Rent Recovery Officer

Pear Recruitment – Part-Time Rent Recovery Officer – South Woodford

Salary – £15,000-£22,500 + bonus potential

Hours - Part time - 3-4 day week, Monday-Friday, Minimum 15 hours Maximum 20 hours per week

Our client based in South Woodford, has an opportunity for a Rent Recovery Officer to join their Management Department.
Established in 1989, our client is a unique Letting & Management organisation offering traditional rental services.
In addition, the practice is one of London’s most successful Rent Guarantee Service Provision Specialists, procuring all types of property for Local & Central Government to fulfil their Emergency Housing needs.
The successful candidate must be dynamic, organized, have excellent people skills, articulate and ambitious

Responsibilities will include:

• Arrears Management - Monitor rent accounts regularly to identify early-stage arrears and take prompt, effective recovery action in line with organisational policy.


• Universal Credit Specialism - Provide expert guidance to tenants on making and managing Universal Credit claims, including assisting with the "housing element" to ensure payments are accurate and timely


• Alternative Payment Arrangements - Identify high-risk cases and apply for Managed Payments to Landlords or third-party deductions for arrears where appropriate


• Tenancy Sustainment - Conduct detailed affordability assessments and income/expenditure reviews to set up sustainable repayment plans that prevent homelessness


• Legal Action and Court Representation - Prepare comprehensive evidence for Possession Claims and assist in County Court hearings, seeking possession orders where necessary


• Liaison and Partnership - Act as the main point of contact for the local authority Housing Benefit teams to resolve complex payment disputes


• Eviction Support - Liaise alongside court-appointed bailiffs when recovery efforts fail and legal possession is granted

Experience & Knowledge:

• Social Housing Experience - Proven track record in rent collection or debt recovery within a local authority or housing association


• Welfare Reform Expertise - Comprehensive knowledge of the Welfare Reform Act, specifically how UC impacts vulnerable tenants and those on legacy benefits


• Legal Procedures - Strong understanding of Landlord and Tenant legislation and the Pre-Action Protocol for Rent Arrears


• Benefit Advocacy - Experience in helping tenants apply for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) and other hardship funds.

Skills for the role includes:

• Negotiation - Ability to have difficult conversations with empathy while remaining firm on repayment targets


• Communication - Excellent verbal and written skills for drafting legal notices, court reports, and communicating complex benefit rules to tenants


• IT Literacy - Proficient in housing management CRM systems and Microsoft Office


• Numerical Accuracy - High level of attention to detail for calculating complex arrears balances and manual benefit adjustments


• Industry recognised qualifications such as NAEA, NFOPP and ARLA are advantageous but not essential


• Resilient - Capable of managing an emotionally demanding caseload and handling challenging behaviour with professionalism


• Target-Driven - Motivated by meeting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to arrears reduction and collection rates


• Organised - Skilled at managing multiple priorities and meeting strict legal and administrative deadlines.

If you are interested in this Rent Recovery Officer role and would like to know more, please email your CV or telephone us on a strictly private and confidential basis for an informal discussion.

Due to the number of applications we receive, we are unfortunately unable to respond to each applicant individually. If you do not hear from us within 7 days, you may assume you have not been selected at this time - but please do apply for anything you feel you are suitable for and thank you for your interest in PEAR Recruitment.

*Recommend a friend* - Do you know someone looking for a position? If you recommend them to us, we have a fantastic referral fee to offer! Please contact us for more information.

Confidentiality – All communication with us is treated with the upmost confidentiality and you will always be advised if your CV is being submitted to a client.