Housing officer
Find a home for people who want to rent a house from a council or housing association. Look after properties and support the tenants.
About the job
What it's like
You would find a home for people who want to rent a house from a council or housing association.
You would usually be responsible for a particular housing estate or group of properties owned by the council or housing association. You’d regularly inspect the houses and organise repairs if necessary.
You’d help people with advice on their finances, if necessary, and encourage tenants to take part in tenancy groups that help shape the community in which they live. You would meet lots of people from different cultures and backgrounds.
You would:
Assess the needs of people applying for a house
Allocate the empty properties
Do regular inspections to make sure all properties are in a good state of repair
Refer tenants to appropriate sources of advice about benefits and welfare
Set the rents and deal with payments and arrears
Prevent and resolve anti-social behaviour and broken tenancy agreements
Arrange for legal action where necessary
Gather statistical information and prepare reports
Attend tenants' meetings
You would work closely with other organisations like local government social services and welfare rights organisations.
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- problem solving
- resourceful
- empathising
- building relationships
- cooperating
- verbal communication
- developing a plan
- time management
- negotiating
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Administration and Information Technology
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Business
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Care
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Sociology
There are no formal qualifications required to enter this work but some employers may ask for qualifications at SCQF levels 4 to 6.
There is a Modern Apprenticeship in Housing (SCQF level 5 - 6/7).
Many housing organisations offer graduate trainee schemes; a degree in property management, social policy or public administration would be helpful.
There are a number of diploma, degree and MSc postgraduate courses that are partially or fully recognised by Chartered Institue of Housing (CIH) and would support CIH Chartered Membership.
For entry to a degree (SCQF level 10) you usually need National 5 qualifications and three to five Highers. Some universities ask for qualifications to be gained in one sitting.
You can also enter a degree with a relevant Higher National Certificate (SCQF level 7) or Higher National Diploma (SCQF level 8). With Advanced Highers, HNC or HND qualification you may enter the second or third year of some degree courses.
With a suitable honours degree and relevant experience you can apply to a masters (SCQF level 11).
Relevant industry qualifications such as Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Certificate or Diploma in Housing Practice, or be willing to work towards qualifications once in a job. CIH Chartered Membership can also be helpful.
To be approved for membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme run by Disclosure Scotland.
You may require a driving licence for some jobs.
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