If you rent your property from a private landlord, the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates will be used to calculate the maximum amount of Housing Benefit that you may be entitled to.
LHA is a flat-rate rent allowance determined by the Valuation Office Agency Rent Officers. The rates are based primarily on the location and the number of people living in the property.
England is broken up into a number of Broad Rental Market Areas (BRMA's). Bath & North East Somerset Council has two - Bath and Bristol. The Rent Officer sets the LHA rates based on the median of rents for the area. The current rates are published below and are also displayed in:
- Bath Housing, Welfare and Advice Services
- Keynsham Information and Advice Service
- Midsomer Norton Information and Advice Service
Weekly Local Housing Allowance rates
LHA room categories relate to the number of bedrooms your household needs. The amount of rent you pay or the size of the property you rent does not affect how much LHA you get.
Please note:
- The maximum number of bedrooms that can be taken into account is 4.
- If you are single and under 35, the shared accommodation rate will apply to you.
Local Housing Allowance rates from 1st April 2024
All LHA claims are updated annually on 1st April. The rates for 2024-25 are shown below:
| Shared accommodation | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath | £124.27 | £187.56 | £225.53 | £276.16 | £447.62 |
| Bristol | £117.68 | £207.12 | £252.00 | £299.18 | £425.75 |
Local Housing Allowance calculator
Use the LHA bedroom calculator to work out the LHA rate that applies to you.
Information for Landlords
LHA is normally paid directly into a tenant’s bank or building society account, with the onus on them to then pay their rent. There are a range of safeguards to protect the interests of landlords. For example, a local authority must usually pay the benefit direct to the landlord if the tenant is eight weeks or more in arrears with their rent.
Payment may be made direct to the landlord by the local authority where they decide that the tenant is:
- Vulnerable and cannot manage their own affairs.
- 8 weeks in rent arrears (in accordance with Regulation 94, Housing Benefit Regulations 2006).
- Unlikely to pay their rent - i.e. has a history of non-payment of rent.
Please contact us for more information.