Job Title: Empty Homes Surveyor
Contract Type: Permanent
Salary: £35,422.68 per annum
Working Hours: 40 hours per week, full time
Working Pattern: Monday to Friday 8-5
Location: Carlisle,Cumbria
If you share our values and are excited about making a significant impact at Riverside, please ensure you attach a current CV and covering letter. At Riverside we recruit to potential not just on skills and experience, so we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the essential criteria on the job description.
The difference you will make as a Empty Homes Surveyor
You will play a vital role in ensuring Riverside homes are safe, compliant, and ready for occupation. You’ll identify repair works required to meet statutory and regulatory standards, determine associated costs and timescales, and carry out quality assurance inspections to ensure all works meet required standards before homes are let.
Keeping our customers safe is our absolute priority, and this role is key to ensuring compliance and quality across empty homes.
About you
We are looking for someone with:
- A proven track record of carrying out inspections and monitoring compliance within a housing or property‑related environment.
- Strong experience in identifying repair works required to meet statutory and regulatory standards and specifying appropriate remedial actions.
- An in‑depth understanding of the National Housing Federation (NHF) Schedule of Rates for Building Works and how to apply this in practice.
- Sound knowledge of the Housing, Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and its application within residential properties.
- Extensive experience within the building industry, ideally within a customer‑focused housing repairs or maintenance setting.
- Working knowledge of asbestos, legionella, building regulations, fire regulations and wider health & safety legislation.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage effectively with customers, contractors and internal stakeholders.
- The ability to provide clear, accurate and supportive advice or signposting, escalating complaints and complex issues through appropriate channels.
- Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and the ability to maintain accurate records to support reporting and analysis.
- A flexible and collaborative approach to work, with the ability to adapt to changing priorities and business requirements.
- A strong commitment to customer safety, quality, compliance, confidentiality and equality of opportunity.
Why Riverside?
At Riverside, we’re a housing association with a difference – enhancing the everyday for all our customers. For 90 years, we’ve been revitalising neighbourhoods and supporting communities by providing the homes they need to live full, fulfilling and rewarding lives.
We have a portfolio of over 75,000 affordable residential and retirement homes across the UK. Our work ranges from homelessness services to social care, employment support to retirement living, and we need the best people on board to help us.
Working with us, you’ll enjoy:
- Competitive pay & generous pension
- 25 days holidays plus bank holidays
- Flexible working options available
- Investment in your learning, personal development and technology
- A wide range of benefits
Diversity and Inclusion at Riverside:
We are inclusive. At Riverside, we value diversity in all its forms. We foster a workplace where all individuals are respected, empowered, and heard. Our commitment to inclusivity drives our success and enriches the lives of our customers and colleagues.
Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment.
Role Profile
The role is to survey empty properties, identifying repair and investment works required to ensure homes meet statutory, regulatory, and Riverside’s standards. The postholder will determine costs and timescales for works, monitor quality, manage risk and compliance, and ensure that expenditure is robustly controlled in line with financial procedures.
You will also carry out quality assurance inspections of completed works, ensuring defects or shortfalls are identified and remedied before properties are re‑let.
Role Responsibilities
- Carry out surveys of empty homes to identify repair and compliance works required to meet statutory and regulatory standards.
- Specify works, estimate costs and timescales, and ensure works are planned and delivered effectively.
- Undertake quality assurance inspections of completed works, identifying defects, shortfalls or non‑compliance and ensuring remedial actions are completed.
- Maintain accurate and up‑to‑date records of surveys, inspections and outcomes to support reporting and performance analysis.
- Monitor and manage risk, ensuring health & safety, building regulations, fire safety and compliance requirements are met at all times.
- Ensure full compliance with Housing, Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) requirements and other relevant legislation.
- Manage expenditure effectively, identifying budget requirements and ensuring spending is controlled in line with financial governance procedures.
- Provide clear, accurate and supportive advice to customers, colleagues and stakeholders, escalating complaints and complex issues via agreed channels.
- Work collaboratively with internal teams and external contractors to ensure homes are brought back into use efficiently and to the required standard.
- Ensure all business processes, health & safety policies, and compliance procedures are followed at all times.
- Carry out any other reasonable duties as required by your line manager. Where duties are of a higher level, appropriate training and supervision will be provided.
Other Information
- Work flexibly to meet service delivery requirements
- Adhere to Riverside policies, procedures and values at all times
- Maintain a strong focus on customer service, compliance and data accuracy
- Undertake any other reasonable duties commensurate with the role
Person specification
Essential Knowledge & Experience
- Proven experience carrying out inspections within a housing or property environment.
- Demonstrable experience of monitoring risk and ensuring health & safety compliance.
- In‑depth understanding of the National Housing Federation (NHF) Schedule of Rates for Building Works.
- Strong working knowledge of the Housing, Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
- Extensive experience within the building industry, ideally within a customer‑focused housing repairs or maintenance environment.
- Working knowledge of asbestos, legionella, building regulations, fire regulations, and health & safety legislation.
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to provide clear, accurate advice and signposting.
- Ability to work flexibly as part of a team to meet business requirements.
- Strong organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to maintain accurate records.
Desirable
- A relevant building, maintenance, compliance or facilities management qualification (e.g. HNC in Building or equivalent).
- A relevant health & safety qualification (e.g. IOSH).
- Experience working within social housing.
#TRAD
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: £35,422.68 per year
Work Location: On the road
