Job Description

Rent & Service Charge Accountant - East Surrey Housing AssociationHybrid working - ACCA/ACA/CIMA qualified accountantAbout Our ClientI am working with a leading Surrey based Housing Association assisting them recruit a Rent & Service Charge Accountant on a permanent basis.Job DescriptionThe post holder will work collaboratively as part of the Financial Control Team to deliver a quality service for Customers, Budget Holders and Service Managers.The role ensures compliance with regulatory requirements (including the Regulator of Social Housing), accounting standards (FRS 102), and internal controls, while supporting operational teams, auditors and residents with clear, accurate financial information.Rent Setting · Lead on the annual review of rent setting and service charges in line with sector standards ensuring compliance with government rent policies and internal approvals Recommend annual changes to the rent and service charges made· To lead on the financial calculation and production of annual rent changes· Lead on the setting of rents for new developments· Lead on organisation's rent convergence project· Be the organisation's finance expert in the Rent Standard and Rent and Service Charge legislationService Charges · Responsible for producing the annual variable service charge estimates for rented properties· Responsible for the annual reconciliation of the actuals for the variable service charges and the calculation of the year-end adjustment for tenants· Lead on the year end audit of the year-end actuals· Work closely with housing, estates and property teams to ensure service charge costs are accurately allocated.· Lead on the setting of service charges for new developments as they are completed· Ensure the services provided to each block are accurately captured across all tenures· Annually review service charge estimates for the following April, liaising with service delivery teams to cost service charges· Annually produce the actual service charge costs for all leaseholders and shared owners· Understanding how leases work, how the organisation charges and recharges and if policy isn't followed at any point, what the implications are· Liaise with Home Ownership Team ensuring major works schemes are recharged to homeowners, and appropriate notice periods are observedFinancial Analysis & Modelling · Assist the Business Partner (Customer Experience) with the annual rent and service charge budget setting· Analysing trends and delving into the expenditure over the past year, cross referencing to allocated budgets.· Monthly analysis of service charge costs and the regular setting of new service charges; to assist budget holders with recovery Systems and controls· Review and improve rent and service charge accounting processes and controls.· Support system upgrades, testing and data validation relating to rent and service charge modules.Stakeholder engagement· Provide clear explanations of financial information to non-finance colleagues and residents when required. · Assist in training operational teams on rent and service charge finance processes.Regulatory Returns Lead in the annual production of the SDR