Housing manager/officer: Job description

A housing manager/officer manages housing and related services on behalf of housing associations, local authorities and other accommodation providers. The role involves managing a designated patch of housing and keeping in regular contact with tenants, looking after rental income, and dealing with repairs and neighbour nuisance issues.

Housing managers/officers may work with specific clients, such as homeless people, minority groups or people with disabilities. They work within a strict but changing regulatory framework and are usually based in a central office or local neighbourhood housing office.

The manager role may involve line management responsibility for a team of housing officers, rent arrears staff, tenancy support officers and participation in more strategic projects.

Typical work activities

The tasks of a housing manager/officer typically involve:

• setting rents, administering their collection and developing policies to deal with and minimise arrears;
• interviewing tenants and giving advice on tenant-landlord relationships, house purchasing and benefits;
• inspecting properties;
• processing applications for housing improvements and repairs and communicating outcomes to tenants;
• managing improvement loans and grants and administering repair and maintenance programmes;
• managing nuisance orders, collecting information and referring cases to the neighbourhood nuisance team;
• preparing cases and attending court hearings;
• dealing with breaches of tenancy and leasehold agreements, which could culminate in carrying out evictions;
• dealing with abandoned tenancies, squatters and unauthorised occupiers;
• dealing with housing applications and the transfer of existing tenants;
• liaising with tenant groups, local authority councillors, property professionals and other support and welfare organisations, including social workers and estate agents;
• liaising with wardens, caretakers, cleaners and maintenance staff;
• encouraging and supporting tenants' and residents' groups and attending meetings as required;
• planning and implementing slum clearance and the demolition of unused properties;
• maintaining records and writing reports.

The role may also involve:

• recruiting, training, supervising and monitoring staff workload;
• generating revenue and implementing budgets;
• identifying housing needs;
• developing new housing schemes by reusing existing stock or managing new builds;
• evaluating the efficiency of housing schemes;
• building relationships with the community;
• interpreting and implementing housing legislation;
• recommending and developing local authority policies;
• monitoring and updating contractors' lists;
• investigating and responding to client complaints.