Tenants and residents' associations

Tenants and residents’ associations

Tenants and residents’ associations (TRA) represent the voice of local people by bringing residents together with the aim of making neighbourhoods better places to live, improving housing and environmental standards, and increasing the sense of community.

Why would a TRA be set up?

Some TRAs are set up to achieve a specific aim, such as raising funds to create a children’s play area or community garden, tackling antisocial behaviour or crime, or challenging planned developments in their area.

Other TRAs may aim more generally to protect the interests of the community and improve standards in the area, by organising social events or additional services for the community, representing the views of the group to a landlord or to the council, or campaigning on issues such as traffic and parking problems or pollution.

Who can set up a TRA?

In most cases, a TRA will be set up by council or housing association tenants, however, can also be set up by a group of three or more people.

For example, a TRA can be run by people who rent or own their home and:

live in the same street, close, neighbourhood or village

live in a tenement or high rise building

live in a sheltered housing scheme

have the same landlord (a council, housing association or private)

Groups must be able to show that they are responsible, accountable, democratic and representative of the whole community.

How can I join or start a TRA?

If there isn’t a TRA in your area, our Customer Involvement Team can offer support with setting one up. We will point you in the right direction, source training and help you find the tools and knowledge you’ll need to get started.

If you’d like to join a TRA or learn more about how to set one up, please: