Local Housing Allowance bedroom rates
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) is used to work out how much housing benefit you are entitled to if you rent your home from a private landlord.
Local Housing Allowance rates
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates are determined by The Valuation Office Agency Rent Officers and are based on private market rental values being paid.
LHA is used to calculate housing benefit for tenants renting from private landlords.
LHA rates are based on rents being paid by people with the same number of bedrooms as the property where you live, or the number of rooms you and your household needs.
You can check your LHA rates here. You can also check how many bedrooms you may be eligible for. This is based on the number of people in your household.How does Local housing allowance (LHA) affect you?
If you rent from us, a housing association or have a shared ownership home, different rules are used to calculate your housing benefit.
From 1 April 2012 the Rent Officer will set annual LHA rates. Prior to this the levels were set each month for accommodation ranging from a shared-room rate up to and including a 4 bedroom rate in each rental area.
Housing Benefit only pays for a maximum 4 bedrooms, even if the size of your family exceeds this. The LHA rate that applies, is normally the month we receive your form.
However, if your benefit is backdated or the start date of your benefit falls in a different month, that months LHA rate will apply.
From 1 April 2012 the effect of this will be eliminated as the rates are set for the whole year.
Current Local Housing Allowance rates
LHA rate for 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020
| Room rate | Cambridge cost per week / month | Huntingdon cost per week / month | Stevenage and North Herts cost per week / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared room rate | £80.52 week /£348.92 month | £63.50 week/£275.16 month | £72.04 week/£312.17 month |
| 1 bedroom rate | £129.83 week /£562.59 month | £108.04 week/£468.17 month | £129.81 week/£562.51 month |
| 2 bedroom rate | £149.31 week/£647.01 month | £129.78 week £562.38 month | £160.03 week/£693.46 month |
| 3 bedroom rate | £173.50 week/£751.83 month | £154.91 week/£671.27 month | £857.17 week/£859.53 month |
| 4 bedroom rate | £231.44 week/£1002.90 month | £198.11 week/£858.48 month | £253.34 week/£1097.81 month |
The following tenants are not affected by the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) bedroom rates scheme:
- Registered social landlord tenancies, for example, Council or Housing Associations
- Protected cases, such as tenancies provided by a charity or voluntary body who also provide support services
- Tenancies which are excluded from the existing rent restrictions, such as pre 1989 tenancies
- Tenancies of caravans, houseboats, mobile homes and hostels
- Board and lodge accommodation where The Rent Service (TRS) has decided that a substantial part of the rent is attributable to board and attendance.
For more information you can contact Housing Benefit