Housing Standards Officer

ELMBRIDGE BOROUGH COUNCIL; Esher; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced DBS check (Adults & Children)

Job summary

Elmbridge Borough Council is seeking a Senior Housing Standards Officer to improve housing conditions across the borough. You will investigate complaints, carry out HHSRS inspections, and determine interventions from guidance to enforcement actions.

You will lead complex cases, prepare legal documentation, and represent the Council in court when required. You will supervise staff and work with partners to raise housing standards in Esher from the Civic Centre.

Qualifications

• Must hold a professional Environmental Health qualification and have broad experience in private sector housing enforcement.
• Strong knowledge of housing legislation, HHSRS and enforcement processes.
• Ability to lead complex investigations and prepare cases for legal proceedings.
• Good literacy and numeracy skills with clear communication.
• Excellent organisation and time management in a busy, client-facing service.
• Customer-focused approach to delivering high-quality housing services.

Responsibilities

• Investigate complaints relating to poor housing conditions and undertake inspections using HHSRS.
• Lead on complex housing cases and prepare legal documentation for enforcement actions.
• Represent the Council in court and tribunal proceedings when required.
• Support delivery of objectives around empty homes, HMOs, caravan site licensing and energy efficiency.
• Supervise and support Housing Standards Officers and provide technical expertise.
• Collaborate with residents, landlords, solicitors and fire safety officers to achieve positive outcomes.

Skills

Environmental Health qualification

Private sector housing enforcement

Housing legislation knowledge

HHSRS knowledge

Investigations leadership

Literacy and numeracy

Organisational skills

Communication

Team collaboration

Customer-focused service

Education

Professional qualification in Environmental Health

Job description

Are you an experienced Environmental Health professional looking to make a real difference to people's lives and supporting people in the community? Elmbridge Borough Council is seeking an enthusiastic and motivated Senior Housing Standards Officer to help improve housing conditions and raise standards across the borough's diverse housing sector. Elmbridge is a thriving and desirable borough with a significant and varied private rented sector. High housing demand and property values create unique challenges for residents, landlords and housing professionals alike. As part of our Housing Standards Team, you will play a key role in ensuring that homes across all tenures are safe, well managed, energy efficient and compliant with legal requirements, helping to protect the health and wellbeing of our residents. Reporting to the Housing Standards Manager, you will investigate complaints relating to poor housing conditions, undertake inspections using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), and determine appropriate interventions ranging from advice and guidance through to formal enforcement action. You will lead on complex housing cases, prepare legal documentation, represent the Council in court and tribunal proceedings when required, and support the delivery of our objectives around empty homes, Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), caravan site licensing and domestic energy efficiency. This is an excellent opportunity for a housing professional who enjoys problem-solving, partnership working and making sound regulatory decisions. You will supervise and support Housing Standards Officers, provide technical expertise across the team, and work closely with residents, landlords, managing agents, solicitors, fire safety officers and other key partners to achieve positive outcomes. Working for Elmbridge offers the opportunity to deal with a wide variety of challenging and rewarding cases in one of the most sought-after areas in the South East. Whether tackling housing hazards, bringing empty properties back into use, improving standards in the private rented sector or promoting energy efficiency, your work will have a direct impact on the quality of life of local residents and support the Council's wider housing objectives.

• You will hold a professional qualification in Environmental Health.
• You will have substantial experience of private sector housing enforcement and housing standards work.
• You will possess strong knowledge of housing legislation, HHSRS and enforcement processes.
• You will be confident leading complex investigations and preparing cases for legal proceedings.
• You will have basic literacy and numeracy skills.
• You will have excellent organisational, communication and time management skills, be able to navigate and work effectively in a busy, client facing service.
• You will be customer-focused and committed to delivering high-quality services for residents, helping to make a difference for our residents
• You will enjoy working collaboratively and supporting the development of colleagues and enjoy being part of a team.
• You will be based at the Civic Centre in Esher.

An Enhanced DBS check covering both adults and children will be required for this role.

Help us improve housing standards, protect residents and make a lasting difference in Elmbridge. We look forward to hearing from you.

From April 2027, Elmbridge will become part of the new East Surrey Council. As we work towards that time, our focus remains firmly on delivering high quality services to our residents. We understand that this period of transition may bring uncertainty, particularly around future working arrangements such as office locations. Please be assured that we are committed to supporting all our employees throughout this process, prioritising wellbeing, continuous learning and professional development. While we cannot predict exactly what lies beyond 2027, we can confidently say that your time at Elmbridge Borough Council will be both rewarding and enriching. You will gain valuable experience, benefit from extensive training opportunities and be involved in one of the most significant transformations in local government in the past 50 years.

About us

We know we ask a lot, but the good news is that we give a lot too. Learning and development: We will support you on that journey by creating a bespoke learning and development plan for you. You will meet people in the team who have completed Masters, been promoted within the team and have taken on other professional qualifications. Flexibility: We know hybrid working is here to stay and we will discuss the right mix of home and office for you. Wellbeing: When you thrive Elmbridge thrives, which is why we have developed a strong and varied wellbeing programme for our employees. The package: Not forgetting our excellent pension and 'Thrive' package of employee benefits and discounts with various local businesses. There is also free employee parking.

What else? We encourage you to read more on us and if you have any queries please give us a call. Here are some reading options to help you with your decision making.