Local Housing Allowance (LHA) is a type of housing benefit available to tenants who rent their homes from a private landlord.
LHA is based on the location of the property and its household size rather than the actual rent being charged.
The LHA rate for your property will depend on which Broad Market Rent Area (BRMA) it is in.
Elmbridge has 2 BRMAs:
- Walton
- Outer South West London
LHA rates
To find out the LHA rate you will need to:
- work out how many bedrooms you are entitled to claim Housing Benefit on - use the bedroom entitlement calculator on Directgov
- find out which BRMA your property is in - use the search for LHA rates by postcode on Directgov
If you are single and aged 35 and under, you can only claim a shared room rate.
You can also view the rates for 2023 to 2024 below.
| Types of property | Weekly rate | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom shared accommodation | £109.71 | £475.41 |
| 1 bedroom self contained | £195.62 | £847.69 |
| 2 bedrooms | £253.15 | £1,096.98 |
| 3 bedrooms | £310.68 | £1,346.28 |
| 4 bedrooms (capped maximum) | £407.34 | £1,765.14 |
| Types of property | Weekly rate | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom shared accommodation | £116.91 | £506.61 |
| 1 bedroom self contained | £241.64 | £1,047.11 |
| 2 bedrooms | £304.93 | £1,321.36 |
| 3 bedrooms | £368.22 | £1,595.62 |
| 4 bedrooms | £494.79 | £2,144.09 |
LHA payments
Your LHA will be paid directly to you. It is up to you to pay the rent to your landlord. If you do not pay your rent you may be evicted from the property.
You will need to set up a bank account to pay the rent to your landlord by standing order or direct debit.
If you are worried about managing your money, you can ask us for help. We may be able to pay your rent to your landlord. We have a joint Safeguard Policy for LHA claimants and landlords (PDF, 62.83KB) with Spelthorne and Runnymede Borough Councils. Please read the document if you would like us to consider paying your landlord directly.
Complete the downloadable forms to make an application for direct payment:
Change of circumstances
If you move to a new address or other circumstances change, you should tell us straight away. You may need to make a new claim for Local Housing Allowance. See benefits: change in circumstances.