Local Housing Allowance: how the rates are set, and how to find yours

In England, Wales and Scotland, Local Housing Allowance is set under the GB rent-officer rules, even where a GOV.UK guidance label suggests a narrower England-and-Wales scope. Northern Ireland uses a separate system through the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

What is Local Housing Allowance, and how are the rates set?

LHA is meant to reset yearly to the 30th percentile of local rents, but for a third year a ministerial order freezes it at 2024 levels instead — DWP compiled 2025 and 2026 shadow rent lists and did not use them. Local Housing Allowance is a benefits cap for private renters, not a rent-control rule: the explanatory memorandum says LHA was introduced as “a fair and transparent way of calculating the maximum amount of Housing Benefit for households living in the private rented sector,” and Universal Credit uses the LHA for the renter’s broad rental market area and bedroom category as the “maximum allowable amount.” A landlord does not have to charge the LHA rate; Shelter’s practical warning is blunt that “Landlords often ask for more than your LHA rate.” For 2026-27, SI 2026/5 says that for every broad rental market area and dwelling category the allowance is the one “determined for that category of dwelling on 31st January 2024.” Northern Ireland runs separately under NISR 2026/2 and NIHE.

What are the Local Housing Allowance rates for 2026-27?

The Local Housing Allowance rates for 2026-27 in England, Wales and Scotland are the same rates that came into force on 1 April 2024, because SI 2026/5 freezes them rather than uprating them to current local rents. GOV.UK’s 2026-27 rates page says: “The LHA rates from 1st April 2026 have been determined in accordance with The Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Modification) Order 2026 (SI 2026/5) and are the same rates that came into force on 1st April 2024.” Ministers also confirmed that “Local Housing Allowance rates and the benefit cap will be maintained at their current levels and not increased for 2026-27.” Affordability estimates now diverge sharply: Shelter says LHA covers “just 1.9% of privately advertised homes across Great Britain,” while Crisis puts the figure at “2.7% of homes in Great Britain.” On the two-bedroom gap, Resolution Foundation gives 14%, or £104 a month, while Shelter says the England average gap is £403 a month. Northern Ireland’s 2026/27 LHA remains frozen at 2025/26 levels through NIHE.

How do you find the Local Housing Allowance rate for your postcode?

Use LHA-Direct to find the Local Housing Allowance rate for a postcode in England, Wales or Scotland, but use the NIHE postcode list in Northern Ireland. GOV.UK’s rates collection says: “You can find the LHA rates on LHA-Direct by searching by postcode or local authority area,” and the LHA-Direct service asks users to enter details because “To find your Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate, fill in the details and select ‘Submit’.” A Local Housing Allowance calculator works by matching the postcode to a broad rental market area, then applying the bedroom category and the relevant month. Do not assume the local council boundary is the same as the LHA area: East Dunbartonshire Council explains that “Your BRMA is not necessarily the same area as the council you pay your council tax to.” Northern Ireland is outside LHA-Direct; NIHE says that to be certain which of its eight BRMAs applies, renters should “check your postcode against the following list.”

Last reviewed September 2026.

Sources

• Explanatory Memorandum to SI 2026/5 — “The LHA was introduced in 2008 as a fair and transparent way of calculating the maximum amount of Housing Benefit for households living in the private rented sector.” Source
• Universal Credit Regulations 2013, Schedule 4, paragraph 25 — “The maximum allowable amount to be used in relation to the renter is the local housing allowance which applies at the relevant time to—” Source
• Shelter, Local Housing Allowance for private renters — “Landlords often ask for more than your LHA rate.” Source
• The Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Modification) Order 2026, SI 2026/5 — “For all broad rental market areas the local housing allowance for any category of dwelling is the allowance determined for that category of dwelling on 31st January 2024.” Source
• GOV.UK, LHA rates applicable from April 2026 to March 2027 — “The LHA rates from 1st April 2026 have been determined in accordance with The Rent Officers (Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Functions) (Modification) Order 2026 (SI 2026/5) and are the same rates that came into force on 1st April 2024.” Source
• Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1101 — “While not part of my formal up-rating review, I can confirm that Local Housing Allowance rates and the benefit cap will be maintained at their current levels and not increased for 2026-27.” Source
• Shelter, New figures show frozen housing benefit driving homelessness — “This means that today it covers the rent on just 1.9% of privately advertised homes across Great Britain.” Source
• Crisis, LHA rates freeze — “After years of freezes by successive governments, currently only 2.7% of homes in Great Britain would be affordable for people relying on housing benefit to move into today.” Source
• Resolution Foundation, LHA affordability gap — “Rapid rent increases since Local Housing Allowance has been frozen means the gap between the support low-income private tenants receive and the 30th percentile of local rents is already at 14 per cent (£104 a month for a typical two-bedroom property).” Source
• Shelter, New figures show frozen housing benefit driving homelessness — “The average gap between LHA rates and the cheapest 30% of local rents for a two-bedroom home in England is now £403 a month.” Source
• GOV.UK, Local Housing Allowance rates collection — “You can find the LHA rates on LHA-Direct by searching by postcode or local authority area.” Source
• Valuation Office Agency, LHA-Direct — “To find your Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate, fill in the details and select ‘Submit’.” Source
• East Dunbartonshire Council, Local Housing Allowance — “Your BRMA is not necessarily the same area as the council you pay your council tax to and often people can live in a council area but fall under a different BRMA.” Source
• Northern Ireland Housing Executive, current LHA rent levels — “Please note that Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rents for 2026/27 will remain frozen at their 2025/26 levels (see below).” Source
• Northern Ireland Housing Executive, current LHA rent levels — “The map shows the eight BRMAs in Northern Ireland, but to be certain of which BRMA you are in, check your postcode against the following list:” Source