More than 17,000 tenants and leaseholders in Hammersmith & Fulham are to have their say on plans to bring H&F Homes back under council control.
H&F Homes is an arms-length management organisation (ALMO) set up in 2004 to run the £230 million decent homes programme.
The Council has always remained the tenants' landlord, with the ALMO paid an annual fee for day-to-day management. Now that the decent homes work is nearing completion, returning the service to the Council is seen as the best option for residents.
According to the Council, the plan could save hundreds of thousands of pounds a year for frontline housing services.
The Governing Board of the ALMO wants to talk to tenants and leaseholders about transferring the service back into the Council's hands.
The move could save up to £400,000 a year in back-office costs - money that can be spent on services residents say matter the most, such as housing repairs and maintenance.
Harry Audley, chairman of H&F Homes, promised that residents' views would be at the heart of the new organisation's plans. Mr Audley, who is also chairman of the White City Tenants' and Residents' Association, said:
"Residents have made their priorities clear to us and the Board believes that working more closely with the Council is the best way to protect and improve the services that matter to them.
"H&F Homes has done a terrific job at delivering the decent homes programme, but we know we have a long way to go to live up to residents' high expectations.
"I will make sure tenants and leaseholders have every chance to have their say and get involved if the Council takes over the service."
A Council Cabinet member Lucy Ivimy said:
"Bringing H&F Homes back to Council control means that we can focus our resources on delivering an even better service to tenants and leaseholders rather than back-office costs."
All residents will be contacted so they can have their say in August and September before a final recommendation is made to the Council in November.
