Job Title: Rent Service Partner

Directorate: Housing Services

Location: London (remote for Cov19)

Salary: £36k (3 Months Contract Pro-rata'd)

PURPOSE OF THE JOB

To deliver a high quality rent collection and arrears recovery service. To assist in ensuring that income is maximised and arrears of rent and other charges are kept to a minimum. To provide an accurate, sensitive and responsive rent account enquiry and information service. Be lead liaison with Local Authorities for designated patch.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

To set up excellent and effective systems for collection of debt and support existing and former tenants in dealing with rent arrears issues.
Minimise level of rent arrears and maximise client income.
To ensure that excellent systems are in place for communicating and liaising with all stakeholders.

TO SET UP EXCELLENT AND EFFECTIVE SYSTEMS FOR COLLECTION OF DEBT AND SUPPORT EXISTING AND FORMER TENANTS IN DEALING WITH RENT ARREARS ISSUES

Implement and review policies and procedures for recovering tenant rent arrears and ex- tenant debt.
Set up and maintain systems that complement the policies and procedures to ensure that payments are received and recorded promptly, and necessary follow-up action is prompted.
Promote equal opportunities, ensuring all clients and staff have access to information on staff policy and procedure.
Ensure that Registered Social Landlord policies and procedures with regard to legal action, including tenancy and management agreements, are adhered to.
Where it appears that no further reasonable efforts can be made to collect debts from former tenants, to submit properly-documented write-off requests.

2. TO MINIMISE LEVEL OF RENT ARREARS AND MAXIMISE CLIENT INCOME

Liaise with project/support staff to ensure that all new tenancies are properly set up within the target times, and that HB claims are satisfactorily established and evidenced from the beginning of the tenancy.
Monitor rent accounts of all our clients’ weekly (or more often if necessary) to ensure that
non-payment of personal charges is picked up and acted on immediately.
Monitor Housing Benefit receipts and liaise with HB departments where there are discrepancies. Where appropriate apply for and pursue direct deductions from benefits.
Wherever necessary, pursue legal action against current tenants on behalf of St Mungo’s, including applying for and attending court hearings, and ensure that legal action is progressed quickly and effectively.
Interview current and former tenants, at home or in the office, to obtain agreements to clear current arrears or former debts.

Set up and maintain arrangements with tracing and debt collection agencies in order to maximise the income from former tenants.
Liaise with project/support staff and Welfare Rights Team to ensure the effective case management of all aspects of debt work with the tenants.

3. TO ENSURE THAT EXCELLENT SYSTEMS ARE IN PLACE FOR COMMUNICATING AND LIAISING WITH ALL STAKEHOLDER

Develop effective information and filing systems, keep them up to date, and ensure that they

comply with St Mungo’s policy on confidentiality and access to information.

Keep all records, including computerised records, up to date and available for checking by St

Mungo’s staff and auditors.

Carry out administrative functions in support of this post, including management of own paperwork and filing.
Input and extract information from computerised systems. Use word-processing software for the production of own correspondence and reports.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS Experience

1. Experience of working in front line services in Housing Management.

2. Experience of using Pyramid Rent Accounting or similar product.

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

3. Ability to deal with customer enquiries and requests in a friendly and helpful way and good communication skills to enable effective liaison with tenants, licensees, internal and external agencies.

4. A basic understanding of general benefit legislation and its effects on St. Mungo’s clients.

5. Maintain excellent organisational and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, a high workload and to work to deadlines in a methodical and accurate fashion.

6. Ability to produce clear reports and correspondence.

7. Be computer literate and numerate.

8. Ability to use computer software to identify, monitor and progress arrears cases.

9. Ability to work independently and as part of a team, both collaboratively and flexibly.