How residents take control

With a Tenant Management Organisation (TMO):

Tenants are still tenants of the landlord keeping all their rights as tenants

Leaseholders continue to keep their leases from the landlord

Residents can join the TMO as voting members

The landlord uses part of the rent money to pay the TMO to run services as agent of the landlord (this is money the landlord would otherwise use to pay its own staff and contractors).

The TMO uses this money to run its own services. Its professional staff provide everyday services (such as repairs, caretaking and letting homes)

The members elect their own board of unpaid volunteers to take charge of their business - including looking after the money, choosing staff and making the main decisions about how to spend the money

There is a legal agreement between the TMO and the landlord. This is the management agreement.

The Board must follow policies and codes in line with the law and the management agreement. These are all set out in the Code of Governance.