Landlord Liaison Officer

Make a real difference — one home at a time

At Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, we’re committed to preventing homelessness and helping people secure safe, stable homes. We’re now looking for a proactive, people-focused Landlord Liaison Officer to join our friendly and supportive Housing Services team.

This is a varied, front‑line role where no two days are the same. You’ll be right at the heart of our work with private landlords, letting agents and residents — building relationships, negotiating solutions, and helping households move forward at some of the most critical points in their lives.

If you’re confident, compassionate, and motivated by making a genuine impact, this could be the role for you.

About the role

As a Landlord Liaison Officer, you will play a key role in strengthening the Council’s relationship with the private rented sector and increasing access to good-quality accommodation for households in housing need.

You will:

• Proactively source and procure private rented accommodation, promoting the Council’s landlord incentive schemes
• Build and maintain strong, positive relationships with landlords and letting agents, including cold calling, networking, and attending landlord forums
• Work directly with homeless households to support their move into safe, suitable accommodation, including completing detailed affordability assessments
• Actively manage and monitor the move-on of households from temporary accommodation
• Carry out property inspections, ensuring compliance with health, safety and legal requirements
• Support tenancy sustainment, helping prevent homelessness by resolving issues between tenants and landlords
• Assess claims against Council-issued tenancy deposit bonds
• Share expert advice with landlords on their responsibilities and good practice
• Play a role in the Council’s Emergency Plan, including occasional out-of-hours work

This is a role that combines negotiation, empathy, problem-solving and initiative, offering genuine variety and the opportunity to see the direct impact of your work every day.

About you

We’re looking for someone who is confident working in a front-line housing environment, enjoys building relationships, and can balance the needs of landlords with those of vulnerable households.

You will ideally bring:

• Experience working in a front-line housing, advice or community-based role
• Experience supporting vulnerable individuals or households
• The confidence to negotiate and influence, particularly with private landlords and letting agents
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to deliver difficult messages sensitively
• The ability to demonstrate empathy while remaining professional and solutions-focused
• Good organisational skills, with the ability to manage a varied workload and work calmly under pressure
• IT skills, including Microsoft Word and Excel

You’ll also have a basic understanding of housing legislation, homelessness, and welfare benefits — or the willingness to develop this knowledge with support from the Council.

A full driving licence and access to a vehicle is essential for this role as well as an Enhanced DBS check.

What we offer

In return, we offer a role where you can truly make a difference, supported by a welcoming and experienced team who value collaboration and learning.

You’ll benefit from:

• Competitive local government salary with annual progression (£31,612 on joining, progressing to £32,444 at end of Year 1; £34,490 at end of year 2)
  
• 22 days annual leave, rising to 27 days after 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays and 3 additional days in December
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Hybrid working (subject to service needs)
• Free parking
• Ongoing training and development, including support for professional qualifications such as CIH and HHSRS
• A supportive team culture where development, wellbeing and learning are genuinely encouraged
• Take a look here at all the additional benefits that we offer.

Our team often say they value the variety of the role, the chance to change lives, and being part of a supportive and friendly service.

Key dates

• Closing date: Sunday 19 April 2026
• Shortlisting: Monday 20 April 2026
• Interviews: Monday 27 April 2026

Equal Opportunities

Tunbridge Wells – Working for Equality. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Safeguarding

The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employee and volunteers to share this commitment.

Ready to apply?

If you’re motivated by helping people, find and sustain a home, enjoy working with a wide range of partners, and want a role with real purpose, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply now and help us open doors for those who need it most.