Can I find out the rent you will use to work out my Housing Benefit if I am thinking about renting from a private landlord?
Before deciding to move into a property you can find out what we will use in our calculations. To do this you need to apply for a Pre-Tenancy Determination. Please ask us for a Pre-Tenancy Determination form. This form asks details about the property you want to rent and your personal circumstances, you will also need to have the form signed by the landlord.
Once completed you must return the form to the Housing Benefit Section and we will then send it to the Rent Officer. You will then receive a letter from the rent service which will tell you the highest amount of rent we could use in the assessment of your benefit. A copy of this will also be sent to us and your landlord. It also means if you decide to move into the property we will already have the amount of rent to use in our calculations, so your benefit can be worked out more quickly.
It is important to understand that the figure given by the rent officer is not necessarily the amount of weekly entitlement we will pay, as this will depend on your income and personal circumstances.
