Housing assistant

Housing assistants provide support to professionals working in the housing sector. They are often the first point of contact for tenants.

Work activities

Housing assistants provide support to housing officers and other professionals working in the sector. This could include things such as administration and reception duties. The work of a housing assistant can be varied. They might be:

Checking on people who are behind with paying their rent.
Answering clients housing questions by email, over the phone or face to face.
Conducting viewings of properties.
Issuing keys and parking permits to new tenants.
Keeping information up to date – this could include data input.

Housing assistants are often the first point of contact for people using the service and may have to deal with awkward of difficult people. Housing assistants need to keep a check on tenants’ notice periods and try to keep the length of time that properties are empty to a minimum.

Once they are aware that a property will be vacated, they begin arrangements for a new set of tenants to move in. This will involve checking properties and arranging maintenance work.

Being able to read, write and speak Welsh may be an advantage when you’re looking for work in Wales.

Personal qualities and skills

As a housing assistant, you’ll need:

Good listening skills with a sympathetic and helpful manner.
To be able to interview clients from a variety of backgrounds.
Good written and spoken communication skills.
To be a well-organised person able to plan and prioritise your work.
Some mathematical ability as the work involves budgeting and dealing with figures.
IT skills.
A flexible approach to your work.

A number of key skills have been identified by employers in the sector:

Good customer service skills.
An ability to work in teams.
Good management and leadership skills.
The ability to deal with conflict.
The ability to understand government policy in areas related to benefits.
Good communication skills.

Pay and opportunities

According to job site Indeed, the average base salary for a housing assistant is around £21,000. This is based on 824 salaries (December 2023).

Housing assistants work a full-time week, Monday to Friday. Opportunities to work part-time are usually available.

Employers are local authority housing departments, housing associations, private landlords and housing charities. Opportunities for housing assistants occur with employers in towns and cities throughout the UK.

Local authorities are having to make substantial savings in the light of government spending cuts. Some services might be shared between councils. This might mean a freeze on recruitment in most areas.

Where are vacancies advertised? Vacancies are advertised on all the major job boards, on the LG jobs website, and on the Government’s Find a Job service.

Entry routes and training

A great way to enter this role is to begin a level 2 (intermediate) apprenticeship in the role of housing and property management assistant.

You’ll usually need GCSE passes in English and maths for direct entry into this job. Some positions ask for four to five GCSEs at grades 9-4.

Your training will usually involve supervised on-the-job work experience and day-release to college. This can lead to a BTEC National Certificate in public services, or another relevant subject. Some employers may allow you to carry on taking an HNC or foundation degree in housing studies. Courses are available throughout the UK. The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) offers a certificate in Housing at level 2. This is suitable for people not currently working in housing but who are thinking of choosing it as a career.

Experienced assistants with further training can move into housing manager positions. In local authorities, there are structured promotion routes.

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act: Jobs that involve working with children, disabled people and the vulnerable are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This means that you must supply information to an employer about any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings, if they ask you to. This is different from other careers, where you only have to reveal information on unspent convictions if you are asked to.

Qualifications

You’ll usually need some GCSEs, or equivalent, to get into this job. Subjects like English, maths and business studies would be useful.

To do a BTEC National Certificate in a relevant subject, you will usually need four GCSEs at grades 9-4.

If you wish to enter this career through an intermediate apprenticeship, you will need GCSEs in English and maths, although you may be able to complete these alongside your programme.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Skills gained in the public sector, administration, customer service or dealing with the public are useful. Office and keyboard skills are also an advantage for entry. The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) accepts applications for professional training from adults without the normal academic entrance requirements but with relevant experience. This might include voluntary work with tenants groups, housing projects or the homeless, for example. The CIH offers level 3 and 4 qualifications by distance learning.

A range of colleges offer BTEC HNC in Housing Studies. The content of the course is similar to the first years of an undergraduate degree and it may be possible to progress to a full degree after completion.

Related careers

Administrative assistant – Civil Service
Advice centre worker
Homelessness prevention officer
Housing officer
Local government administration assistant