Swan Housing Association

Transcription

1 Swan Housing Association Job Description Job Title: Section: Leasehold Management Officer Leasehold Management Team Reports to: Leasehold Services Manager Salary: Circa 29K Location: Any Swan Office Main Purpose of Job To provide a comprehensive customer focused service to Swan s shared owners and leaseholders. The main responsibilities of the role are to ensure effective resolution of service charge disputes both day to day and major works recharges, to work closely with Swan s managing agents/other landlords to ensure both affordability of service charges and compliance with our leases, responsibility for Section 20 Consultation, responsibility for RTB (preserved) and RTA processing, dealing with staircasing requests and all resale /assignment enquiries. The role will involve close joint working with Swan s Service Charge, Incomes, Partnership Compliance and Neighbourhood Management Teams. Principal Accountabilities KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE Key Tasks RTA/RTB(Preserved), Staircasing and Assignments 1. Set up accounts for all new shared owners/leaseholders and deal with requests from shared owners to staircase. 2. Process all RTB (preserved) and RTA applications ensuring all legislative requirements and statutory time periods are adhered to. 3. Provide a full post-sales service for all our home owners, including checking eligibility and affordability of prospective shared owners and dealing with general resale enquiries from solicitors. Working with Managing Agents 4. Ensure Swan s managing agents/landlords provide both affordability of service charge and are providing services/works in compliance with the head lease/leases. 5. Ensure all invoices/demands received from management agents/landlords are accurate, in accordance with the lease and within statutory time limits.

2 6. Process management agents invoices/demands and ensure invoices promptly paid. 7. Interpret long leases, head leases, management agreements and service level Agreements, providing advice and guidance to other departments and teams.. 8. Ensure that the terms of head leases are enforced and that any breaches are dealt with immediately. 9. Regularly meet with managing agents/landlords and carry out site visits where necessary 10. Ensure management agents/landlords comply with Section 20 requirements in terms of validity of notices. To liaise with Asset Management / Compliance and Neighbourhood Management where there are any technical issues with works or where works are not up to required standard/quality. Day to Day Service Charges and Disputes 11. Respond and deal with all service charge enquiries and complaints. 12. Investigate and respond to service charge disputes. 13. Prepare cases for court, mediation and tribunals, attending and giving evidence where necessary. 14. Deal with all applications requiring permissions under the lease (i.e. alteration requests), responding within set timescales and liaising with Neighbourhood Management and other teams where necessary. 15. Ensure that all appropriate administration charges are raised and charged in accordance with the lease. 16. Work alongside the Neighbourhood Management, Service Charges and Incomes Teams to ensure an effective, responsive and joined up service. 17. Work closely with the Service Charge Team to ensure any discrepancies of apportionment and liability for recharge are promptly resolved to ensure accuracy of service charge statements and accounts. 18. Identify any defects in the lease and lead on any rectifications/variations required 19. Ensure that key performance standards/targets (individual and team), & any service plan improvements are implemented and adhered to. 20. Where appropriate provide guidance and support to new team members, leasehold assistants or trainees. 21. To attend evening meetings including resident board/resident association meetings, leasehold surgeries and Section 20 consultation meetings. To make home visits where appropriate. Section 20 Processes 22. Manage the general consultation processes with leaseholders including organising leaseholder surgeries. 23. Responsibility for the Section 20 statutory consultation processes both for Swan s own works and for works undertaken by other landlords/managing agents. 24. Work in close liaison with Swan s Partnership Compliance Team dealing with any enquiries and disputes that may arise. 25. Ensure that all works recharges are included within the actual service charge demand to enable a full recovery of service charge. 26. Ensure the Partnership Compliance Team nominate a preferred contractor when works are being undertaken by another landlord/managing agent

3 Other Duties 27. Carry out any other duties in connection with the work of the Association as directed by the Leasehold Services Manager. This job description accurately reflects the requirements of the job at the time of writing but may be subject to change from time to time to meet the changing needs of the Association.

4 Swan Housing Association Person Specification Job Title: Department: Leasehold Management Officer Leasehold Team QUALIFICATIONS EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE ESSENTIAL Numerate and literate to a minimum GCSE A Level standard Knowledge of leases and understanding of the issues of leasehold management. Knowledge of key leasehold legislation. Knowledge of Right to Buy and Right to Acquire procedures and shared ownership arrangements. Knowledge of Section 20 procedures and the service charge consultation regulations. Understanding of customer care and quality issues DESIRABLE Educated to Degree level or hold a recognised qualification in housing management or property management. Experience in the management of leasehold properties ideally within the social housing sector. Experience of presenting information to Court, Mediation or Tribunals. Experience of effectively resolving service charge disputes Experience of working with managing agents / superior landlords. SKILLS Excellent oral and written communication skills. Have excellent numeracy skills and be confident when working with numbers Ability to interpret and understand complex leases. Ability to interpret and analyse accounts and other financial/ technical data.

5 Very good organisational skills and ability to prioritise own workloads Be computer literate with expert knowledge of MS packages Have a positive can do attitude and be able to deliver excellent customer services Ability to work outside of normal working hours on occasion to attend meetings Professional, friendly honest and open approach with the ability to work effectively and in partnership with others both internally and externally