Local housing allowance (LHA) is a new way of working out housing benefit for people on low incomes renting from a private landlord. It is a flat rate allowance based on your family size and the location of your property.

Local housing allowance started from 7 April 2008. From this date benefit will usually be paid to you and not to your landlord.

There is no change to the entitlement rules for housing benefit and is still based on your income, savings and proof of rent etc.

The LHA rate will last for one year or unless there is a change in circumstances affecting the number of rooms you need.

Who is affected by LHA?

• if you rent from a private landlord and make a new claim for housing benefit
• if you are already getting housing benefit and move into accommodation rented from a private landlord
• if you rent from a private landlord and you have a break in your housing benefit claim

Who will not be affected by LHA?

• if you rent from a housing association, the council or a hostel
• if your tenancy started before 15 January 1989
• if you rent a caravan, mobile home or houseboat
• if your rent includes substantial board and attendance
• if your rent is protected eg you live in supported accommodation provided by some social landlords or charities

How is LHA worked out?

The amount of LHA you could get depends on:

• who lives with you
• the area you live in
• how much money you have coming in
• what savings you have

In some cases the amount of benefit you are entitled to will be affected by other things. These include:

• how much your rent is
• whether anyone living with you is expected to pay towards your rent

LHA does not depend on the amount of rent you pay. Your LHA rate is based on the area you live in. AVDC will be divided into 4 Broad Rental Market Areas (BRMAs) which are Aylesbury, Milton Keynes, Cherwell Valley and Luton. Follow the download below to find out the Broad Rental Market Area for your town or village. Some villages fall into 2 BRMAs shown with an asterisk next to the village. If this is shown for your village please contact us, details below.

Once you have found the BRMA for your property’s town or village, there is a LHA rate for each property size.

How many rooms am I allowed for LHA?

Your LHA rate will also be based on the number of bedrooms your household needs and not on the number of bedrooms in the property.

You are allowed one bedroom for:

• every adult couple
• any other adult aged 16 or over
• any two children of the same sex
• any two children regardless of sex under the age of 10
• any other child

Before 1 January 2012 if you were single aged under 25 you would be entitled to the LHA rate for a room in shared accommodation. Due to changes made by the government from 1 January 2012 this has now changed from single aged under 25 to single aged under 35 (follow the link below for details).

Information on current LHA rates

Before 1 April 2012 the Rent Service set the LHA rates for each BRMA and reviewed the figures every month. Due to changes made by the government from 1 April 2012 the LHA rates will stay the same for 12 months. Follow the download below for the LHA rates from 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013.

Before 1 April 2011 if your rent was less than your LHA up to £15 of the difference per week could be kept by you. Due to changes made by the government from 1 April 2011 if your rent is less than your LHA you no longer can keep up to £15 of the difference per week (follow the link below for details).

Changes to LHA

There have been changes to LHA from 1 April 2011 (follow the link below for details).

There have also been changes to LHA from 1 January 2012 (follow the link for details).

More information?

Please contact us, details below if you have queries on Local Housing Allowance.

Date Updated: 03/04/12