Tenancy Sustainment Officer

About Us

Choosing to work at Stef & Philips is about more than just having a job. All members of our team share the same goal: to help improve the lives of vulnerable people around the UK, by delivering safe, suitable homes and vital services for the homeless, backed by investors who care. This people-centred ethos is reflected in our company culture; we prioritise wellbeing, inclusion, and opportunity for all.

Our Journey so Far

Stef & Philips began life in 2006 as a traditional family-run lettings agent, servicing private tenants and landlords in North London. But the UK’s urgent need for good quality social housing had a profound impact on our Founder and CEO, Chris Philippou. In 2012 he acted on that need, and we now operate UK-wide with over 3800 accommodation units, 5500 tenants and counting.

By bringing together private investors, local authorities, charities, and housing associations in a spirit of trust and a shared commitment to improving tenants’ lives, we’ve created a versatile, end-to-end model that delivers fit-for-purpose accommodation and services – a setting where people can begin to thrive again. Our full-service approach is unique. All work is carried out by dedicated in-house teams to ensure reliable, high-quality service.

The process begins with private or institutional investors looking for a positive social impact. Once we’ve helped them to source and acquire the right property, our construction arm remodels and refurbishes it to our exacting quality standards. We also sign a lease with the investor to handle lettings, management, and maintenance, while protecting their capital and yields.

We believe everyone deserves a safe place to call home and right now though the UK’s housing crisis is getting worse, with homelessness forecast to double over the next 25 years. We’re committed to changing that trend, combining profit with purpose.

Our roots as a family business remain at the core of who we are, as do the values that go with it, and our commitment to helping vulnerable people get the housing help they need.

The Role

Support the Head of PRS with the tenancy sustainment within the Private Rental Sector. Providing excellent customer service and support to tenants requiring assistance and guidance.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

• Work alongside the PRS team to deliver outstanding customer service to ensure tenancy sustainability.

• Provide support and advice to tenants with completing Universal Credit / Housing Benefit claim forms, with a client-focused service adhering to company and relevant legislation.

• Monitor and analyze aged debtors, work alongside the PRS Team to minimize future arrears.

• Provide day to day support and advice to tenants which is key to creating long-term and successful tenancies, developing trust and giving them confidence in our ability to manage their property and tenancy.

• Maintain an effective appointment system for the Housing Office Dept, enabling timely visits to tenants to mitigate and minimize breaches of tenancy.

• Develop a comprehensive network of contacts with all relevant agencies e.g. Housing Benefit / Universal Credit.

• Proactively identify and resolve any issues of late rental payments & anti-social behavior etc. as they arise.

• Liaising with maintenance to ensure any works are rectified efficiently.

• Serve Section 8 & 21 to tenants that need to be evicted.

• Ad hoc duties as required.

Skills & Knowledge

• Minimum of 1 year’s tenancy sustainment experience or similar role.

• Knowledge of the government eviction process for Section 8 & Section 21 notices.

• Ability to identify and make assessments in respect of clients related to their housing needs.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate effectively and maintain appropriate professional boundaries.

• Excellent working knowledge of the private rented sector in England, specifically how it provides a housing option for low-income households.

• Ability to prioritise workload and work effectively in a high-pressured environment.

• Close attention to detail.

• A proficiency in the use of MS Office including Outlook, Word, Excel and Sage

• Experience dealing with vulnerable tenants - ideally working for a housing provider, homeless charity, supported housing organisation or local authority.

• Knowledge of Housing Benefit & Universal Credit claims is essential.

• Strong communication skills both written and verbal.

Ideal but not Essential

• Experience with MS PowerPoint

Benefits

• 23 days leave, plus bank holidays

• Additional holiday days for long service – up to 28 days

• Celebration of tenure

  • 3 years £500

  • 5 years £1000

  • 10 years £5000

• Private health insurance with Vitality

• Birthday off

• One well-being day off per year

• Maternity/Paternity Pay

• Pension schemes increase – after 2 years.

• Mental health & wellbeing training through the charity Mind

• Professional Emergency First Aid at work training

• £500 referral scheme for staff who refer a new employee, paid upon passing probation.

• Company payday lunch

• Daily Fresh fruit

Diversity & Inclusion

Stef & Philips is built on acceptance, respect, and inclusion, where everyone feels that they belong and can make a meaningful contribution. We encourage applicants regardless of religion, ethnicity, nationality, disability status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family, or parental status. If you need any assistance or accommodation during the recruitment process, please let us know.

We’d be delighted if you tick off all our boxes, but we also believe it’s just as important we tick all of yours. If you think you have most of what we’re looking for but not everything, go ahead and apply. We’d still love to hear from you!