Rent & Service Charge Accountant

South Lakes Housing; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Hybrid working

25 days annual leave

Job summary

South Manchester is recruiting a Rent and Service Charge Accountant to manage service charge processes, rent transactions and management information across tenures, with hybrid working. You will deliver accurate statements, budgets and monthly management accounts, explaining financial information to residents and collaborating across teams to improve customer experience.

The role requires at least three years in a finance role, strong Excel skills and excellent communication to support service

Qualifications

• Knowledge of social housing rent regulations and service charge administration.
• Experience preparing service charge budgets and management accounts.
• At least three years’ experience within a general finance role.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills.
• Clear verbal communication skills and the ability to build effective working relationships.
• Ability to organise your workload and meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Assist with annual service charge statements, year-end reconciliations and sinking fund calculations.
• Support annual rent increases and rent-free week processes, including system updates and procedure notes.
• Help prepare annual rent and service charge budgets.
• Produce monthly management accounts and financial performance information for service charges.
• Report expenditure against budget and work with budget holders to monitor forecast outturns.
• Investigate and respond to service charge enquiries and complaints within agreed timescales.
• Prepare information in response to Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requests.
• Explain service charge calculations at resident meetings and forums when required.
• Maintain knowledge of rent and service charge legislation, including leasehold/shared ownership.
• Provide cover for rent transaction processing, including receipts, adjustments, journals and reconciliations.
• Reconcile general ledger control accounts with rent arrears balances.
• Support the preparation of rental collection performance measures.
• Identify opportunities to improve finance processes and the customer experience.

Skills

Analytical skills

Verbal communication

Time management

Prioritisation

Microsoft Excel

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Rent and Service Charge Accountant | South Manchester / Hybrid | £47,000 p.a. | 35 Hour pw

We are recruiting a Rent and Service Charge Accountant for a housing provider. This varied role combines service charge accounting, rent transactions, management information and resident-facing support.

The Role

You will help deliver accurate rent and service charge processes across different tenures, including leasehold and shared ownership. You will also work with colleagues across the organisation to improve processes, explain financial information and support a good customer experience.

Key responsibilities:

• Assist with annual service charge statements, year-end reconciliations and sinking fund calculations.
• Support annual rent increases and rent-free week processes, including system updates and procedure notes.
• Help prepare annual rent and service charge budgets.
• Produce monthly management accounts and financial performance information for service charges.
• Report expenditure against budget and work with budget holders to monitor forecast outturns.
• Investigate and respond to service charge enquiries and complaints within agreed timescales.
• Prepare information in response to relevant Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requests.
• Explain service charge calculations at resident meetings and forums when required.
• Maintain current knowledge of rent and service charge legislation, including leasehold and shared ownership requirements.
• Provide cover for rent transaction processing, including receipts, account adjustments, journals and reconciliations.
• Reconcile general ledger control accounts with rent arrears balances.
• Support the preparation of rental collection performance measures.
• Identify opportunities to improve finance processes and the customer experience.

Essential requirements:

• Knowledge of social housing rent regulations and service charge administration.
• Experience preparing service charge budgets and management accounts.
• At least three years’ experience within a general finance role.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills
• Clear verbal communication skills and the ability to build effective working relationships.
• The ability to organise your workload, manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.

Benefits:

• Pension scheme with matched contributions and the option to increase your contribution
• Flexible and hybrid working
• 25 days’ annual leave, rising to 30 days