You are here: > Living / Council Tax & Benefits / Benefits / Housing Benefits / The Role Of The Rent Officer
With the introduction of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) on 7th April 2008, the role of the Rent Officer has changed.
The Rent Service will no longer be responsible in making a decision whether your rent is reasonable or not for any new claims, change of address or where you have had a break in your entitlement for one week or more (which then commutes you to LHA) on or after 7th April 2008.
To read more about Local Housing Allowance (LHA) please view the Local Housing Allowance page on this website.
The Rent Service will continue to decide whether your rent is reasonable, unreasonable (too high) or whether the property is too large for your needs for:
* Examples of relevant 'change of circumstances' can be change in the household composition, a substantial change or improvement in the condition of the property, any young person or child has reached the age of 10 or 16.
When we assess your Housing Benefit, we are required by law to base your entitlement on the Rent Officer's valuation of whether your rent is reasonable. In some circumstances, the Rent Service may need to visit your home before they can tell us whether your rent is reasonable. If the Rent Service needs to visit your home, they will contact you to make an appointment.
What the Rent Officer takes into consideration
The Rent Officer will consider things such as the rent charged, what services are included in the rent, the number of rooms in the property, the size of your household, the length and terms of your tenancy and the general level of rents for property in the area.
If the Rent Officer considers the rent to be exceptionally high for Housing Benefit purposes, the Rent Officer will decide the highest rent which can be considered for Housing Benefit purposes. The Rent Officer will also decide how much is generally paid in the area for a property of a suitable size for your circumstances (this is a the Local Reference Rent).
If your are aged under 25
If you are aged under 25, are single, the Rent Officer will decide how much is generally paid in the area for a single room with shared kitchen and toilet or the use of any shared rooms, this is generally known as the Single Room Rent.
The Rent Officer will make two determinations on your address, one will be the Maximum Rent, the other will be the Single Room Rent. Your benefit entitlement will be assessed net of all ineligible services and meal deductions whichever is the lower of the two determinations provided by the Rent Officer. This would normally be the Single Room Rent.
What happens when you become 25?
When you reach 25 and if your benefit entitlement is assessed using the lower Single Room Rent, on the Monday following your 25th birthday your benefit will be re-assessed using the Maximum Rent. You do NOT need to contact the benefits section about this, as they will automatically carry out the necessary re-assessment.
The Rent Officer's decision will stand for 12 months from the date it was made but the Single Room Rent will last for 12 months of until your 25th birthday, whichever is the sooner.
Appealing against the Rent Service's decision
If you are not happy with the way the Rent Service assesses your rent, you can appeal. You should write to us within one month of the date on the decision letter and we will ask the Rent Service to look at your case again. The Rent Service can change their assessment, so if you appeal against your rent assessment, you might receive more benefit, but you could also end up with less.
More Information
To learn more about The Rent Service please visit their website at www.therentservice.gov.uk and view the 'Frequently Asked Questions' section.
| Contact details | |
|---|---|
| Bournemouth Council | |
| Town Hall, Bourne Avenue Bournemouth BH2 6DY | |
| Tel: 01202 451451 | |
| Fax: 01202 451000 | |
| Minicom: 01202 454728 | |
| Email: Enquiries | |