same rights and responsibilities.