Leasehold and Tenancy Services Officer

Location: Arlington London (Hybrid)

If you share our values and are excited about making a significant impact at Riverside, please ensure you attach a current CV and covering letter. At Riverside we recruit to potential not just on skills and experience, so we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the essential criteria on the job description.

We are currently recruiting for a number of these vacancies and due to location, some of these will require access to a vehicle.

The difference you will make as a Leasehold and Tenancy Officer

You will provide a customer focused account management service to all Home Ownership customers (including market and intermediate rent properties) across the London region, ensuring the contractual obligations as defined in individual leases and tenancy agreements are conducted in line with legislative requirements and compliance and Group standards.

This will include ensuring service charge financial activity is conducted effectively including budget planning, the service.

About you

We are looking for someone with a proven track record of delivering a high quality customer service function, preferably in the housing sector including effective stakeholder management, both internally and external to the organisation. We require someone who also has a proven track record of successfully solving difficult problems and demonstrating initiative to proven activities.

Why Riverside?

At Riverside, we’re a housing association with a difference – enhancing the everyday for all our customers. For 90 years, we’ve been revitalising neighbourhoods and supporting communities by providing the homes they need to live full, fulfilling and rewarding lives.

We have a portfolio of over 75,000 affordable residential and retirement homes across the UK. Our work ranges from homelessness services to social care, employment support to retirement living, and we need the best people on board to help us.

Working with us, you’ll enjoy:

• Competitive pay & generous pension
• 28 days holidays plus bank holidays
• Flexible working options available
• Investment in your learning, personal development and technology
• A wide range of benefits

Diversity and Inclusion at Riverside:

We are inclusive. At Riverside, we value diversity in all its forms. We foster a workplace where all individuals are respected, empowered, and heard. Our commitment to inclusivity drives our success and enriches the lives of our customers and colleagues.

This role also falls under our Ethnic Diversity guaranteed interview scheme. If you are Ethnically Diverse and demonstrate you meet the minimum criteria for the role you will be guaranteed an interview.

• Undertake the role of Account Manager for shared ownership, leasehold and assured short hold rent customers; including commercial properties (if required), advocating for the customer and ensuring services provided by the Group are delivered efficiently and in line with cost, quality and compliance standards.
• Support the Group Compliance function to ensure our buildings are safe. Proactively engaging with customers to inform them of their role and provide customers with relevant information.
• Lead, motivate and engage with site-based Caretakers (where applicable) to ensure the delivery of a high-quality service to support Home Ownerships strategy and objectives.
• Maintain knowledge of leasehold legislation and technical aspects of all varieties of lease agreements to ensure escalated and complex queries are resolved effectively.
• Take appropriate action to enforce the terms of the tenancy or lease, including resolution of low level anti-social behaviors and unauthorised sub-letting.
• Accountable for maximising and increasing income collection, working in partnership with Shared Service colleagues to ensure good payment practices are established from start of tenure, supporting customers including signposting for advice and carrying out home visitsduring the arrears pursuance process.
• Support with the co-ordination of court cases and First Tier Tribunals including providing the required information to support mediation and legal challenges for Home Ownership.
• Decision maker for enforcement activity; County Court Judgement (CCJ), Repossession, Forfeiture, Eviction and Injunction applications, using customer and community insight to ensure appropriate decisions made on behalf of the Group.
• Represent the Group in Court for all cases brought against customers in your regional area, ensuring cases are progressed effectively and efficiently and relevant stakeholders are kept up to date with developments and outcomes.
• Contribute to the setting of service charge budgets, providing first line support for customer queries. Facilitate customer/resident budget and year end meetings, as required.
• Promote customer engagement, both formally and informally via residents groups, where established, to provide mechanisms for customers to provide feedback on services, promote involvement and provide influencing opportunities to support scheme improvements/customer perception with Home Ownerships business area.
• Deliver proactive contact with customers and follow up outstanding actions included within any customer satisfaction feedback analysis.
• Form and maintain a close working relationship with your colleagues in maintenance, building safety, asset services and environmental teams to ensure strong links and collaborative approach in the management of service charges.
• Manage customer complaints in line with the agreed process via the groups Complaint Dispute Resolution Team, ensuring effective resolution for our customers are met, within set timescales.
• Support / manage the performance and development of your colleague/team, including the framework of estate and letting agents selected to source tenants on our behalf, providing expertise and coaching as required, ensuring a quality service is provided for customers and under performance is dealt with appropriately.
• Assess applications made to Home Ownership either directly or via letting agent for any property that is offered for rent, carrying out financial appraisals and referencing to ensure that applicants satisfy the requirements of internal of governing body and relevant legislation.
• Lead on the sign up of new customers (within agreed relet KPIs), via the Digital Sign up process, inclusive of completing registration of any deposit prior to tenancy commencement with the Deposit Protection Scheme, together with arranging return of deposit and working with the tenant and Dispute Resolution Service for any disagreements and retentions.
• Arrange/undertake end of tenancy visits during the notice period to establish a schedule of works and repairs prior to next letting or hand over for the property to be sold, liaising with Asset Services Colleagues, including Void teams, to ensure any works are scheduled and carried out appropriately.

• Up to date knowledge of leasehold legislation, regulation and standards, including Section 20 requirements.
• CIOH partial/fully qualified or equivalent qualification or experience.
• Excellent attention to detail with the ability to work under pressure delivering to strict deadlines
• Results driving with strong analytical skills, including the ability to critically analyse complex information and experience of providing meaningful management information.
• Customer focused with excellent communication skills both written and verbal with the confidence to interact with employees at all levels.
• Ability to show initiative and propose solutions to issues identified.
• Commercially aware and results focused with the ability to take ownership of tasks.
• Excellent team player who can work flexibly to meet business requirements.
• Effective stakeholder management, both internal and external to the organisation.
• Ability to remain calm in a pressurized environment.