Job Title: Branch Manager – Professional House Share & Corporate Lets (Bolton, Walkden & Salford)
Department: Mistoria House Share – Professional HMO, Bedsit and Corporate Lettings
Entity: Mistoria House Share Ltd, part of The Mistoria Group
Reporting to:
Direct Reports: Assistant Branch Manager, Lettings & Property Managers, Lettings Negotiators, Maintenance Staff
Role Summary:
The Branch Manager – Professional House Share & Corporate Lets is a senior leadership role accountable for the performance of the Bolton, Walkden and Salford operation and a portfolio of approximately 250 tenancies, covering professional house shares, bedsit and non-self-contained HMO units, studios, and corporate and contractor lets. The role involves working closely with the Chief Executive Officer, driving occupancy, rental performance, portfolio growth and full regulatory compliance across a fast-moving, year-round letting operation with no academic season to fall back on.
The ideal candidate is commercially driven, compliance-focused, and experienced in HMO and corporate lettings management, with a strong understanding of bills-inclusive letting economics, tenant relations, and current lettings legislation.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Professional House Share, Bedsit & HMO Lettings
- Own the end-to-end letting cycle for approximately 250 tenancies across Bolton, Walkden and Salford, re-marketing every room immediately on notice to minimise voids.
- Manage individual room lets, non-self-contained bedsit units, studios and whole-property lets, applying the correct tenancy structure to each.
- Oversee applications, ID and Right to Rent checks, affordability referencing, guarantor arrangements and deposit handling in line with Group controlled procedures.
- Apply the post-Renters’ Rights Act 2025 framework correctly, using only the Group’s controlled Assured Periodic Tenancy templates.
2. Corporate Lets, Contractor & Relocation Business
- Develop corporate and contractor letting income by building direct relationships with employers, contractors, relocation agents and serviced accommodation operators.
- Ensure all corporate let documentation is Legal and Compliance-approved before issue, and escalate any unclear company-let arrangement to the Legal and Compliance Manager.
- Apply a documented risk assessment before entering any corporate, contractor or rent-to-rent arrangement.
- Maintain a live schedule of corporate and rent-to-rent contracts and report it monthly to the CEO and Finance Director.
3. Marketing, Occupancy & Enquiry Conversion
- Sustain a minimum of 97% occupancy across the managed portfolio, minimising void periods.
- Ensure every room is marketed on Rightmove, SpareRoom, Zoopla and the Mistoria House Share website within 48 hours of becoming available, with high-quality photography and floorplans.
- Ensure every enquiry is responded to within one working day and monitor conversion from enquiry to viewing to signed tenancy.
- Achieve and sustain market or above-market rents, applying the Section 13 rent increase process correctly.
4. Bills-Inclusive Utilities & Council Tax Control
- Take direct responsibility for the profitability of bills-inclusive lettings, setting and reviewing inclusive rents against actual consumption.
- Operate the Group’s bills-inclusive utilities procedure, including accurate meter readings, correct account set-up and void liability identification.
- Manage council tax exposure across the portfolio, claiming all exemptions and discounts and challenging incorrect banding.
- Report utility and council tax cost against inclusive rent income monthly.
5. Void, Arrears & Inspection Control
- Maintain and review a live void schedule daily, reporting it weekly to the CEO.
- Monitor rent arrears daily and manage them through the Group’s staged arrears process, escalating to Legal and Compliance before any possession action.
- Inspect every property at least once every two months, recording each inspection with dated photographic evidence.
- Apply the elevated inspection discipline required for bedsit and non-self-contained accommodation, including fire safety checks.
6. Compliance & Regulatory Standards
- Maintain full compliance across HMO, additional and selective licensing, planning and Article 4 position, gas, electrical, EPC/MEES and fire safety.
- Ensure no property, room or unit is marketed or let unless the property file supports that decision.
- Operate in accordance with the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, Awaab’s Law, the HHSRS and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.
