Budget for renting
Decide on the size of home you need and plan a budget for what you can afford to spend every week or month on rent.
If you receive benefits, or you are on a low income, you may be able to get some financial help through Housing Benefit or Universal Credit. If you rent from a private landlord, the Local Housing Allowance is used to work out how much Housing Benefit you might get.
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) is based on the 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 the LHA rates for you, based on the area you live in, on Directgov: Local Housing Allowance rates.