Local Housing Allowance rates

Local Housing Allowance (LHA) helps determine housing benefit for tenants in private rented accommodation.

The Local Housing Allowance rates for Portsmouth are:

• shared accommodation –  weekly local housing allowance £97.31
• one bedroom property – weekly local housing allowance £159.95
• two bedroom property – weekly local housing allowance £194.47
• three bedroom property – weekly local housing allowance £230.14
• four bedroom property – weekly local housing allowance £299.18

The amounts are based on the rents that most people pay in the Portsmouth City Council area and are valid from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.

The property sizes above do not refer to the size of the property you live in.  Housing Benefit rules determine the number of bedrooms people need based on the number of people in a household.

When you make a claim for housing benefit, you will be assessed as needing a bedroom for each of the following people in your household:

• every adult couple (married or unmarried)
• any other adult aged 16 or over
• any two children of the same sex aged under 16
• any two children aged under 10
• any other child
• a foster child or foster children (if an extra bedroom is available)
• a carer (or team of carers) who do not live with you but provide you or your partner with overnight care (if an extra bedroom is available)
• an adult child who is a deployed member of the armed forces as long as they intend to return home to live (if an extra bedroom is available).

Foster children aren’t included in this calculation.

If you think you need an extra bedroom due to your child’s disability, please contact the benefits service for advice.

The maximum amount of LHA you can be awarded is the top rate in your area for a four bedroom property. You can still rent a larger house, but you will only get local housing allowance up to the maximum level for four bedrooms – and it’s likely that your LHA won’t cover all the rent.

If your rent is lower than the LHA rate, you will only be entitled to your rent, not more. If your rent is higher than the LHA rate, it is your responsibility to make up any shortfall.

You could receive up to the amount displayed above, but it may be less than this, depending on the amount of money you have coming in.

Local Housing Allowance may not cover all your rent.

Your Local Housing Allowance rate is valid from 1 April to 31 March. If your landlord changes your rent mid-year, your entitlement to local housing allowance can be reassessed. However, you still won’t receive any more than the maximum shown in the table for the number of bedrooms applicable to your household.

If your rent is increased, but it was already above the maximum LHA you are entitled to, there is no need to reassess.

The maximum Local Housing Allowance for an area is decided by rent officers at the Valuation Office Agency, not Portsmouth City Council.