Private Rented Housing Officer

**Private Rented Housing Officer**

**Grade H**

**Gateshead Council has a dedicated Private Sector Housing Team that works across a broad range of housing related issues to improve private housing conditions, to support vulnerable people and to tackle housing related crime.**:
**About the role.**

We are looking for a Private Rented Housing Officer to join the team. The role will focus on preventing homelessness that is caused by the coming to an end of a private tenancy and will include proactive and responsive housing inspections and using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System to inform enforcement decisions, taking enforcement action, and supporting those affected by poor housing conditions or landlord and tenant disputes in conjunction with other services and agencies.

You will work specifically on preventing the homelessness that results from poor property and tenancy management practices within the private rented sector, providing advice and support to landlords and tenants about tenancy matters, including disputes about standards, rent, or behaviour that is causing the tenant to be at risk of becoming homeless. You will carry out proactive and responsive investigations into behaviour that compromises tenants rights, and to prevent unlawful eviction. You will inspect rented housing, use the Housing Health and Safety Rating System to inform enforcement decisions, and take enforcement action when standards are found to be unacceptable. You will support those affected by poor housing conditions or landlord and tenant disputes in conjunction with other services and agencies.

Please take a look at the full job profile. It’s important that you read it in full and check that you meet the essential criteria.

**A bit about Gateshead Council**

We’re truly committed to providing our customers with the highest quality of service and we need like-minded people who can help us deliver a sector leading service. We need people who want to make a difference, who are talented, possess the right knowledge and skills and who want the chance to demonstrate how good they are.

**What’s in it for you? Well, there’s so much on offer and here’s just a few of the highlights**
- You’ll be paid a competitive salary plus additional allowances where relevant.
- We’ll help you save for your future with an outstanding employer contribution to your pension of approximately 18.9% per year.
- You’ll get a generous annual leave package of 27 days annual leave for new employees, rising to 31 days after 5 years continuous local government service.
- You have the chance to buy up to 10 additional holidays per year.
- You’ll have access to great health and wellbeing support, including discounted membership to GO Gateshead Leisure Services and ability to use our cycle to work scheme.
- We’ll give you the chance to take advantage of various offers and discounts on shopping and household spend, including O2, Virgin Media and Dell

**You must have**
- Experience of undertaking property inspections
- Experience of working with landlords and tenants to resolve disputes and to help tenants maintain their tenancies
- Experience of taking enforcement action
- Experience of working with colleagues and external agencies to solve housing and homelessness related problems
- Experience of planning, organising, investigating, and analysing varied and complex information to draw conclusions and make recommendations for action
- Experience of communicating on different levels and experience of customer service
- Experience of designing, managing, leading, and improving systems of work
- Knowledge of current and emerging private sector housing related legislation, in particular the technical aspects of housing related enforcement
- Knowledge of law relating to private rented tenancies, and landlords and tenants’ rights and responsibilities.
- A Level 4 Qualification, such as a HNC
- A current driving licence or means to mobility support

**It’s time to apply