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Local housing allowance (LHA) is used to work out how much housing benefit or universal credit you can get if you rent your home from a private landlord.
LHA does not apply to council tenants, or those renting from a housing association.
If you rent privately, a LHA rate is used to calculate your housing benefit or universal credit housing element.
There are some exceptions. You will not be assessed using the LHA rate if:
The LHA that you will receive depends on:
The maximum number of bedrooms you are allowed under the LHA rules is 4.
You can still rent a larger house, but you will only get benefit up to the maximum level for 4 bedrooms. You will have to meet any shortfall in your rent, or apply for a discretionary housing payment to help you.
You are assessed as needing a bedroom for each of the following that you have in your household:
An extra bedroom is allowed if you need one for a:
You can use the LHA Direct website to calculate the maximum number of bedrooms you are entitled to.
LHA rates are also limited according to where you live. These rates increased on the 1st April 2020 after a 5 year freeze.
You can use the LHA Direct website to find out the maximum amounts allowed in different areas.
If you are under 35, single and childless, you are generally only entitled to the standard rate for a single bedroom in shared accommodation (the ‘shared accommodation rate’). This is lower than the rate for a one bedroom property and applies even if you cannot find shared accommodation in your area and are living alone.
There are some circumstances where the shared accommodation rate does not apply even if you are under 35, including if you:
See our pages on Housing benefit changes for more details.
LHA payments can cover:
It cannot cover charges for heating, hot water, lighting, laundry or cooking.
If you are struggling to pay a shortfall between the housing benefit or universal credit you receive under the LHA rules and the amount of your rent, you should get advice. Your options may include:
You can find out more about LHA on the Gov.UK website.
If you have a housing problem, call our expert housing advice helpline
If you have a non-urgent problem and would like to speak to an adviser
email us
We are sorry that we cannot provide this information in Welsh, however if you would like to speak to an adviser in Welsh please contact 08000 495 495.
This page was last updated on: June 10, 2021
Shelter Cymru acknowledges the support of Shelter in allowing us to adapt their content. The information contained on this site is updated and maintained by Shelter Cymru and only gives general guidance on the law in Wales. It should not be regarded or relied upon as a complete or authoritative statement of the law.