Rent Adviser - EAL12920

Hourly rate of pay: £16.70 - £17.84

Days and Hours of Work: Monday - Friday, 09:00-17:00. Flexi time is applicable, and starting and finishing times are flexible. To start asap.

East Lothian Council is seeking a committed and customer focused Rent Adviser to support the delivery of an effective Rent Advice service and help tenants sustain their tenancies. You will play a key role in collecting rent, reducing arrears, and providing high quality advice and support to tenants who may be experiencing financial difficulties. The role involves proactive account management, early intervention, personal contact with tenants, and close working with colleagues and partner services.

Key Responsibilities

• Contribute to the delivery of team objectives, plans, and performance targets
• Collect rent income and reduce arrears through early intervention and appropriate recovery action
• Identify tenants experiencing difficulty paying rent and support affordable, sustainable payment arrangements
• Monitor and review rent accounts, using personal contact, telephone, written communication, and lone home visits
• Negotiate repayment arrangements and explain the consequences of non-payment
• Provide advice on welfare benefits and income maximisation, including Universal Credit and Social Welfare Fund
• Deal with complex customer enquiries, including vulnerability and challenging behaviour
• Handle complaints and disputes in line with Council policy, escalating where appropriate
• Maintain accurate records, process refunds and transfers, and prepare bad debt information
• Use a range of systems and databases to investigate and resolve complex enquiries
• Mentor less experienced staff and contribute to service improvement

About You

You will have experience in rent collection, housing, or debt advice, with a good understanding of welfare benefits and relevant legislation. You will be confident working directly with customers, managing challenging situations, and achieving performance targets. Strong communication, organisation, and customer service skills are essential, along with the ability to work independently.

Home / Hybrid Working Consideration

Applications for home or hybrid working will be considered for this post in accordance with East Lothian Council’s Home Working and Worksmart Policies. Home or Hybrid working options can be discussed with candidates invited for interview. Please Note: All home/hybrid workers must live in the UK. Where an application for home-working is supported, it will be subject to a satisfactory trial period. Employees will be expected to attend Council offices for the duration of induction, and be on site in East Lothian workplaces, as required. Employees with a hybrid working arrangement in place will be office based and able to work from home, with permission, on an ad hoc basis.

Job Details

As part of the team, deliver an efficient and effective Rent Advice Section service to all Council tenants in East Lothian and commit to achieving the lowest level of current and former tenant rent arrears by minimising arrears and maximising income to ensure the Council has the finances to deliver quality Housing services by ensuring customers are fully supported throughout the process and in compliance with the rent recovery process.

Please download the Job Outline/Person Specification (available under 'Job Attachments') for the full range of tasks and duties associated with this job. You will need to refer to these in order to complete the application form. You must ensure you meet every 'essential' criteria stated on the Person Specification to be considered for interview. The ‘East Lothian Way’ – values and behaviours we expect our employees to demonstrate in their everyday work. Should you be invited to interview, you may be asked questions based on these behaviours.

Job Requirements

• Relevant Qualifications: NC/SVQ Level 2/Higher or equivalent level of knowledge and/or able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge, skills and competencies gained through relevant experience.
• Driving Licence: As the duties of this role require you to effectively travel to successfully undertake the full remit of the role, you must hold a current driving licence and have access to a vehicle. (*Where a disability precludes you from obtaining a driving licence, ELC will take into account its responsibility to make reasonable adjustments to allow for your disability.)
• Level 1 Disclosure Clearance: This role requires Level 1 Disclosure Clearance to allow access to the Public Sector Network. ELC will submit a Police Act Disclosure application on behalf of the preferred candidate and receipt of the subsequent certificate will be required prior to commencement. Please note: If you have spent more than 3 months working or living out with the UK in the last 5 years then you will also be required to present a copy of an overseas criminal record check.

Additional Information

For additional East Lothian Council employment information please click on the following link: www.eastlothian.gov.uk/nonteachinginfo. If you have any difficulties creating an account on MyJobScotland or applying for this post please contact the MyJobScotland support team via this link https://www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/contact-us. If you require further information about this vacancy, please call 01620 827868, or email us on recruitment@eastlothian.gov.uk. Please note: We do not accept CV's (either electronically or by mail). All our vacancies must be applied for by fully completing the on-line application form. Although there is an ‘import data from my CV’ function on MyJobScotland, this only imports very limited data and should not be relied upon to complete the application form. If, for example, due to a disability, you are unable to complete the on-line application form you can contact us for a paper application via the telephone number or email address above.