Local Housing Allowance (LHA)

Direct payments to your landlord

The Council will usually pay the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) to your landlord if you are eight weeks or more in arrears with your rent. Payments may also be made directly to your landlord if the Council decides you are:

  • likely to have difficulty in managing your financial affairs
  • unlikely to pay your rent

The Council has a safeguard policy to ensure that safeguards are in place to:

  • help prevent rent arrears and tenants losing their homes
  • provide assurances to landlords that their rent will be paid if they have vulnerable tenants

Tenants, landlords, tenants' families or persons acting on a tenant's behalf can tell the Council that the tenant is having difficulty paying their rent or are likely to. The Council may also identify tenants who may have difficulty managing their money.

You can request direct payments to your landlord using the application for direct payment form.

The Council must have evidence that:

  • a tenant has difficulty managing their money
  • it is in their interest that the Council pay the landlord directly

Evidence should usually be in writing. When the Council has all the relevant evidence a decision will be made as quickly as possible. The Council will write to you and your landlord and explain the decision. Each case is considered individually and no assumptions are made about your circumstances.

If you or your landlord disagrees with the Council's decision you can:

  • ask the Council to review the decision
  • appeal against the decision giving reasons why you think the decision is wrong