Local Housing Allowance (LHA)
Your enquiries: getting help, advice and guidance
Please note: our Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit advice service is relocating on Thursday 9 October 2008. If you have any queries about your benefit claim please visit us at Burnt Oak Library or the surgeries around the borough.
What is Local Housing Allowance?
LHA is Housing Benefit for people on benefits or low incomes who rent from private landlords. LHA is based on the number of rooms people are allowed, not how much the rent is. The number of rooms allowed depends on who lives with the tenant. If the LHA rate for a property is more than the rent charged, the tenant can keep the difference up to £15.00 per week. There are different LHA rates for each size of property and the area in which you live
Who will be affected?
Anyone who rents from a private landlord and makes a new claim, has a break in their claim or changes address after 7 April 2008
I am a tenant – how much LHA will I get?
The amount of LHA you will get depends on:
- the area you live in
- who lives with you
- what money you have coming in
- what savings you have.
Which landlords will be affected by Local Housing Allowance?
LHA affects any landlord who enters into a deregulated private tenancy agreement with a person who after 7 April 2008 makes a new claim for Housing Benefit or changes address or has a break in their claim. A deregulated tenancy is one that started after January 1989.
Who will not be affected by Local Housing Allowance?
The new rules will not apply to:
- those entitled to benefit before 7 April 2008
- Local Authority tenants
- tenants of registered social landlords (Housing Associations)
- tenants who have a registered or 'fair' rent
- tenancies which start before January 1989
- protected cases such as supported housing provided by social landlords, charities or voluntary organizations, who also provide care, support or supervision
- where the landlord provides meals
- tenancies in caravans, houseboats or hostels
How will LHA be paid?
LHA is paid into a bank account. It is normally paid to the tenant unless the tenant is considered vulnerable or the tenant is more than eight weeks in arrears. You can find out more about who we would consider vulnerable by looking at our safeguard policy
You can find out more about Local Housing Allowance from the Rent Officer Service and the Department of Work and Pensions in the useful links section.
