Local housing allowance

You may not get the standard rate of Local Housing Allowance (LHA), if you share some or all of the facilities in a property such as:

• a living room
• kitchen
• bathroom

Couples with no dependent children

If you are part of a couple who have no children living with you, you can get the rate for a 2 roomed property if you rent a self-contained property.

A self-contained property means where you have at least 1 room nobody else uses and a bathroom, toilet and cooking facilities that nobody else uses.

A couple is a man and a woman who are married or living together as if they are married, or 2 people of the same sex who are civil partners and are members of the same household.

If you are part of a couple who have no children living with you and you choose to live in a property where all or some of the facilities are shared, you can only get the shared LHA rate.

If you are aged 35 or over and live alone

If you are 35 or over and live alone you can get the rate for a 2 roomed property, if you rent a self-contained property with at least 2 rooms.

If you live in a property where all or some of the facilities are shared, you can only get the shared LHA rate. Shared facilities could be a living room, kitchen or bathroom.

Claimants aged under 35 years who live alone

If you are aged under 35 and live alone you can only get the shared LHA rate.

Dependants and non-dependants

If you claim LHA, you can only get it for yourself and your dependants. If you share a property, we will make a deduction for facilities you share with any non-dependants. The rules are the same as the rules for housing benefit.

Joint tenants

If you claim LHA, you can only get it for yourself and your dependants. A joint tenant is someone who has an agreement with the landlord to share the rent with other tenants. If you are a joint tenant, we will make a deduction for any non-dependants and sub-tenants. The rules for this are the same as the rules for housing benefit.