Universal Credit (UC) housing costs element - Universal Credit (UC): How much will I get? I'm a private tenant

If you are a private tenant your housing costs will be calculated using the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) for your area. Private tenant means that you rent your home from a private landlord rather than from a council or a housing association. You are considered a private tenant if you pay rent as a lodger.

There will be an LHA rate set based on rental prices in your area and the number of rooms you are considered to need based on who lives in your household. Your LHA rate might not match the number of bedrooms you have in your property.

If you are single, don't have any dependent children and are aged under 35, you will only be able to get the Shared Accommodation rate of Local Housing Allowance (LHA). This won't apply and you will be entitled to the One Bedroom rate if:

• You are under 25 and are a care leaver; or
• You are receiving the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment, the middle or high care rate of Disability Living Allowance, the middle or high care rate of Child Disability Payment, or Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP); or
• You have been living in a hostel for people who are homeless for three months or more; or
• You are a foster parent or have registered as a foster parent within the past 12 months, or have had a child placed with you for fostering within the past 12 months.

Otherwise, you will be entitled to one bedroom for each of the following:

• You (and your partner if you have one)
• Any other person over 16, as long as they aren't living with you as your tenant
• Two children under 16 of the same gender
• Two children under 10
• Any other child under 16.

Example

Siobhan (34) lives with her partner Aaron (40) and their four children. Their children are a son aged 17, two girls aged 13 and 15, and a boy aged 4. They get one bedroom for Siobhan and Aaron, and one bedroom for the boy aged 17 because he is a person over 16. They also get one bedroom for the two girls to share (two children under 16 of the same gender), and one bedroom for the 4 year old boy (any other child under 16). They are entitled to the 4 bedroom rate of LHA. 

Extra bedrooms

You may be able to get an additional bedroom entitlement if you, your partner or your child has a disability that means they can't share a bedroom and they get a qualifying disability benefit.

The qualifying disability benefits are:

• Higher rate Attendance Allowance or Pension Age Disability Payment (Scotland)
• Middle or high rate care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Middle or high rate care component of Child Disability Payment
• Daily living component of Adult Disability Payment
• Daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

You may be able to get an additional bedroom if you, your partner, or your child has a disability that means they need someone to stay overnight to provide care and they get a qualifying disability benefit.

The qualifying disability benefits are:

• Attendance Allowance or Pension Age Disability Payment (Scotland)
• Middle or high rate care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Middle or high rate care component of Child Disability Payment
• Daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Daily living component of Adult Disability Payment
• Armed Forces Independence Payment

You won't be entitled to any more than four bedrooms, however many people live in your household.

This could mean that your housing costs element will not cover all of your rent if your home is too expensive.

You can visit the LHA Direct website to find out what your Local Housing Allowance is.

If your rent is more than the LHA amount, you might be able to get help through a Discretionary Housing Payment.