Home Ownership Officer (Collections

Organisation

London Borough of Waltham Forest

SO2 £ 40,182-£42,060

Full-time/Permanent

36

24/08/2026

TBC

Bursting with culture, energy, and opportunity, the London Borough of Waltham Forest is a fantastic and exciting place to work.

We are a highly ambitious borough. Driven by culture and the innate creativity of our residents, we have developed new and innovative ways to build our communities. Our Council is relentlessly resident-focused, insight-led, digitally driven and commercially minded; a Council focused on meeting the needs of our existing and future residents.

London Borough of Waltham Forest is one of the Mayor of London's Good Work Standard employers. This accreditation is a proof of our commitment to creating a healthy, fair and inclusive workplace. This includes fair pay and conditions, workplace well-being, skills and progression and diversity and recruitment.

The Council's preference is for online application. However, if you have a disability and are unable to complete an online application, please email recr so we can arrange an alternative application method.

This is a front-line position supporting leaseholders and shared owners by ensuring the effective collection of rent, service charges, major works costs and other homeowner income. You'll handle complex financial queries, resolve disputes, and provide clear, accessible advice on payments, and lease terms.

The role combines strong customer engagement with detailed financial work, requiring accuracy, confidence and the ability to explain complex information in plain English. You'll help maintain the Housing Revenue Account's financial health, work closely with internal teams, and represent the Council in formal settings such as the First-tier Tribunal or County Court. This is a fast-paced, varied role where your expertise directly supports residents and contributes to high-quality housing services.

• Maximise collection of rent, service charges, major works costs and other homeowner income to support the Housing Revenue Account.
• Manage complex financial disputes and enquiries relating to service charges and major works.
• Make accurate financial adjustments to homeowner accounts, including credits, debits, refunds and write-offs, in line with policy and regulations.
• Provide clear, accessible advice to leaseholders and shared owners on payments, welfare benefits, money management and lease obligations.
• Produce one-off invoices for charges recoverable under the lease.
• Monitor, identify and recover arrears, offering tailored debt advice and support where needed.
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date records across all relevant databases and systems.
• Work collaboratively with Finance and other teams to ensure charges reflect actual costs and comply with legislation.
• Represent the Council in formal settings such as the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) and County Court.
• Keep up to date with legislation, regulations and best practice relating to leasehold management and income recovery.
• Build strong working relationships with residents, colleagues and external partners, handling challenging situations with confidence and diplomacy.

• Strong knowledge of leases, service charges, major works processes and key leasehold legislation, particularly Sections 18-30 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985.
• Experience in income recovery, arrears management and resolving complex financial disputes.
• Practical understanding of welfare benefits, welfare reform and debt advice.
• Proven ability to work to strict deadlines, manage a busy caseload and maintain excellent attention to detail.
• Confident in carrying out complex financial calculations, including service charges, arrears arrangements and major works billing.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex information clearly and in plain English.
• Strong negotiation, influencing and customer-handling skills, including managing challenging conversations.
• Good IT skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel and the ability…