Housing Disrepair Officer

Job Title: Housing Disrepair Officer
Location: Bedfordshire

We are seeking a Housing Disrepair Officer to manage a caseload of social housing disrepair claims from initial letter of claim through to resolution. This role involves ensuring compliance with legal protocols, coordinating repairs, and maintaining detailed case records while delivering a high standard of service to tenants and leaseholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage disrepair claims from initial letter of claim through to settlement or court proceedings, ensuring compliance with the Pre-Action Protocol for Legal Claims, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, and Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.
• Prepare and maintain key documents, including Letters of Claim, Letters of Response, Part 35 schedules, case summaries, disclosures, and submissions for the legal team.
• Review settlement offers, assess cost and risk, and work with legal advisors to develop negotiation strategies.
• Arrange and oversee expert inspections, including pre- and post-inspections, cost estimates, and defect analyses.
• Schedule inspections, define repair scopes, agree variations, and monitor contractor performance to ensure timely, high-quality repairs.
• Liaise with solicitors, legal teams, external counsel, tenants, leaseholders, and third parties to communicate progress and resolve queries.
• Maintain detailed case records, update internal tracking systems, and report on settlement values, case durations, KPIs, and budget performance.
• Identify trends in disrepair claims and contribute to service improvements to reduce liability and enhance customer outcomes.
• Support the development of internal disrepair protocols based on lessons learned from complaints and settlements.

Skills and Experience

• Experience managing social housing disrepair claims or similar legal casework.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation, including the Pre-Action Protocol for Legal Claims, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, and Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.
• Strong organisational, communication, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to coordinate repairs, procure contractor services, and monitor compliance.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to assess risks, costs, and trends in disrepair claims.

If this sounds suitable for you, or someone you know, please send an updated CV to Sean Cloherty at Elevate Projects so we can discuss further.