Job Details
Job Purpose:
– To directly manage a high-profile portfolio of homes that relieve families and single people from homelessness, through Brent’s Housing Companies (i4B and First Wave Housing).
– To deliver all aspects of high-quality tenancy services in line with contract requirements, which will include ensuring that agreed performance standards and targets are met and ensuring high levels of tenant satisfaction.
– To manage tenancies, end to end, let to re-let, taking full ownership of the tenant’s journey.
– To support the Housing Companies Operational Manager in promoting and improving the i4B brand and developing resident engagement, with continuous drive towards improving tenant satisfaction.
Principal Accountabilities and Responsibilities:
1. To be the face of the landlord; providing a high level of customer service, taking ownership for every aspect of tenancy management and tenant requests, ensuring that expectations are managed.
2. Provide supportive and accessible tenancy management to residents of the Council owned housing companies.
3. Work collaboratively and be the lead contact, keeping stakeholders informed, delivering a seamless ‘one team’ landlord service. This will include setting up and managing professionals’ meetings and action plans as needed for complex issues.
4. Responsible for keeping all residents’ records and data up to date and accurate in real time, with all interaction recorded, holding other teams to account to do the same.
5. To undertake a proactive approach to tenancy management by adopting mobile working with the use of appropriate IT and communication systems and adhering to health and safety and lone working requirements.
6. To work continuously to promote digital inclusion, supporting tenants to achieve channel shift enabling them to confidently raising repairs, paying rent and Council Tax through My Account, increasing use of Direct Debit payments for all regular transactions.
7. To represent the landlord for the portfolio with an empathetic but commercial mindset, focusing on robust achievement of KPI targets for:
Rental income- creating sustainable ways to minimise and reduce arrears through
a prevention mindset, collecting rent and managing accounts.
Letting properties- continuously minimising void times and increasing the length of
time tenants remain in their homes.
Carrying out meaningful yearly tenancy audits and property inspectionsunderstanding who the residents are and what support they need from the landlord,
ensuring they are supported to live healthy, prosperous lives in good quality housing.
Attain high levels of tenancy sustainment and low attrition rates.
8. To develop and maintain a sound understanding of the support needs of vulnerable individuals/families and pathways of support; linking them to appropriate services relating to issues such as physical and mental health, substance misuse, offending, learning disabilities, independent living skills, education, training and employment needs.
9. Keep up to date on welfare benefit entitlements, particularly housing related benefits and Welfare Reform, and develop an ability to carry out robust affordability and suitability assessments in line with homelessness legislation.
10. Create a sustainment and resilience approach, where understanding of the reasons behind arrears or risk of arrears, and knowing your tenants is paramount- distinguishing between ‘can’t’ and ‘won’t’ pay, putting effective and consistent interventions in place and offering quick solutions while helping tenants to help themselves.
11. Where necessary ensure that the correct notice is served and make strong decisions (with guidance) on when to prepare and present possession cases for the County Court, always monitoring and managing the turnaround of cases referred to Legal Services and attending court cases and evictions as the lead decision maker.
12. Support individuals to apply for all benefits available to them and jointly attend appointments when necessary, promoting a ‘rent first’ attitude.
13. Have fraud prevention in mind and refer suspected cases of fraud or misrepresentation to the Council’s Audit and Investigation Unit.
14. Be responsible for tenants at tenancy termination making sure the tenancy is enforced and properties are returned in good, clear condition.
15. Ensure voids are prioritised with fast turnaround times; arranging viewings promptly so that suitable properties are offered to homeless clients as soon as possible, with minimal rent loss.
16. Carry out affordability assessments, vulnerability assessments and other relevant pre tenancy checks are carried out ahead of the sign up and at yearly audits to assess tenancy suitability and sustainability and identify tenants who may need support to maintain their tenancy or evacuate their homes in an emergency.
If you think this job role is for you, please send your CV to rebeccabentum@carringtonblakerecruitment.com
