Housing Benefit for private sector tenants
If you rent your property from a private landlord (not a housing association), we work out your Housing Benefit using the Local Housing Allowance (LHA).
LHA is based on:
- the area you live in
- the number of bedrooms your household needs
When we calculate your Housing Benefit, we will use the lower of:
- the LHA rate or
- the rent you are charged
This is called your eligible rent.
Find out which area you live in
You will need to know which Broad Rental Market Area (BRMA) you live in. Dacorum is covered by three BRMAs:
- South West Hertfordshire: Covers most of Dacorum, including Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Kings Langley and Markyate.
- Aylesbury: Covers Tring, Aldbury and areas to the west of Ashridge.
- Chilterns: Covers a small number of properties south of Wigginton and Berkhamsted.
You can check your BRMA on the Valuation Office Agency's website.
Check how many bedrooms you can have
This depends on how many people live with you, their age and their sex. We do not count other rooms such as living rooms, kitchens or bathrooms.
You can have one bedroom for:
- each adult couple
- any other person aged 16 years old or over
- any two children of the same sex under the age of 16 years old
- any two children under 10 years old
- any other child
- a carer if someone in the household requires overnight care
- an extra bedroom if you and your partner, or one of your children cannot share a bedroom due to a disability. The person must be receiving the:
- Disability Living Allowance care component at the middle or higher rate
- Personal Independence Payment daily living component
- Attendance Allowance at the higher rate, or
- Armed Forces Independence Payment.
You can check how many bedrooms you are entitled to on the Valuation Office Agency's website.
Example of bedroom allowance
Mrs Smith is a single mother with three children.
She has two sons and one daughter. Her sons are aged 14 and 6, her daughter is aged 11.
Mrs Smith is entitled to the three bedroom LHA rate:
- one bedroom for herself
- one bedroom her sons share
- one bedroom for her daughter
LHA rates for 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025
| Broad rental market area | One-bedroom shared accommodation - this applies to most single under 35-year olds | One-bedroom (self-contained accommodation) | Two-bedroom | Three-bedroom | Four-bedroom |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South West Hertfordshire | £115.37 | £218.63 | £287.67 | £345.21 | £460.27 |
| Aylesbury | £101.87 | £184.11 | £228.99 | £306.08 | £379.73 |
| Chilterns | £120.82 | £195.62 | £253.15 | £333.70 | £460.27 |
Equivalent monthly rates
| Broad rental market area | One-bedroom shared accommodation - this applies to most single under 35-year olds | One-bedroom (self-contained accommodation) | Two-bedroom | Three-bedroom | Four-bedroom |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South West Hertfordshire | £501.31 | £950.00 | £1,249.99 | £1,500.02 | £1,999.98 |
| Aylesbury | £442.65 | £800.00 | £995.02 | £1,329.99 | £1,650.02 |
| Chilterns | £524.99 | £850.02 | £1,100.00 | £1,450.01 | £1,999.98 |
More information
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How long LHA rates last
LHA rates last until 31 March each year. Your rate will begin from:
- the date of your Housing Benefit claim
- the date you move to a new address
- the date of a change in the number of bedrooms you qualify for
- the date a relative who lived with you (but wasn’t a joint tenant) passes away
- 1 April each year.
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How we pay LHA
Tenants
Housing Benefit is paid directly to you, not your landlord. You are responsible for using it to pay your rent.
If you do not use it to pay your rent, your landlord may try to evict you and you may lose your home.
Safeguard payments
If you think you will have trouble paying your rent, we can arrange for the benefit to go directly to your landlord. This is called a "safeguard payment".
If you owe eight weeks or more in rent, we will usually pay your landlord directly.
For more on safeguard payments, download our
LHA safeguard policy (PDF 264KB).To apply for a safeguard payment, download the
Safeguard payment request form (PDF 155KB).Send your completed form to:
- Email: benefits@dacorum.gov.uk
- Post: Benefits, The Forum, Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP1 1DN
Landlords
LHA is normally paid directly to tenants. However, we can pay it to landlords if:
- the tenant struggles to pay rent
- the tenant is unlikely to pay rent
- we think it will help the tenant secure or keep their tenancy.
- there are rent arrears of eight weeks or more.
Safeguard payments
If you think your tenant will struggle to pay their rent, or is unlikely to pay, you can apply for a safeguarding payment to receive the benefit directly. Download the
Safeguard payment request form (PDF 155KB). It is best if you complete this form with your tenant.Send your completed form to:
- Email: benefits@dacorum.gov.uk
- Post: Benefits, The Forum, Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP1 1DN
You don’t need to wait eight weeks if your tenant is falling behind on rent. We will contact the tenant about arrears before making a decision.
We will make a decision as quickly as possible. However, we may need to request more information.
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LHA rate for those with one bedroom
If you're eligible for one bedroom under LHA, there are two different rates. The "shared accommodation" rate and the "one-bedroom" rate. The rate will depend on your situation. The following will apply if you are:
- Aged 35 or over, single, no dependants: Shared accommodation rate (if you rent a room) or one-bedroom rate (if your accommodation has exclusive use of at least two rooms).
- Aged under 35, single, no dependants: Shared accommodation rate.
- Aged under 35 and severely disabled: One-bedroom rate.
- A couple with no dependants: Shared accommodation rate (if you rent a room) or one-bedroom rate (if your accommodation has exclusive use of at least two rooms).
- A care leaver aged under 22: One-bedroom rate.
- A joint tenant: The rate will be based on your situation. For example, if you are aged 35 or over, single and with no dependants, you'll get the one-bedroom rate.
- Aged between 25 and 34, previously living in a homeless hostel with three months of support and rehabilitation: One-bedroom rate (as long as you live in a self-contained property).
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If your rent is not the same as the LHA rate that applies to you
If your rent is lower than the LHA rate
The maximum Housing Benefit you can get will be your rent.
For example: Your rent is £90 per week, the LHA is £100. The maximum benefit we could pay is £90.
If your rent is higher than LHA rate
The maximum Housing Benefit is the LHA rate.
For example: Your rent is £160, the LHA is £100. The maximum benefit we could pay is £100.
Page Last Updated: Thursday, 21 November 2024 at 11:20 AM