Is a housing officer the person to deal with disputes among neighbours? I’ve heard something on those lines but I though you basically dealt with maintenance issues.

There are no specific qualifications required to be a Housing Officer, but it is necessary to have A levels for some job placements. Good backgrounds for this area are degrees in town planning, urban studies, social policy, and housing. These courses last three or four years and require five GCSE’s/S grades (A-C/1-3) and two A levels/three H grades as a minimum.

There are training schemes at jobs and external studies like the CIH professional qualification including CIH Level 2, 3, 4, and Professional Diploma in Housing.

Housing Officers are required to maintain and manage rented properties of a specific area that belong to housing associations or local authorities. They also need to do several administrative duties such as writing reports and keeping records. There are specific areas where these officers can specialise, including housing finance, welfare benefits, and neighbourhood management.

A Housing Officer usually performs many of the following tasks:
• Dealing with neighbourhood disturbances.
• Ensuring rent paying by tenants.
• Managing expectations and enquires of residents.
• Organising property repairs.
• Interviewing house applicants.

• Having IT skills.
• Having competent communication abilities.
• Having budgeting knowledge.
• Being proactive.
• Being able to deal with people from different backgrounds.
• Being able to work under pressure.
• Having good negotiation skills.
• Having problem solving abilities.
• Being tactful.
• Having strong organisational skills.