Rent and Service Charge Accountant

Rent and Service Charge Accountant

Join to apply for the Rent and Service Charge Accountant role at First Choice Homes Oldham

First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) have a fantastic opportunity for a Rent and Service Charge Accountant to join our Finance team and play a key role in delivering accurate, transparent and compliant financial information that supports strong decision‑making across the organisation.

Location: Oldham (Hybrid – 37 hours per week)

Reporting to: Finance Business Partner – Revenue & Service Charges

Responsible for: Rent & Service Charge Assistant

Contract: Permanent

Improving lives in Oldham

In this role, you will ensure the delivery of accurate, compliant and timely rent and service charge accounting across FCHO. You’ll lead key areas of annual budget‑setting, financial reporting and reconciliation, while continuously improving our systems, processes and controls.

Working alongside colleagues in Finance, Income, Home Ownership, Housing, Development and ICT, you’ll help ensure we maintain robust financial integrity and deliver excellent services to customers.

• Lead the annual budget process for rents, service charges and sinking funds, ensuring compliance with Government Rent Policy and the Regulator’s Rent Standard.
• Produce accurate annual rent and service charge calculations, ensuring alignment with tenancy agreements, leases and best practice.
• Oversee the timely upload of all rent and service charge data into relevant systems.
• Calculate leaseholder actuals and address surpluses/deficits as part of the year‑end process.
• Produce monthly management accounts under the supervision of the Finance Business Partner (Revenue), ensuring strong controls and audit trails.
• Report on rental performance, variances, shops, garages and bad debt provision.
• Maintain and reconcile rent ledgers, ensuring data integrity across Finance and Housing Management systems.
• Support development and testing of rent and service charge systems and interfaces, enhancing reporting and controls.
• Build strong working relationships across the business, providing advice and training to colleagues on rent and service charge processes.
• Ensure compliance with financial and audit controls, including reconciliations and validation of system data.
• Respond to service charge queries and complaints, delivering timely and accurate resolutions.
• Undertake site visits to support complaint resolution and ensure data accuracy.
• Lead on setting service charges for new developments and support tariff calculations for district heating systems.
• Support ongoing review of service charge strategy and process improvement.
• Provide guidance, support and development to the Rent & Service Charge Assistant.
• Prepare annual budgets and forecasts for rental income, including shops, garages, leaseholders and void loss.
• Analyse stock data for financial statements and regulatory reporting, including the SDR.
• Support year‑end rental and leaseholder accounts and external audit requirements.
• Contribute to the delivery of excellent financial and management accounting across FCHO.

You will be analytical, detail‑oriented and confident working with large data sets, with the ability to explain financial information clearly to a range of audiences. You’ll enjoy improving processes, ensuring compliance and delivering high‑quality financial insight.

• AAT Level 4 qualification or equivalent experience / part‑qualified or qualified by experience (ACCA/CIMA).
• Experience in rent or service charge accounting or a similar financial role.
• Strong understanding of financial controls, reconciliations and auditing principles.
• Excellent analytical skills with strong Excel capability.
• Experience working with financial or housing management systems.

First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) is a housing association providing safe, affordable, and high‑quality homes across Oldham and the surrounding areas. We own and manage over 11,500 properties and have the highest regulatory (G1/V1) Governance rating. Every day, we’re proud to make a real difference in our communities.

Our work is guided by our Big Plan, focused on providing homes we’re proud of, supporting people to thrive,…