As Senior Lettings Officer, you will play a key role in helping people move into homes they can settle into and sustain. You will lead our lettings service, making sure empty homes are let efficiently, fairly and in line with our policies. This will include managing allocations, voids, mutual exchanges, downsizing and tenancy sign-ups. Working closely with colleagues, partners and local authorities, you will help improve the way we let homes, reduce the time properties are empty, and provide a positive, customer-focused service.
Responsible to: Housing, Customer and Communities Manager, Director of Housing, and HR
Responsible for: N/A
Salary: £35,510/year depending on experience and qualifications
Hours: 35 hours per week
Contract: Full time, permanent
Closing Date: 07/09/26 9.00am
Interviews: TBC
We reserve the right to close this job advert early if we receive a high volume of applications or find a suitable candidate.
Overall Aims
- To work together to create places that people love to come home to by focusing on great places, great services, a great business and great people.
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Main Tasks
- Co-ordinate the efficient and appropriate letting of our empty homes. Lead on the management of property allocations, new tenancies, void management, lettings (new and re-let homes) and sign up processes. Facilitate downsizing and the mutual exchange procedures.
- Work collaboratively with colleagues in the delivery of excellent housing management services to customers and potential customers.
- Respond to housing management related queries from the public, tenants and other agencies.
- Act as the organisation’s lead specialist for lettings, allocations, void performance, mutual exchange and tenancy onboarding, providing expert guidance to colleagues and managers.
- Lead the development, review and implementation of lettings, allocations and void management policies, ensuring compliance with legislation, regulatory standards and organisational objectives.
- Analyse housing demand, allocation trends and lettings performance, making recommendations to senior management to improve service delivery and business outcomes.
- Manage and monitor void loss performance and associated budgets, identifying opportunities to maximise rental income and improve asset utilisation.
- Take responsibility for achieving organisational targets relating to void turnaround times, rental income protection and occupancy rates.
- Ensure organisational compliance with housing legislation, consumer standards, allocations requirements, data protection legislation, safeguarding responsibilities and Right to Rent obligations.
- Act as the service lead on tenancy fraud prevention and investigation referrals.
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Lettings
- Manage vacant homes from notice stage to re-letting, balancing the need to minimise the time they are left empty and the need to let homes appropriately.
- Manage the end of tenancy process, including dealing with notices and coordinating the inspection of properties before tenants leave, and minimising rechargeable repairs.
- Liaise closely with the maintenance team to ensure repair and lettings work are completed to the agreed re-let standard and shared performance targets are achieved.
- Advertise properties quickly and accurately in accordance with lettings agreements and policies.
- Verify and assess applications for housing in accordance with policies and procedures and in communication with the Housing Officers. This will include interviewing potential tenants, identifying support needs, seeking references and completing right to rent checks, affordability and risk assessments.
- Make offers of housing to prospective tenants in accordance with lettings policies, ensuring that the tenancy is sustainable and referrals for relevant support or advice are made.
- Organise for prospective tenants to view vacant or occupied properties, providing appropriate information about the property and facilities and services in the area. Undertake viewings yourself where necessary, in support of the Housing Officers.
- Arrange for new tenants to sign their tenancy agreement ensuring they fully understand the rights and responsibilities and relevant policies and procedures. Undertake new tenancy sign ups where necessary, in support of the Housing Officers.
- Lead on processing requests for mutual exchanges, including organising property inspections, assessing applications and referring for approval or refusal based on relevant legislation and policies.
- Identify tenants who are under-occupying their homes and assist them to downsize to a smaller home in accordance with our downsizing scheme.
- Lead on managing garages and parking spaces, including maintaining a waiting list, letting vacancies, ensuring repairs reported or identified during the void process are carried out and minimising vacancies to maximise income.
- Represent the organisation at local authority, Devon Home Choice and multi-agency partnership meetings, influencing housing allocation processes and ensuring organisational interests are represented.
- Co-ordinate and arrange alternative accommodation for tenants of properties undergoing major works. Liaise with tenants and relevant colleagues before, during and after the works.
- Be aware of maintenance activities of the Property Services Team in so far as how they affect tenants and prospective tenants and liaise with colleagues and tenants appropriately.
- Identify signs of housing application and tenancy fraud and make appropriate referrals for further investigation as appropriate.
- Identify tenants or prospective tenants that may benefit from additional advice or support to enable them to succeed in their tenancy or improve their quality of life. This could relate to money, debts, benefits, training, employment or health. Provide advice or make referrals as appropriate.
- Keep up to date with relevant legislation, policy, procedures and best practice and share knowledge with the team. Contribute to lettings policy reviews.
- Keep our lettings process under review, considering ways in which it could be improved and streamlined.
- Record and report on lettings data including CORE and customer satisfaction as required.
- Analyse operational and performance data to identify trends, risks and opportunities, producing management information and recommendations to support strategic decision making.
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Tenancy Management
- Provide information, advice and assistance to customers on their housing options, tenancy rights and responsibilities, issues related to their estate and our policies and procedures. Refer customers to other colleagues for detailed advice as appropriate.
- Provide advice and accurately signpost customers to facilities, services and resources which may improve quality of life.
- Understand and be able to communicate conditions of tenancy and leases to tenants. Effectively communicate and raise issues to Housing Officers where enforcement or remedial actions may be required.
- Work with individual customers and other agencies to ensure support needs are being met and that customers are signposted to services and resources which may improve their health and wellbeing and reduce the risk of tenancy failure.
