Private Rented Sector Officer

at  Medway Council

PRIVATE RENTED SECTOR OFFICER

Employer: Medway Council
Salary: Range 4 - £29,793 per annum / pro rata
Location: Hybrid - Works part from Kingsley House and part from home
Contract: Permanent
Working Pattern: Full Time
Hours: 37 hours per week.
DBS Check: Yes
Closing Date: 28/01/2025 at 23:59
Reference: REC4024VR
We are currently recruiting for a Private Rented Sector Officer to undertake specialist and detailed housing casework to identify and secure suitable housing solutions to prevent or relieve homelessness for those persons applying to the Council for homelessness assistance. This will involve using existing abilities, strong negotiating skills, and excellent self-confidence to deal with partners in the private rented housing sector, to proactively source and secure accommodation in that sector for households who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. You will seek and develop positive working relationships with landlords and letting agents, both within the district and wider afield, working to understand the housing market and Landlord/Agent motivations and negotiating with them to secure the use of suitable accommodation for the Council’s PRS Scheme. You will also stablish processes and procedures that are mutually beneficial to the Council and property owners/managers to facilitate such joint working.
The role will also involve working directly with homeless applicants, assessing their housing needs, including completing with them affordability and suitability assessments, in order to match them as prospective tenants with suitable accommodation. You will assist applicants to secure such accommodation by negotiating financial packages with the Landlord/Agent, preparing and processing payments to secure that accommodation, and assisting applicants and Landlords/Agents to complete any required paperwork.
You will also work with households assisted under the PRS scheme to sustain and manage their tenancies, proactively establishing and fostering good relationships between parties, and being available to assist the household or Landlord/Agent to resolve any issues arising which might jeopardise the tenancy. Amongst others this will include giving advice on landlord and tenant legal rights and responsibilities.
The role will include maximising income by effective and efficient recovery of debt owing to the Council via the Rent in Advance and Deposit Loan Scheme, and by undertaking inspections of properties to verify claims made by Landlords/Agents against deposit bonds at the end of tenancies.
You will work in close partnership with the Housing Options and Rehousing Teams, proactively seeking to prevent families having to experience homelessness, assisting homeless families into new homes, and working to reduce the demand on the Council’s emergency homeless accommodation by increasing the availability to the Council of accommodation in the private sector with which to discharge the Council’s homeless duties.
You will ensure that all properties accepted under the PRS Scheme meet the Councils required standards by carrying out housing inspections in accordance with the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), reporting on property condition and following up with a Schedule of Work recommending appropriate action to be taken as appropriate.
You will deal with the full range of private-sector housing issues including complaint investigation, hazard and nuisance resolution. You will support and assist the Homeless Prevention & Assessment Team Leader in promoting joint working and partnerships with Private Sector landlords, and to increase the quality and quantity of accommodation in that sector available to the Council to enable it to discharge its homeless duties. This will also involve liaising closely with the Council’s Private Sector Housing Team.
You will provide a high-quality customer focused service to help homeless applicants to secure suitable accommodation to prevent or relieve their homelessness.
This Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment, and to adhere to the Council’s Safeguarding Policy.
Alongside their main duties, the post holder may also be required to carry out any other duties that are consistent with their grade and which might reasonably be asked of them.

Please refer the Job description for details