Rent Service Charge Specialist

Milton-Keynes-Council; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Milton Keynes City Council is seeking a Rent and Service Charge Specialist to join our Finance service. You will lead rent-setting and service-charge accounting for social housing tenants, shared owners and leaseholders, maintaining financial models and ensuring charges are accurate and compliant.

You will work with Housing, Assets, Regeneration and Development teams and support internal and external audits.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience of rent and service-charge accounting within social housing is essential.
• Experience with Section 20 consultation requirements for major works recovery is desirable.
• Strong numerical skills and solid accounting principles knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Lead rent-setting for social housing tenants, shared owners, temporary accommodation and other tenant groups.
• Maintain accurate rent models and keep housing management system up to date.
• Prepare service-charge estimates across all tenures before each service-charge year.
• Complete annual service-charge process with certified statements and reviews of variable charges.
• Manage sinking and reserve funds and support audit work.
• Explain costs clearly to stakeholders to support informed decisions and service improvements.

Skills

Rent accounting

Service charge accounting

Social housing experience

Budget planning

Financial analysis

Governance & reporting

Clear communication

Education

CCAB qualification

Final year CCAB study

Tools

Excel

Housing management system

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Civic Offices, 1 Saxon Gate East, Central Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

Civic Offices, 1 Saxon Gate East, Central Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire

Closing Date:

11/10/2026

Job Category:

Finance

Service Area:

Finance & Resources (HRA)- Revenues & Benefits (HRA)

Package Description

In addition to your salary, we offer a range of benefits including:

• Great holiday benefits - most roles include 28days annual leave every year on top of public (bank) holidays, increasing to 32days after five years.In addition, there is a holiday purchase scheme allowing staff to purchase up to 5 additional days of leave each year.
• Excellent pension - everyone who works for us can join the national Local Government Pension Scheme, widely regarded as one of the best available.
• A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity support.
• Access to an award-winning employee benefits programme that includes a health cash plan, a low-cost bike purchase scheme as well as high street discounts and money off entertainment and travel.
• Salary sacrifice car scheme - eligible employees can lease an electric or low-emission vehicle at a reduced cost through salary sacrifice, subject to National Minimum Wage and other eligibility requirements.
• Blue Light Card - employees working within social care can qualify for an additional range of discounts from national retailers and local businesses.

Roles are either ‘site based’ or ‘home based’.

Site based roles are mainly based at the workplace, with the option to work from home for up to two days a week, depending on service needs.

Home based roles are mainly based at home, with the expectation of attending the workplace up to one day a week.

The working arrangement for each role is set by the manager, based on service requirements.

Job Introduction

We’re recruiting a Rent and Service Charge Specialist to join our Finance service.

You’ll lead our rent-setting and service-charge accounting for social housing tenants, shared owners and leaseholders. You’ll maintain financial models covering current and projected rents and help ensure charges are accurate, transparent and compliant.

This rewarding role will support the delivery of decent, affordable homes and help tenants and leaseholders understand how their charges are calculated.

You’ll work closely with colleagues across Housing, Assets, Regeneration and Development, as well as supporting internal and external audits. You’ll need extensive experience of rent and service-charge accounting within social housing.

This role may be suitable for home working, following an assessment. Home‑based roles require a minimum of one day per week working from the office or site

Interviews for this role will be held on 19th October 2026

At Milton Keynes City Council, we aim to make a difference every day. We’re dedicated, respectful and collaborative. We act as one council, and we work hard to create cleaner, safer and healthier communities while tackling inequalities and supporting people to thrive.

We take pride in our supportive work culture and try to go that extra mile when it comes to investing in our colleagues.

• Lead rent-setting for social housing tenants, shared owners, temporary accommodation and other tenant groups, following government policy, lease agreements and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain accurate rent models covering current and projected rents, and keep the housing management system up to date.
• Prepare service-charge estimates across all tenures and issue accurate information before the start of each service-charge year.
• Complete the annual service-charge process, including certified statements, reviews of variable charges and the identification of surpluses or deficits.
• Manage sinking and reserve funds, support audit work and complete the necessary financial adjustments.
• Work with colleagues and tenant groups to explain costs clearly, support informed decisions and improve services.

Ideal Candidate

• Extensive experience of rent and service-charge accounting within social housing is essential, including experience of Section 20 consultation requirements for major works recovery.
• A qualified accountant with a Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies qualification, or someone in their final year of study, would be desirablebut is not essential.
• Strong numerical skills and a sound understanding of accounting principles will help you produce accurate and reliable work.
• Confident spreadsheet skills are needed to create complex financial models using information from different systems and datasets.
• Experience of budget planning, financial analysis, governance processes and reporting will enable you to advise colleagues effectively.
• Clear communication skills are important, as you’ll explain complex financial information through reports, presentations, training and conversations with people who have different levels of knowledge.
• An inquisitive and constructive approach will help you challenge assumptions, solve problems and improve services in a busy environment.

Full UK Driving Licence and access to a vehicle

To be successful in this role, you’ll need a full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle. If we offer you the role, we’ll ask you to provide evidence of your driving licence and vehicle insurance, including cover for business use. We’re unable to confirm an appointment until these documents are received.

About The Organisation

Milton Keynes City Council is a large, modern and financially stable employer with around 2,500 people working across our eight areas. Together we provide local residents and businesses with a wide range of important round-the-clock services and aim to make our city a better place to live.

We work hard because of the demands placed on us, like protecting children from harm or preventing homelessness. However, working for the city is always rewarding and everyone has the opportunity to make a real difference.

We’re very proud of our diversity and are committed to having a workforce that reflects the community we serve. Whatever your background, you will be welcome here if you share our values of being dedicated, respectful and collaborative.

We offer great training and support and because of the size and scale of the organisation there are always new opportunities to explore when it’s time for a new role.

If you’d like to know more about how we do things and what matters to us, take a look at our short booklet What makes us Milton Keynes City Council.