- Be aware of signs and risks associated with domestic abuse, child protection, public protection and protection of vulnerable adults. Escalate concerns where appropriate.
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Rent Arrears
- Engage positively with customers to prevent and minimise rent arrears and other debts, signposting them for further support and assistance where needed.
- Promote financial inclusion and good money choices for our tenants.
- Ensure households are adequately assessed financially, credit scoring and budgeting assessments are completed and Rent In Advance is collected as applicable and in accordance with the lettings policy.
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Customer Voice, Involvement and Engagement
- Welcome and encourage customer feedback and work positively to resolve customer concerns.
- Seek to identify individual customers or groups of customers that could become more involved in customer scrutiny or engagement work.
- Contribute to the development of customer communications relevant to your role including newsletters, leaflets, guides, social media and other promotional material.
- Undertake surveys and data gathering as required. Compile responses, analyse data and produce reports as requested.
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Performance Management
- Lead performance management of the lettings and void service, establishing KPIs, analysing trends and producing performance reports for the Executive Team, Board and regulatory submissions.
- Promote a culture of continuous improvement in all service areas to ensure that we are actively seeking to provide excellent services to our customers.
- Take part in regular 121 reviews with the Housing Customer & Engagement Manager, team meetings and wider Cornerstone review meetings (such as tenant scrutiny or Board) as requested.
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General Duties
- Promote Cornerstone’s vision and values in all that you do.
- Work positively and collaboratively with customers, colleagues, other agencies, and third parties to ensure strong working relationships and a good standard of service delivery to customers.
- Ensure that you are fully acquainted with and follow the law, regulation, policies and procedures as they relate to your post.
- Observe and promote Cornerstone’s Health & Safety policies and procedures at all times.
- Ensure all data is handled in accordance with GDPR and in line with both the Information security and data management policies. Take ownership of the quality and accuracy of processing data and its appropriate storage, transfer and retention.
- Work to ensure the health and safety of customers and colleagues. Observe and promote Cornerstone’s Health & Safety policies and procedures at all times.
- Treat customers and colleagues with respect ensuring people feel included and that diversity is valued. Observe and promote our Equality, Diversity & inclusion policies and procedures at all times.
- Work efficiently and effectively with a focus on value for money.
- Take ownership of your own professional development as relevant to your role.
- Keep all duties of the post-holder under review and make recommendations for any improvements in policies and procedures to your line manager.
- Occasional after hours work may be required within the scope of the role, including attendance at meetings.
- Lead service improvement projects relating to housing management, tenancy sustainment, digital transformation, allocations and customer experience.
- Any other duties appropriate to your position as may be identified from time to time.
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Delegated Authority
- To implement all Cornerstone housing management policies and procedures as appropriate to the post and as directed by the Housing, Customer & Communities Manager or Director of Housing & HR.
- To liaise with other agencies on behalf of Cornerstone concerning matters for which the post-holder has responsibility.
- Provide day-to-day operational leadership for lettings and void management activities, coordinating the work of colleagues and ensuring consistent service delivery.
- Mentor and support colleagues in relation to housing allocations, tenancy sign-ups and housing management best practice.
- Act as a safeguarding champion within the housing team, ensuring concerns relating to vulnerable adults, children, domestic abuse and exploitation are identified, managed and escalated appropriately.
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Deputising
- In the post-holders absence, their duties will be performed by the other members of the Housing team as directed by the Housing, Customer & Communities Manager.
- In the absence of the Housing Officers you may be asked to carry out other tasks and duties to that level with support and guidance.
Person Specification
- Basic Eligibility
- Right to work within the United Kingdom Essential ID and Online Check
- Satisfactory Basic DBS check
(Any offer of employment will be conditional on you satisfying these requirements) Essential - Qualification Eligibility
- Good standard of general education. Essential Application & Interview
- CIH Level 2 or above Desirable
- Driving Licence Requirements
- Valid, full driving licence which will be checked for eligibility at periodic intervals. Essential Application & Interview
- Customer Care
- Positive, ‘can-do’ attitude Essential Application & Interview
- Able to listen actively and non-judgementally. Essential
- Able to demonstrate kindness, empathy, patience, and understanding of tenants’ needs. Essential
- Commitment to providing the best possible service to tenants and passionate about making a positive difference to their lives. Essential
- Knowledge and Skills
- Good communication and interpersonal skills with people at all levels Essential Application & Interview
- Able to develop effective working relationships Essential
- Able to act in a professional manner with a good understanding of professional boundaries Essential
- Resilient and able to manage challenging situations and a busy environment Essential
- Highly organised and able to manage and prioritise own workload to meet targets and deadlines Essential
- Flexible and self-motivated, able to follow instructions, work on own initiative and as a part of a team Essential
- Effective problem solver Essential
- Attention to detail Essential
- Basic health and safety awareness Essential
- Good IT skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook Essential
- Knowledge of Choice Based Lettings Desirable
- Knowledge of housing legislation Desirable
- Knowledge of housing management roles and duties Desirable
- Experience
- Worked in a social housing environment Desirable Application & Interview
- Worked in housing management Desirable
- Worked in a similar assistant/support type role Desirable
- Worked to performance targets Desirable
- Worked to policies and procedures Desirable
- Other
- Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion Essential Application & Interview
- Commitment to continuing professional development Essential
- Willingness to undertake other duties as determined by the housing manager Essential
- Willingness to work outside of normal working hours as required Essential
- Willingness to safely lone work outside of the office environment and in tenants homes. Essential
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