Local Housing Allowance

2025 Increases in Housing Association Rent

We are normally told about your yearly rent increase by your housing association. In March, you will get an update through the post showing your benefit amount from April 2025.

If your rent has increased and that is not reflected in the letter we send you, please email your rent increase letter to [email protected] or bring it to a council office.

If you get Universal Credit, update your housing costs on the Universal Credit portal and provide proof.

Local Housing Allowance (LHA) is effectively the maximum limit of how much Housing Benefit can be paid to people living in private rented accommodation (with a few exceptions). DirectGov provides an LHA Bedroom Calculator.

Housing Benefit falling under the LHA scheme is usually paid direct to the tenant. To pay a landlord direct, vulnerability or the tenant being unable or unlikely to pay must be proved first.

At the rent service website you can search to see which area your home falls into, calculate what level of LHA you are entitled to and see the current rates of LHA.

Local area rates

If you already know which area your home falls into, see our rates effective from 1 April 2024:

Cherwell

Rate	Amount
Shared accommodation rate	£107.36
1 bed self-contained	£178.36
2 bedrooms	£218.63
3 bedrooms	£272.71
4 bedrooms	£333.70

Milton Keynes

Rate	Amount
Shared accommodation rate	£115.37
1 bed self-contained	£178.36
2 bedrooms	£212.88
3 bedrooms	£275.01
4 bedrooms	£344.05

Northampton

Rate	Amount
Shared accommodation rate	£94.50
1 bed self-contained	£148.44
2 bedrooms	£172.60
3 bedrooms	£207.12
4 bedrooms	£266.96

Northants Central

Rate	Amount
Shared accommodation rate	£86.50
1 bed self-contained	£126.58
2 bedrooms	£159.95
3 bedrooms	£182.96
4 bedrooms	£228.99

Rugby East

Rate	Amount
Shared accommodation rate	£97.81
1 bedroom	£136.93
2 bedrooms	£166.85
3 bedrooms	£195.62
4 bedrooms	£276.16

Leicester and surrounds

Rate	Amount
Shared accommodation rate	£91.00
1 bedroom	£124.27
2 bedrooms	£149.59
3 bedrooms	£178.36
4 bedrooms	£241.64

Last updated 11 April 2024