A Tenant Management Organisation (TMO) is an organisation set-up by tenants and/or leaseholders to manage their estate/block.
Every council tenant in England and Wales has the right to manage the housing services they receive.
This is set out in Government guidance.
Each TMO has its own legal contract with the Council, known as the Modular Management Agreement.
This agreement outlines what services the TMO is responsible for and what services the Council is responsible for on an estate.
The Management Agreement also gives the Council powers to monitor TMOs and act when a TMO is not performing.
TMOs usually operate as a co-operative or non-profit making community company.
TMOs employ their own staff to provide housing management services to their residents.
TMOs in Havering
There are 3 TMO in Havering.
BETRA
BETRA (Barnstaple Estate Tenants and Residents Association) was set up in April 2004 and manages homes and grounds maintenance on behalf of the Council for the Barnstaple Road and Montgomery Crescent estate.
The TMO provides housing management to 216 homes.
DELTA
DELTA (Durham and Elvet Avenue Tenant Management Organisation) took over housing management services from the Council in 2006.
It manages 277 flats, bungalows and maisonettes situated in Elvet Avenue and Durham Avenue and four properties in Squirrels Heath Lane in Gidea Park.
Around 185 of these are made up of council tenants with the remainder being leasehold properties.
PETRA
PETRA (Parkhill Estate Tenants and Residents' Association) took over local housing management services from the Council in 2003.
The estate contains three tower blocks:
- Uphavering House
- Parkview House
- Overstrand House
The services TMOs are responsible for
TMOs can choose how much or how little responsibility they want to take over from the Council.
The services managed by TMOs vary but in Havering, TMO managed services include:
- Day-to-day repairs and maintenance
- Tenancy management
- Caretaking
- ASB
- Rent collection and rent recovery
In Havering, the TMOs are not responsible for major works such as repairing the structure of buildings or installing fire safety equipment.
Programs to replace kitchens, bathrooms, doors and windows also remain the responsibility of the Havering.
TMO finances
Havering pays TMOs an annual allowance by which is dependent on the size of the TMO and the services it provides.
How much allowance each TMO receives is determined by Government guidance.
Keeping communal areas clear and fire safety
As with all Havering estates, most aspects of fire safety remain the responsibility of the Council as the landlord however, the TMO are responsible for highlighting fire safety concerns and repairs.
The TMO are responsible for maintaining and removing of clutter in communal areas.
Any notices for clutter removal are managed by the TMO.
Havering is responsible for:
- Conducting Fire Risk Assessments
- Maintaining fire safety equipment
- Maintaining the structure of buildings
- Maintenance of fire alarms and smoke detectors
- Maintaining fire safety signs
- Carrying out all repairs and improvements related to fire safety
The TMOs role in fire safety is to work with residents to help prevent fire safety hazards, such as blocking access and escape routes or fire hazards in properties.
TMOs are also responsible for carrying out regular visual inspections of estates and reporting any concerns to Havering.
How TMOs regulated in Havering
TMOs in Havering are closely regulated by our Housing Department.
Havering housing team is responsible for the regulation and performance management of TMOs in Havering.
Government guidance allows Havering to act against TMOs which can result in a conjunction with the Council taking back certain services or, if necessary, closing the TMO and bringing all services on the estate back under the full control.
Havering undertakes reviews of each TMO. Where the Management Agreement is not being met, an action plan is agreed with the TMO Board which is monitored by the TMO team. Formal action can be taken against the TMO if necessary.
TMO performance is monitored by Havering and is scrutinised by EMT.
Setting up a TMO
You can set up a TMO in six steps:
- Explore the options for involvement
- Right to manage notice
- Develop business plan training and negotiations
- Competence assessment
- Offer to tenants and then ballot
- Setting up and going live
Becoming a member of a TMO, or starting one yourself, is one way of becoming more involved with your housing services.
A group of tenants and/ or leaseholders will start by looking at the options for taking over services.
Council tenants and or leaseholders have the right to set up a TMO provided they have been independently assessed to be competent to manage the proposed services and many secure tenants agree to the TMO in a secret ballot.
If a TMO is set up, you remain as a tenant or a leaseholder of the council and your existing rights are protected.
If you would like more information about Tenant Management Organisations, please look on the GOV.UK website.
More information is available from the National Federation of TMOs. If you are interested in setting up a TMO, please do contact them for advice.
Contacts
Co-coordinator for Havering Council
Adam Brett, Tenant Management Officer (TMO)
Housing Operations and Estate Services
Town Hall, Main Road, Romford, RM1 3BB
07977996266
adam.brett@havering.gov.uk
TMO managers
Nicola Richardson, Estate Manager BETRA
manager@betratmo.com
Kevin Hunt, Estate Manager DELTA
manager@deltatmo.com
Caroline Edwards, Estate Manager PETRA
petratmo@aol.com