England plans FOI rights for tenant-managed housing

England's tenant management organisations face changes to their operating rules and a planned extension of Freedom of Information rights, under government decisions published on October 21. Ministers intend to bring organisations managing council housing within the information-access law from April 2027, subject to parliamentary approval, while pursuing wider changes through the Social Housing Bill.

The package concerns residents who take responsibility for managing housing services through a tenant management organisation, or TMO. The government's newly published Right to Manage review estimates that about 130 active organisations manage roughly 40,000 homes in England. Their size varies considerably, from groups responsible for around 50 homes to organisations managing more than 1,000.

Information requests would go directly to managers

Under the planned Freedom of Information extension, tenants would gain a statutory right to request information directly from the organisation managing their homes. The decision applies to TMOs providing housing management services on behalf of local authority landlords in England. It is not an announcement that every housing organisation is being brought under the same rules.

The government plans to use an order under section 5 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. That order will specify which housing management services are covered and requires parliamentary approval before the change can take effect. April 2027 is the intended commencement date, not a statement that the new access right is available now.

A targeted consultation ran from February 13 to May 8, 2026, asking the sector about the proposed definition of TMOs and the services to include. The housing ministry says it will work with organisations, councils and the Information Commission on preparation. The measure follows a commitment made in the government's response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

Oversight would reflect the work an organisation takes on

The separate Right to Manage review, conducted from January to June 2026, examines how resident-led management operates. Its findings point to declining take-up and pressures on small organisations with limited staff and volunteer capacity. Participants described complicated set-up processes and difficulty obtaining support, rather than formal refusals of proposals being the usual obstacle.

The government's proposed approach is to match oversight to the responsibilities a TMO accepts. A group handling lower-risk work, such as grounds maintenance, could face lighter requirements than one taking on more complex services. This tiered model is intended to allow responsibilities to grow with capacity, instead of applying identical governance requirements regardless of the work involved.

Amendments brought forward to the Social Housing Bill would enable regulations covering both the establishment and ongoing operation of TMOs. They would also require management agreements to be refreshed regularly. Mandatory provisions on resident ballots and information-sharing would be introduced into existing agreements, alongside requirements to co-operate in meeting regulatory standards.

The proposed safeguards include a court-backed intervention route for serious mismanagement or risks to residents' safety. Depending on what is necessary and proportionate, intervention could involve removing officers, transferring functions or ending an agreement. These are proposed powers described in the review, not a report that action has been taken against a particular organisation.

Further consultation and board-member training

The review also identifies unresolved boundaries between councils and TMOs over repairs and building safety. Participants reported that management agreements can be outdated and that property-condition information or safety records do not always reach organisations early enough. The government intends to consult before making secondary legislation and revising statutory guidance, so detailed requirements remain to be settled.

That consultation will consider whether statutory Right to Manage should extend to tenants of private registered providers. Housing association tenants currently rely on voluntary arrangements, unlike the statutory route available to council tenants. The review does not announce that this extension has been agreed. Registered housing providers remain accountable to the Regulator of Social Housing under TMO arrangements.

Alongside the legislative work, the government says it will fund a targeted training package through the National Federation of Tenant Management Organisations. It is aimed at existing board members, many of whom are volunteers, with an ambition to reach at least one member in each TMO. The focus is the knowledge needed for current governance and safety responsibilities.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.