Local housing allowance

How many bedrooms are you entitled to?

The number of people who live with you is used to work out how many bedrooms you are entitled to. We do not count other rooms such as a living room, kitchen or bathroom.
The number of bedrooms you are entitled to is then used to work out which Local Housing Allowance rate applies to you.

You can use the following information as a guide to work out how many bedrooms you are entitled to.

You are entitled to one bedroom for: 

  • 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 (regardless of sex) 
  • any other child
  • an overnight carer who stays with you but normally lives elsewhere. 

Below are some examples of how many bedrooms certain households would qualify for:

  1. A couple, with a 16 year old daughter, 11 year old son and two 3 year old twins would qualify for a four bedroom home. 
  2. A single mother, who has a 5 year old son and 3 year old daughter, would qualify for a two bedroom property. 
  3. A couple who live with an elderly relative and their 7 year old daughter; will qualify for a 3 bedroom property.