Tenancy Management & Resettlement Officer

Main Purpose of the job:

• Provide excellent tenancy sustainment support ensuring tenancies in the private rented sector are sustained to provide safe and secure housing for our customers whilst meeting local and corporate objectives.
• To provide a high quality advice, lettings and tenancy sustainment service that maximises the number of homeless households who are able to move successfully into good quality, affordable private rented accommodation for clients from various services such as HOC, CYP and NRTPF.
• To promote the use of the private rented sector as a viable alternative to social rented housing, in order to encourage independence, prevent homelessness, provide settled housing solutions and reduce the Council’s use of temporary accommodation.
• To effectively report, as required, on performance, against local and corporate targets.

Summary of Responsibilities and Personal Duties:

• Work effectively within the private sector to increase the supply of good quality accommodation for households in housing need to meet individual and team targets.
• To carry out inspections of properties in order to assess their suitability for households in housing need.
• Assess prospective customer’s suitability for private rented accommodation by reviewing their housing history, making enquiries into their financial situation, and establishing whether or not they are able to meet the rent and comply with the tenancy conditions.
• Undertake accompanied viewings with prospective customers and provide them with expert advice and guidance on all aspects of letting (including housing benefit and the conditions of tenancy) in order to help them make informed decisions.
• Ensure all private rented sector accommodation procured is of the size, type and location required by prospective customer, complies with all health and safety & planning regulations and is in compliance with the Council’s location priority policy.
• To act as the first point of contact for landlords and tenants who are experiencing difficulties in sustaining tenancies, including acting as a negotiator and or mediator between disputing parties to resolve contractual issues to ensure compliance with the legal framework to sustain tenancies.
• Provide a comprehensive tenancy sign up and sustainment service to ensure assured short hold tenancies (prevention, discharge) and non-secure tenancies (temporary accommodation) are successfully signed up and sustained.
• Ensure customers are settled into their private rented sector accommodation and fully made aware local services such as doctor’s surgeries, schools, police station, CAB office, dentist surgeries etc.
• To understand, and keep up to date with local and national policies affected by legislation with regard to welfare reforms and housing.
• Ensure all properties are maintained to a high standard investigate persistent disrepair complaints and/or to take property inventories for those properties accessing the Council’s incentive and or bond scheme.
• Be responsible for ensuring all landlords and tenants comply with their respective contractual agreements.
• Work effectively and efficiently with colleagues within the service, across other departments and external agencies to deliver and excellent customer focused service meeting individual, team, service and corporate targets & KPIs.
• Negotiate, agree and administer cash incentives, bond payments with landlords and other accommodation providers, liaising with the Payments Team to make accurate and appropriate payments in accordance with Council procedures.
• Provide expert advice to landlords on all aspects of letting including but not limited to housing benefit, overall benefit caps, welfare reforms, property standards, various letting schemes that Lewisham Council operates and general tenancy management, encouraging good practice.
• Liaise with colleagues within the team and the wider Housing Needs service to provide a stream lined and seamless service to customers in temporary accommodation who wish to move into the private rented sector, ensuring efficient processes are put in place to discharge the authority’s housing duty by facilitating the offer of private rented sector accommodation.
• Maintain accurate written and electronic records/information with regard to properties, landlords including general contact information and any other relevant information associated with delivering a seamless procurement and letting service, keeping this information up to date at all times, and providing detailed reports as requested by management.
• Ensure that all payments, including deposits and cash incentives are properly recorded, monitored and, where appropriate, recovered from the landlord, accommodation supplier
• or tenant in accordance with the contractual agreements and the Council’s financial regulations.
• Develop and maintain close working relationships with other Council services and a wide range of other stakeholders in order to facilitate the flow of information, encourage joint working and co-operation, achieve the prompt resolution of complex problems and ensure that, even where an input is required from a number of teams, service delivery is properly coordinated and the service user is kept fully informed of developments.
• Deliver a stream lined high quality customer focused service ensuring telephone calls, emails, letters and complaints are fully responded to promptly and to the highest possible standard in compliance with corporate guidelines or as instructed by the service manager.
• Carry out the duties of the post with due regard to the Council’s Equal Opportunities and Data Protection policies and core values.
• All employees are required to comply with the Council’s Health and Safety policies and procedures at all times, taking due care for themselves, colleagues and members of the public.
• Undertake any other appropriate duties as required by the service or instructed by the Service Manager.