One topic we think landlords and tenants should always look at is housing benefits. It is important to ensure parties know how much help there may be available from the council. To help, we want to have a look specifically at local housing allowance in Hammersmith and Fulham. We’ll also provide some links for more information.

What is it?

LHA is the amount of rent allowance private tenants can claim if they can receive housing benefit. It is a fairer way of calculating what the tenant can get. It also gives them the responsibility of making sure they pay the rent.

Tenants who rent privately have an obligation that council tenants don’t have. With the latter, if any benefits are due, the council generally receives them directly in place of rent. However, if you need to pay rent to a private landlord, the benefits must go into your account. You can then make the payment. With LHA you can’t arrange for payments to go directly to a landlord or agent, except when it is a vulnerable claimant.

LHA rates vary to make them fair. Three factors determine how much people can claim. These are the number of people living in the property, the number of bedrooms, and the rent rates for similar properties in the area.

FAQs about LHA

Tenants and landlords will likely have a number of important questions here. We want to provide some answers so you can learn more about local housing allowance in Hammersmith and Fulham.

Who can receive it?

Any tenant can claim LHA as long as they rent from a private landlord in England, Wales, or Scotland. However, you have to be on a low income or receive qualifying benefits.

Who is and isn’t affected?

Any landlord with a tenant who can receive housing benefit will need to consider LHA. If there is a deregulated private tenancy agreement, it will affect you. Most tenancies starting after January 1989 will be this type of agreement.

A number of landlords and tenancies won’t be affected by LHA though. For example, local authority tenants can’t claim it. Tenancies for housing like houseboats and caravans cannot qualify. In addition, tenants of housing associations and those who are part of a ‘fair rent’ scheme can’t claim.

How much will LHA be?

As we said above, the local housing allowance in Hammersmith and Fulham will vary depending on number of occupants, bedrooms, and the location. You can check the local rates by visiting the rent service website here.

In some cases the amount of money you receive will be different. You may receive less than the maximum because of the amount of savings you have or your level of income. There can also be deductions for empty bedrooms.

A vital thing to keep in mind is you won’t receive more money than your rent. It can only go up to the maximum rent you have to pay. However, there could be cases where it won’t cover all of it. If so, you will need to make up any shortfall.

Make sure you are clear about local housing allowance in Hammersmith and Fulham

Finefair Ltd has a lot of experience supporting landlords. As a result, we can provide advice about all kinds of topics. LHA is something you may need to look at because your tenants may be able to claim it. It is worth noting it and any impact it will have on the tenancy agreement.

We recommend you have a look at the local council’s website, the gov.uk website, and the rent service for more info. You can also ask us if you need some advice.