Housing manager/officer

You'll manage housing and related services on behalf of organisations such as housing associations, local councils, charities and private landlords. The role is about building good relationships with tenants, making sure rent is paid on time, dealing with repairs and helping to resolve neighbourhood or tenancy issues.

You may work with specific groups, such as homeless people, refugees, care leavers or people with disabilities. As you gain experience, you may have line management responsibility for housing officers, rent arrears or tenancy support staff, and contribute to wider projects or policy work.

Responsibilities

As a housing manager or officer, you'll need to:

• set rents, manage rent collection and develop policies to reduce arrears
• interview and advise tenants on tenancy rights, benefits and housing options
• inspect properties and arrange for repairs or improvements
• process housing applications and manage waiting lists and transfers
• handle tenancy breaches, such as antisocial behaviour, and prepare cases for court if needed
• deal with abandoned properties, squatters and unauthorised occupiers
• work closely with tenant groups, councillors, contractors and support organisations
• attend meetings with residents and community representatives
• maintain accurate records and produce reports.

You may also:

• recruit, train and supervise staff
• manage budgets and plan housing improvement programmes
• identify local housing needs and contribute to regeneration or development projects
• work on community engagement initiatives
• implement new housing policies and legislation
• investigate and respond to tenant complaints.

Salary

• Starting salaries for housing assistants are typically £22,000 to £26,000, with graduate trainees earning around £29,000 to £32,000.
• Housing officers usually earn £26,000 to £36,000, depending on experience and employer type.
• Housing managers can earn between £35,000 and £45,000, rising to £65,000 or more for senior management or director roles.

Working hours

You'll usually work Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, but may need to attend evening meetings with tenants or residents. If you work in supported housing, shifts or on-call work may be required.

Many employers offer flexible hours, hybrid working or job sharing.

What to expect

• You'll divide your time between an office base and regular visits to housing developments and tenants' homes.
• The work is varied and rewarding but can be emotionally demanding, especially when dealing with complex social issues.
• Equality and inclusion are central to the housing sector, and many employers encourage applications from people with lived experience of housing challenges.
• Travel within your local area is common, but overnight stays are rare.

Qualifications

A degree isn’t always required, but it can help you progress more quickly. The following degree subjects are particularly relevant:

• housing or social policy
• business or management
• economics
• facilities management
• law
• urban or estate management
• public administration or politics
• sociology or social studies.

It's possible, though less common, to become a housing officer or manager without an HND or degree, as employers are increasingly seeking relevant qualifications. For Certified practitioner membership (CertCIH), you'll need at least a CIH level 3 or level 4 qualification; and level 5 - such as the CIH Level 5 Diploma in Housing, if you want to pursue chartered status.

There are no HND courses specifically in housing, but a related subject such as facilities management or urban studies is possible.

Some housing organisations offer graduate trainee schemes, giving you experience in different departments and the chance to gain a professional qualification.

The Centre for Partnership runs The GEM Programme, a graduate employment mentoring programme that provides training and gives you the opportunity to gain a CIH level 4 qualification.

If you have an unrelated degree, completing a CIH level 4 qualification or an MSc in housing will be helpful.

Skills

You'll need to show evidence of:

• excellent communication and teamwork skills
• sensitivity and empathy for working with tenants
• problem-solving and negotiation skills
• the ability to manage time, priorities and deadlines
• confidence in making decisions and using initiative
• IT and record-keeping skills
• basic numeracy for rent and service charge calculations
• knowledge of housing law, tenancy management and safeguarding
• a full driving licence - this may be required for visiting tenants.

Work experience

Pre-entry experience is highly valued. Try to gain experience through:

• volunteering with a housing association, homelessness charity or local authority housing team
• working with tenant or residents' groups
• customer service roles that involve advising or supporting the public.

Temporary work as a housing assistant can also provide useful experience and a route into permanent employment. Many temporary positions are advertised on jobs boards, local authority websites and recruitment agency websites.

Employers

Typical employers include:

• housing associations and registered social landlords
• local authorities
• charities and voluntary organisations
• community housing and cooperative schemes
• universities (for student accommodation management)
• private housing providers and contractors.

Look for job vacancies at:

• Inside Housing - Jobs
• jobsgopublic
• LG Jobs
• Shelter - housing charity advertising paid and volunteering opportunities.

Specialist recruitment agencies such as Eden Brown and Hays - Social Housing advertise vacancies in the housing sector.

Professional development

Many employers support staff to study for CIH-accredited qualifications while working.

To become a Chartered Member of the CIH (CIHCM), you'll need to complete a recognised qualification and meet practice and CPD requirements. You'll need to complete at least 20 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) each year to maintain your membership.

Most employers run in-house training or hire training agencies to run courses on relevant topics, such as health and safety, anti-social behaviour and regulatory framework.

Career prospects

You may start your career as a housing assistant, tenancy support officer or customer service adviser, and progress to housing officer and then housing manager roles.

With experience, you could move into specialist areas such as:

• homelessness prevention
• housing strategy or policy
• community regeneration
• supported housing
• tenant participation or neighbourhood management.

At senior level, you could progress to roles such as regional manager, head of service, director of housing or chief executive, especially if you combine experience with professional qualifications and strong leadership skills.