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Welfare Benefits Handbook 2025/26
This content was last updated:
01 Dec 2025
Chapter 15: Housing benefit rent restrictions
Welfare Benefits Handbook 2025/26
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Welfare Benefits Handbook 2025/26
Part 3: Other means-tested benefits
Chapter 15: Housing benefit rent restrictions
Back to previous
Chapter 15: Housing benefit rent restrictions
Key facts
1. How to use this chapter
Which rent restriction rules apply
If you are a private tenant
If you are a housing association tenant
If you are a local authority tenant
When your tenancy is excluded
If none of the rent restriction rules apply
2. The local housing allowance rules
How your rent is restricted
Which local housing allowance applies
The number of bedrooms you are allowed
Categories of dwelling
Local housing allowance rates
How long the restriction applies
If you are considering renting accommodation
3. The social sector rules: the 'bedroom tax'
When the social sector rules do not apply
Sanctuary schemes
How your rent is restricted
If you are a sole tenant or a joint tenant with your partner only
If you are a joint tenant
The number of bedrooms you are allowed
4. Hostels, houseboats, mobile homes, caravans and boarders
How your rent is restricted
When the local authority must apply to the rent officer
The rent officer's determinations about your rent
The claim-related rent
The local reference rent and single room rent
Service charges
How long the restriction applies
If you are considering renting accommodation
5. Exempt accommodation and claimants: the old scheme rules
How your rent is restricted
Is your accommodation unreasonably large?
Is your rent unreasonably high?
Suitable alternative accommodation
Are you in a protected group?
Exempt accommodation
Exempt claimants: getting housing benefit since 1 January 1996
If you are a local authority or housing association tenant
If your rent increases
6. Common rules
Young individuals
Occupiers
Additional bedrooms
What counts as a bedroom
Couples who cannot share a bedroom
Child who cannot share a bedroom
Person who requires overnight care
Qualifying parent or carer
7. Delaying a rent restriction
8. Challenging a rent restriction
This chapter covers the rent restriction rules for housing benefit (HB). The rent restriction rules for the universal credit housing costs element are covered in Chapter
6
.
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CPAG. "Chapter 15: Housing benefit rent restrictions." In
Welfare Benefits Handbook 2025/26.
, 2025. Accessed March 10, 2026.
CPAG,
https://askcpag.org.uk/?id=-264247CITANCHOR.
CPAG. "Chapter 15: Housing benefit rent restrictions." In
Welfare Benefits Handbook 2025/26.
, 2025. Accessed March 10, 2026. https://askcpag.org.uk/?id=-264247CITANCHOR.
Contributor(s):
CPAG
Title:
Welfare Benefits Handbook 2025/26
Site name:
CPAG
Publisher:
Publication date:
March 21, 2025
Date accessed:
March 10, 2026
URL:
https://askcpag.org.uk/?id=-264247CITANCHOR
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