- Conduct regular property audits and enforce accuracy of documentation and system records (Concurrent, PayProp, TouchRight).
7. Growth, Leadership & CEO Reporting
- Identify opportunities for landlord acquisition, corporate client development and portfolio growth, targeting a minimum 10% net increase in managed units per financial year.
- Lead, manage and develop the branch and lettings teams across Bolton, Walkden and Salford, implementing training, KPIs and appraisal frameworks.
- Deliver a service standard resulting in no unresolved complaints escalating to The Property Ombudsman.
- Provide a formal weekly report to the CEO covering occupancy, rental performance, marketing, arrears, inspections, compliance, staff performance and growth KPIs.
Job Specification:
Education & Experience:
- Proven experience managing a professional house share, HMO or lettings portfolio at branch or senior level.
- Strong track record of business development, landlord acquisition and corporate client development.
- Experience managing corporate, contractor and rent-to-rent letting arrangements.
Technical Skills:
- Confident use of Concurrent, PayProp, TouchRight, Rightmove, SpareRoom and Zoopla, or directly comparable platforms.
- Working knowledge of AI tools (e.g. Claude, ChatGPT) for reporting, KPI dashboards and process automation.
- Thorough working knowledge of HMO licensing, planning/Article 4, tenancy law and the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 framework.
Personal Attributes:
- Results-focused, with strong commercial acumen and attention to detail.
- Resilient and adaptable, able to lead a team in a fast-paced, changing environment.
- Proactive and strategic, with sound judgement on when to escalate a legal, licensing or contractual question.
- Strong leadership, negotiation and relationship-management skills.
Liaison Relationships:
Internal:
- Chief Executive Officer – Daily contact on occupancy, marketing and conversion; formal weekly reporting.
- Finance Director – Reporting on corporate/rent-to-rent contract position and corporate credit control.
- Legal & Compliance Manager – Escalation of possession, licensing, corporate let and tenancy queries.
- Head of Renovations and RFM – Coordinating refurbishment and reconfiguration to lift rent, unit count or letting speed.
- Branch team (Assistant Branch Manager, Lettings & Property Managers, Lettings Negotiators, Maintenance Staff) – Day-to-day leadership and performance management.
External:
- Landlords – Property performance, compliance and growth.
- Tenants – Tenancy management, complaints and renewals.
- Corporate clients & relocation agents – Business development and account management.
- Local councils & compliance inspectors – HMO licensing, planning and inspection compliance.
Performance Indicators & Targets:
- Occupancy: Minimum 97% sustained across the managed portfolio; voids re-let within 21 days.
- Rental Performance: Market rent or above achieved on 95%+ of properties, rooms and units.
- Enquiry Conversion: Every enquiry responded to within one working day; conversion tracked weekly.
- Bills-Inclusive Margin: No property carried at a negative inclusive margin without an approved action plan.
- Property Inspections: 100% of properties inspected at least every two months, with dated photographic evidence.
- Rent Arrears: Arrears held within agreed tolerance; staged arrears process evidenced on every case.
- Portfolio Growth: Minimum 10% net increase in landlord acquisition and property onboarding per financial year.
- Compliance: Zero avoidable breaches across safety, legal, planning and licensing obligations.
- Complaints: No unresolved landlord, tenant or corporate client complaints on a rolling six-month basis.
Disclaimer
This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the responsibilities and requirements for the position. It is not a comprehensive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the job. The duties and responsibilities of this role may change without prior notice, and the company reserves the right to modify or assign other duties as necessary to meet business requirements.
Pay: Up to £32,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company car
- Company pension
- Free or subsidised travel
- Free parking
- Sick pay
Experience:
- Professional House Share & Corporate Lets : 2 years (required)
- corporate, contractor and rent-to-rent letting : 3 years (required)
Licence/Certification:
- Driving Licence (required)
Work Location: In person
