Role

Purpose

  • To maximise the collection of rent and service charge income for a patch of approximately Assured Shorthold Tenancies on behalf of Croydon Affordable Housing

  • To ensure that arrears collection methods and debt advice services to tenants are delivered in a sensitive and customer-orientated manner

  • To undertake all aspects of arrears recovery on accounts up to and including legal action; including home visits, giving evidence at court and attendance at evictions

    • Key Duties

  • Providing basic welfare benefits and debt counselling advice to tenants, including assisting eligible tenants with Housing benefits claims and liaising with the Council’s Benefits service regarding progress.

  • Promoting welfare benefits take-up having regard to each tenant’s financial and social circumstances.

  • Making appropriate arrangements for the timely and effective recovery of arrears in accordance with the Croydon Affordable Housing agreed policies, procedures and working practice. This will include:

  • Monitoring and controlling current tenants’ rent arrears using the Council’s rent accounting system

  • Monitoring and management of arrears repayment plans agreed with tenants

  • Preparing reports for the Income Manager on recommended courses of recovery action

  • Detecting, reporting and resolving fraud issues including credit and debit card phone payments.

  • Serving Notices Seeking Possession and Notices to Quit

  • Acting on behalf of the Court in the personal service of Court particulars upon tenants subject to legal proceedings

  • Attending and giving evidence in Court

  • Obtaining authority for evictions

  • Overseeing evictions of tenants, and associated follow-up actions such as inventory taking and collection or storage of personal possessions, as appropriate

  • Recovery of court costs from the tenant

  • Identifying and dealing with breaches of court orders

  • To maintain sufficient and up to date knowledge of the legal framework for debt recovery in order to pursue appropriate actions and provide relevant advice.

  • To undertake analysis of patch debt trends from computer and manual records and to produce reports recommending courses of action to improve or maximise income collection

  • To take and process telephone rent payments, ensuring appropriate verification checks are made in accordance with data protection and anti-fraud requirements.

    • Adecco acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and an employment business for the supply of temporary workers. The Adecco Group UK & Ireland is an Equal Opportunities Employer.