Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Tenant and Resident Management Organisations: Regulation

Monday 15 June 2026 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Helen Hayes asked the Government what steps they are taking to improve the regulation of tenant and resident management organisations.
  • The Government aims to make it easier for tenants and leaseholders to take over management functions while also strengthening governance and oversight to ensure tenant safety.
  • David Simmonds commended Helen Hayes for raising the issue of poor service by resident management organisations, highlighting the need for confidence in the regulatory system.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Helen Hayes Lab Dulwich and West Norwood
Housing
Context

The Government's approach to tenant and leaseholder management functions is under scrutiny, with concerns about oversight mechanisms for mismanagement.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to improve the regulation of tenant and resident management organisations. Residents on the Loughborough estate in my constituency have suffered years of appalling service from their resident management organisation, the Loughborough Estate Management Board. It has a failing repair service; dangerous chemicals were being stored in the community centre; there were allegations of threats and harassment; and more than £350,000 of its funding was spent on overseas trips and gifts. Eighteen months ago, residents voted overwhelmingly in favour of not renewing the board's mandate, yet it is still operating, and there appears to be no straightforward mechanism that the local council can use to close down this failing organisation.

Answer from Matthew Pennycook

The Government remain committed to the principle of tenants and leaseholders taking over certain management functions from their landlords. We intend to take steps to make it easier to do so, while strengthening governance and oversight to provide stronger safeguards in cases where tenant safety is at risk. I assure her that as part of our reform agenda, the Secretary of State and I will be giving specific consideration to how extreme cases of mismanagement might be brought to an end.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No straightforward mechanism for local councils to close down failing organisations was addressed

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Q2 Helen Hayes Lab Dulwich and West Norwood
Housing Local Government
Context

There is a case in Dulwich where the Loughborough Estate Management Board has been mismanaging the estate, leading to serious issues like failing repair services, dangerous storage conditions, allegations of threats and harassment, and misuse of funding.

Question

Residents on the Loughborough estate in my constituency have suffered years of appalling service from their resident management organisation, the Loughborough Estate Management Board. It has a failing repair service; dangerous chemicals were being stored in the community centre; there were allegations of threats and harassment; and more than £350,000 of its funding was spent on overseas trips and gifts. Eighteen months ago, residents voted overwhelmingly in favour of not renewing the board's mandate, yet it is still operating, and there appears to be no straightforward mechanism that the local council can use to close down this failing organisation.

Answer from Matthew Pennycook

I thank my hon. Friend for bringing this alarming case to my attention. We are clear that as we look to make it easier to establish TMOs—we want to do so; there are some very good ones out there—we must strengthen governance and accountability. I assure her that as part of that effort, the Secretary of State and I will be giving specific consideration to how extreme cases of mismanagement might be brought to an end, as a mechanism of last resort.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No concrete steps were provided for closing down failing organisations

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Q3 David Simmonds Con Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
Housing
Context

There are concerns about tenant management organisations imposing rip-off fees on private tenants or shifting costs onto council tax payers in the case of social housing tenants.

Question

I commend the hon. Member for Dulwich and West Norwood (Helen Hayes) for raising this issue, which is part of a wider issue that many hon. Members will have heard about from constituents. Through legislation passed by the Conservative Government, with Labour Members' support, and the legislation that is being consulted on, what concrete steps do the Government intend to take to prevent rip-off fees, and unfair arrangements that shuffle costs on to private tenants—or council tax payers, in the case of social housing tenants—so that people can have confidence that the homes that they need will be provided, and will be fit for the future?

Answer from Matthew Pennycook

We do need confidence in the system. Many tenant management organisations provide excellent resident-led housing services, but it is right that councils can intervene if things go wrong. Powers to intervene in cases of serious failings are included in the management agreement between councils and TMOs, but as I said in response to my hon. Friend the Member for Dulwich and West Norwood (Helen Hayes), we are reviewing where we can go further on governance and accountability to ensure that the right safeguards are in place.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No concrete steps were provided for preventing rip-off fees or unfair arrangements

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