Private Sector Housing Officer

Private Sector Housing Officer

Salary: £30,451 - £34,728

Job Reference: mkc/TP/238/190

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Hours: 37

Location: Civic Offices, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and dedicated individual to join our Private Sector Housing Service.

Working as a Private Sector Housing Officer you will have a busy and varied workload that will involve carrying out inspections and investigations into poor housing conditions in the private sector. You will work to address issues through negotiation and enforcement, ensuring properties meet minimum health and safety and energy efficiency standards.

You will also carry out proactive work to identify Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), ensuring they meet certain health and safety standards and are licensed.

Main Responsibility

Private Sector Housing Officers undertake investigations into the condition of properties within the private sector, ensuring properties meet minimum health and safety and energy efficiency standards. Carrying out reactive and proactive inspections and taking the appropriate course of action to address identified hazards and regulatory breaches.

Where necessary undertaking enforcement action to achieve compliance with the Housing Act 2004, Housing and Planning Act 2016 and all other legislation relevant to the regulation of the private housing sector. Ensuring legal notices are accurate and served in accordance with statutory requirements.

The role involves enforcing legal notices including imposing and enforcing civil penalty notices. Preparing reports and statements of evidence for legal proceedings. Attending and giving evidence at court or tribunal.

Private Sector Housing Officers carry out proactive work to identify Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) that may require a licence or compliance with safety standards and HMO management regulations. Ensuring the HMO licensing is applied correctly and taking prompt action when breaches are identified.

Officers will effectively promote and maintain strong partnership working. This includes liaising with a wide range of stakeholders including Parish Councillors and elected members, fire and rescue service, environmental health, tenancy support, TVP, adults and children’s services.

The Ideal Candidate

We are looking for committed, passionate and resilient individuals, with strong communication skills and experience suitable to engage with private landlords and letting agents to proactively improve property standards and housing management.

Do you have transferable skills? Your background could be in anything from building surveying, planning, police, fire safety to housing management. You will need a good basic understanding of building construction and some experience of enforcement.

You should be experienced and competent in assessing housing conditions and be qualified in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) or demonstrate a willingness to work towards qualification.

You should have knowledge of housing legislation together with an understanding of its practical application or an understanding of regulatory legislation and how it is applied. An Environmental Health Professional Qualification or appropriate Housing or Building Surveying Qualification or equivalent demonstrable experience.

Package Description

​We are really proud of the benefits we are able to offer our staff here at Milton Keynes Council, including:-

• Local Government Pension Scheme, considered to be one of the best employer contribution rates of 19.7%
• 27 days annual leave per year in addition to statutory and public holidays, rising to 31 days after 5 years
• Holiday Purchase Scheme
• Our Professional Development Centre provides access to courses such as in-house management development programmes endorsed by the Institute of Leadership, Apprenticeship Programmes (junior and senior), coaching and mentoring and access to our Smarter Learning portal
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Health Cashplan
• MK Advantage benefits package – a range of savings on a wide range of retail, leisure and entertainment products and services such as Pizza Express, M&S, B&Q, John Lewis and Arriva Travel.
• SmartGo – Aimed at encouraging low-carbon transport and healthy lifestyle with discounted travel e.g. Halfords, Arriva, Europcar, National Railcards and Stagecoach.
• Homebuy Scheme (for eligible roles)
• Smarter working which provides the opportunity to work from various locations including from home for a proportion of your role (subject to business needs)
• A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Paternity entitlements
• Childcare Subsidy

About the Company

Milton Keynes is a diverse, multi cultural, adrenaline packed expanding city with so much to offer on its door step. From beautiful open spaces, a busy theatre district, large shopping centre to a number of cultural and leisure facilities.