Accountant – Rents & Service Charges

Accountant – Rents & Service Charges Organisation: Housing Plus Group Salary: £49,200 per annum Location: Telford / hybrid working, with a minimum of one day per week in the office Working pattern: 36 hours per week Closing date: Friday 6th November 2026 Final interviews: Friday 20th November 2026 Housing Plus Group is seeking to appoint an Accountant – Rents & Service Charges as part of a wider campaign to recruit six key roles into its Finance function. These appointments form part of a newly structured finance model and are being made at an important time for the organisation, following organisational change and the creation of a broader, strengthened group structure. This role is one of several new appointments being recruited in phase one of the campaign. The post is important because it supports one of the most technically sensitive and customer-facing areas of housing finance and helps ensure the organisation has the financial expertise, systems and controls required to support customers, colleagues and communities. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced finance professional with a strong background in rent and service charge management to take on a visible and influential role within one of the largest housing providers in the West Midlands. The role offers the opportunity to develop technical expertise, lead a small team and contribute directly to regulatory compliance, customer transparency and financial resilience. The successful candidate will support the Finance Manager – Rents & Service Charges and will help ensure that rent and service charge processes are accurate, compliant and transparent. This will include supporting the rent setting process, service charge cycle, data integrity, audit activity, customer communication and continuous improvement. About Housing Plus Group Housing Plus Group is a major housing provider operating across Shropshire, Staffordshire and Telford & Wrekin. Following the merger of The Wrekin Housing Group and Housing Plus Group in January 2025, the new group became one of the largest social housing providers in the West Midlands, with around 33,000 homes and a significant regional presence. The organisation brings together two established housing providers with a shared commitment to improving homes, services and outcomes for customers. Its priorities include listening to customers, improving services, investing in existing homes, growing capacity to build more social homes, remaining connected to local communities and providing more opportunities for colleagues. Housing Plus Group provides good quality, affordable homes for rent and shared ownership, delivers repairs, maintenance and planned improvements, provides care and support services, invests in communities and works in partnership to build new homes and create opportunities.

The Role

Reporting to the Finance Manager – Rents & Service Charges, the Accountant – Rents & Service Charges will support the delivery of accurate, compliant and transparent rent and service charge management, while providing financial insight, operational support and effective leadership across the wider team. This role is focused on supporting accurate rent and service charge management, legislative compliance, customer transparency, audit readiness, data quality, cost allocation and team development. Key Areas of Responsibility Will Include

• Supporting the Finance Manager – Rents & Service Charges in delivering the end-to-end service charge cycle, including budgeting, setting, billing, reconciliation and year-end statements across the Group.
• Supporting the rent setting process and helping ensure compliance with the Rent Standard and relevant legislation.
• Helping ensure all rents and service charges are accurate and fully compliant with statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Working collaboratively with Finance, ICT and operational colleagues to maintain and enhance the accuracy of rent and service charge data within the housing management system.
• Making an active contribution to the annual rent letter distribution process and the production of service charge estimates and year-end certificates.
• Supporting internal and external audit processes relating to rents and service charges, including the timely provision of evidence and responses.
• Supporting communication and engagement with internal and external stakeholders.
• Working cross-functionally with Housing, Asset Management and Development teams to ensure cost capture is accurate, complete and reflective of services delivered in respect of service charges.
• Supporting clear, accessible and timely communication to residents regarding service charge composition, changes and variances.
• Supporting responses to resident complaints, tribunal cases and audit queries.
• Supporting continuous improvement in systems, processes and data quality to enhance accuracy, efficiency and value for money.
• Managing and developing a small team of Assistant Accountants, ensuring high performance, accuracy and continuous improvement. This is a role for someone who enjoys working in a technically detailed and customer-facing area of housing finance. It will suit someone who can combine financial expertise, regulatory awareness, strong data skills and a clear commitment to customer transparency.

About You

We are looking for candidates who can bring strong technical financial expertise, excellent attention to detail and a collaborative approach. You Will Need to Demonstrate

• Professional qualifications - actively studying towards a recognised professional accounting qualification (for example, ACA, CIMA, ACCA) or a minimum of three years in a senior finance role and AAT qualified. (Essential)
• A minimum of two years’ experience working within a rent and service charge setting environment would be highly desirable.
• A detailed understanding of relevant legislation, including the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 and associated service charge consultation requirements, would be highly desirable.
• Familiarity with the Regulator of Social Housing Rent Standard Guidance would be highly desirable.
• Technical financial expertise and advanced Excel skills.
• Excellent awareness of designing and implementing financial controls.
• Experience of managing teams would be desirable.
• Experience of working with IT teams to design and implement effective financial processes and automation would be desirable.
• The ability to work independently and to tight deadlines.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to explain complex information in a clear and accessible way.
• A commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. Why Join Housing Plus Group? This is a significant opportunity to help strengthen customer confidence, regulatory compliance and financial resilience through the effective management of rent and service charge processes across Housing Plus Group. You will be joining Housing Plus Group at a time of integration, transformation and growth, with the opportunity to contribute to a Finance function that supports customers, colleagues and communities across the region. The Role Offers Salary of £49,200 per annum. 36-hour working week. Hybrid working, with a minimum of one day per week in the Telford office. Up to 31 days’ annual leave, dependent on service. Enhanced pension contribution opportunities through the Scottish Widows pension scheme, with a maximum employer contribution of up to 14%. Giving Back Days. Employee assistance programme. The opportunity to play a key role in ensuring rent and service charge processes are accurate, compliant, transparent and trusted by customers. How to Apply To apply, please submit a comprehensive CV and a one-page supporting statement outlining your motivation for applying, how your experience aligns with the requirements of the role, and the value you would bring to Housing Plus Group. For an informal and confidential discussion, please contact John Lavictoire John Lavictoire is leading this campaign on behalf of Housing Plus Group and would be pleased to discuss the role, expectations and process in more detail. Housing Plus Group is committed to creating an inclusive working environment where colleagues are valued, supported and able to contribute fully. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. We believe that a diverse workforce strengthens decision-making, encourages innovation and helps us better reflect and serve the communities in which we work. We are committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment process and we actively encourage applications from individuals who are currently underrepresented across our profession and sector. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know and we will be pleased to discuss how we can support you