Housing Assistant

Dartford Housing Services really value the contribution our staff make and in return, we offer the opportunity to ‘make a difference’ and go home at the end of the day with a very real feeling of accomplishment.  You will be experienced in working in a customer facing role within a housing environment. 

We are looking for someone who is enthusiastic, self-motivated and organised and looking for a challenging new role in a busy housing office environment. You will be part of the Tenancy Services team which has a key role in improving housing services and meeting the needs of tenants living in the borough. This post is based in the Rents team, one of the three disciplines that make up integrated Tenancy Services – Anti-Social Behaviour, Estate Management and Rents. You will be passionate about housing and customer service excellence and will be a significant contributor to our vision of being the best Housing Landlord Service in Kent.

Keys area of responsibility will include:

• Monitoring all current tenant rent accounts taking early preventative action to stop arrears accruing
• Making agreements for arrears to be cleared taking into account individual circumstances including benefit entitlement
• Follow escalation policy taking further action where required including the service of Notice of Seeking Possesion (NOSP) and preparation of applications for court
• Providing a consistently high quality service as the first point of contact for all tenants with rent arrears enquiries
• Providing an excellent customer service to tenants
• Ensuring that rent arrears are appropriately dealt with in accordance with timeframes, policies and targets
• Work closely with the other disciplines within Tenancy Services and other services with Housing to provide a comprehensive, cohesive and joined up service to residents and customers
• Liaising with other Council Departments and agencies to effectively deal with rent matters
• Working with residents to promote social inclusion and well-being
• Have an innovative approach to public services, improving tenant satisfaction, meeting the requirements of the Government’s Social Housing Charter and delivering the Council’s Corporate Plan

You must be able to demonstrate the following:

• Ability to manage and prioritise a busy workload
• Confidence, enthusiasm and a flexible approach
• Excellent administration skills, accuracy and attention to detail
• Use of computer and paper based systems to monitor and manage rent arrears
• Proven ability to learn and utilise new software
• Excellent written and oral communication skills