What is the Right to Manage?
As a council tenant, under the Housing Act 1994, you have a Right to Manage. This means you have a right to take over responsibility for managing your housing services from Folkestone & Hythe District Council by grouping together with other tenants to form a Tenant Management Organisation. To do this you would have to follow the Right to Manage process.
What is a Tenant Management Organisation (TMO)?
A TMO is an independent legal body who have responsibility for running housing services for a group of homes.
TMOs can take different forms and sizes. Some manage just a handful of homes while others manage large estates of two or three thousand properties. Smaller TMOs may rely mainly on voluntary effort but most will employ staff such as housing managers, caretakers and repair workers.
Members of the TMO create an independent legal body and usually elect a tenant led management committee to run the organisation. They will then enter a legal contract with the council and are paid annual management and maintenance allowances to carry out the management duties delegated to them. The allowance will be based on what the council spends on the same functions.
The services managed by the TMO vary, but may include day-to-day repairs, allocations and lettings, tenancy management, cleaning and caretaking, and rent collection. Any services they choose not to provide will continue to be provided by the council.
The TMO does not affect tenancy rights. So, council tenants managed by a TMO still have the council as their landlord and retain all their rights as a council tenant.
How do I apply to set up a Tenant Management Organisation?
You will need to work with other tenants in your area to decide what housing services you wish to manage, and the homes covered as part of your Right to Manage.
You'll also need to engage with other residents and secure support for your plans, as well as demonstrating that you are able to manage the delegated housing services.
There are safeguards built into the law to ensure that a tenants’ group can only take on housing management functions if they have both the support of tenants in the homes, and proof that they have the skills and knowledge that are necessary for the TMO to function.
Where can I get information and support to help me choose?
The National Federation of Tenant Management Organisations and the CCH (Confederation of Co-operative Housing) offers information and advice about the Right to Manage.
More information from the government’s Department for Levelling Up is available on Gov.uk. You can also email housing.service@folkestone-hythe.gov.uk or call 01303853300 for more information.