JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: Housing Officer
Department: Housing Department
Responsible to: Housing Manager
Job Purpose: The purpose of the Housing Officer role is to deliver high-quality, customer-focused housing management services that support the tenants and communities within Fold Housing.
Role Overview:
The Housing Officer will act as the main point of contact for tenants, ensuring effective tenancy management, resolving housing issues, and fostering sustainable communities. The role involves maintaining compliance with housing policies and regulations while promoting tenant engagement, wellbeing, and satisfaction.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Managing void properties, lettings, and allocations in an effective manner and closing energy provider accounts and transferring them to company account if required.
2. Carry out pre-void inspection visits on void properties to ensure the property meets Fold Housing’s standards.
3. Developing and maintaining effective relationships with the local authority and other stakeholders and agencies.
4. Interviewing and assessing prospective Tenants and making allocation decisions.
5. Co-ordinating the viewings of properties with prospective Tenant at interview and sign-up stages.
6. Delivering pre-tenancy training, advising prospective tenants on their housing rights and responsibilities while being a tenant of Fold Housing.
7. Advise tenants on rent assessments in line with the tenancy agreement.
8. Ensuring income returns and changes of circumstances are processed in a timely and effective manner.
9. Arrears monitoring and control including prevention, early warning, in line with Fold Housing rent and arrears policy.
10. Taking legal action where appropriate.
11. Preparing casefiles and representing Fold Housing at RTB.
12. Providing reports when needed by the housing manager.
13. Deal with requests for succession or changes to the tenancy in accordance with agreed policies and procedures.
14. Dealing with tenancy breaches by firstly offering support to minimise Termination of Tenancy.
15. Make full and timely use of the services offered by the Residential Tenancies Board including Mediation and Adjudication when required.
16. Manage tenancy Termination/Surrenders to ensure that the outgoing tenant leaves has a clear rent account and the property in satisfactory condition.
17. Prepare paperwork for Residential Tenancy Board hearings and to represent Fold Housing at Adjudication Hearings and other legal hearings.
18. Regularly visit schemes and record inspections and actions.
19. Record and identify causes of damage to property and ensure it is remedied.
20. To maintain accurate current records of all properties, Tenancies, and incidents.
21. Managing all reports of ASB in line with agreed policies and procedures.
22. Work with internal and external partners to try to remedy the ASB before having to commence legal action.
23. Make full use of the services offered by the Residential Tenancies Board.
24. Prepare paperwork for hearings and represent Fold Housing at mediation/Adjudication Hearings and other legal hearings.
25. Give accurate advice and information to Tenants.
26. Keeping up to date with Best Practice legislative changes.
27. Liaise with the maintenance/business support officers regarding property and estate responsive, cyclical, and planned maintenance requirements.
28. Responsible for recharges and agreements.
29. Follow up with breach of tenancy where appropriate.
30. Working with the Tenant Engagement officers and tenants to maximise tenant participation.
31. Represent Fold Housing at appropriate internal and external meetings.
32. Hold tenant meetings on an annual basis.
33. Maintain all tenant files and data to ensure they are clear, accurate and complete.
34. Work to resolve complaints received regarding service delivery by Fold Housing.
35. Take steps to prevent future complaints.
36. Ensure that management are aware of your observations and that they are informed of all important issues that may impact the Business.
37. To contribute and review of Housing Departments policies and procedures.
38. Develop and maintain relationships with external partners and agencies that have a key role in the effective delivery of housing services, Local Authority, HSE, etc.
39. To keep abreast of key legislative which affect your work as a housing officer.
40. Produce reports as required on all schemes within your allocated scheme.
41. Attend training appropriate to your role as Housing Officer.
42. To work with your Line Manager to identify your development and learning needs and develop and implement a plan that meets these needs.
43. Ensure all activity is aligned to Fold Housing's core values.
44. Always adhere to all Fold Housing's policies and procedures.
45. To always exercise discretion and high standards regarding your own health and safety and that of Fold Housing obligations.
46. To positively promote and present a professional image of Fold Housing.
47. Any other duties which are consistent with your role as housing officer.
Key Competencies Required in the Role:
* Team Player
* Tenant Centred
* Relationship Building
* Planning and Organisation
* Time Management
* IT Skills
* Delivery under Deadlines
Person Specification:
Key Skills:
Candidates will be shortlisted on the basis of illustrating in their application that they fulfil the following criteria. Examples that demonstrate the ability to fulfil the criteria should be included as well as the above competencies.
Criteria:
Education/Qualifications:
* Educated to Degree Level (or equivalent) – Essential
* Professional qualification (e.g., ICSH/CIH/IAVI) – Desirable
* Full Clean Driving Licence – Essential
* Property Services Regulatory Authority Licence – Desirable
Knowledge/Skills:
* Knowledge of housing law and tenancy agreements – Desirable
* Knowledge of the technical aspects of voids, rent, and repairs maintenance – Essential
* High level of IT/Digital proficiency – Essential
* Good organisational skills, with the ability to be flexible and work on own initiative – Essential
* Financial appreciation and budget management skills – Desirable
Experience:
* 3 years’ experience of working in a customer-focused environment – Essential
* Experience of working in a residential property-oriented environment – Essential
* Experience working with Management Companies & Agents – Desirable
* Experience of working with a wide range of people who are vulnerable, homeless, elderly, or low-income households – Desirable
* Experience of working with other social landlords, statutory and voluntary agencies – Desirable
* Proven examples of resolving difficult situations – Essential
Benefits:
* Company pension scheme
* 22 days paid leave
* Bike to work scheme
* Employee assistance program
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