Housing officer

Career path and progression

With experience and training you could specialise in an area of housing like homelessness, sheltered accommodation or anti-social behaviour. You might also become a senior housing officer or manager.

You could also move into policy development, working on strategies to improve the supply and access to social housing.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

• customer service skills
• administration skills
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• maths skills
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

• pass background checks

Related subjects

Most relevant

• Mathematics - Housing officers work with rent calculations, arrears figures, budgets, and housing data on a daily basis. They prepare reports using statistics and need to be confident with numbers when managing payments and analysing trends across their housing stock.
• English Language - Housing officers write reports, tenancy agreements, and formal letters, and need to communicate clearly with tenants, colleagues, and other agencies. They also assess housing applications and explain complex rules in a way that people can easily understand.
• Business - Housing officers handle administration, manage budgets, and work within organisations like local authorities and housing associations. Understanding how organisations operate, how to manage resources, and how to deliver good customer service is central to the role.
• Sociology - Housing officers deal with issues like homelessness, poverty, anti-social behaviour, and inequality on a daily basis. Understanding how social structures, communities, and disadvantage affect people's lives helps them assess needs and support tenants effectively.

Also relevant

• Law - Housing officers work within a legal framework covering tenancy agreements, eviction procedures, and anti-social behaviour legislation. They need to understand tenants' rights and landlords' obligations, and sometimes deal with breaches of tenancy that have legal consequences.
• Politics - Housing officers often work for local authorities and may move into policy development roles, shaping strategies around social housing supply and access. Understanding how local and national government works helps them navigate the political context of housing decisions.
• Psychology - Housing officers support tenants who may be experiencing stress, mental health difficulties, or challenging life circumstances. Understanding human behaviour and how to communicate with people in difficult situations helps them manage conflicts and provide appropriate support.
• Geography - Housing officers assess housing needs across different areas and consider factors like population change, urban development, and community infrastructure. Understanding how places develop and how location affects people's quality of life is useful when allocating housing and planning services.