Local Housing Allowance & Housing Benefits: special seminar series.
Working in partnership with Settled Housing Solutions Consultancy Service.

Make LHA Work For You

A special seminar series designed to give landlords a better insight into the workings of the Local Housing Allowances (LHA) - and how to get the most out of the system. To reduce the risks of private renting for low income households, landlords and letting agents need to understand how the Housing Benefit and Local Housing Allowance (LHA) system works.

The programme for the full day seminar includes:

  • How to successfully set up a LHA tenancy.
  • The new Department of Work and Pensions/Communities and Local Government guidance on safeguard policies and direct payments to landlords.
  • How LHA rates are calculated.
  • Evidence required for housing benefit claims.
  • Understanding Broad Rental Market Areas.
  • How to avoid rent arrears.
  • Local authority 'Landlord Assisted Schemes' - how do they work.
  • How to get claims paid much quicker.
  • Understanding the legislative protocol to manage housing benefit claims.
  • Understanding the role of the Valuation Office Agency (VOA).
  • How to deal with overpayments.
  • How to increase rental profits by knowing the system.
  • Utilising local floating tenancy support services
  • Ongoing LHA monitoring and performance: how it can be improved.

Also general advice from Landlord Action relating too:

  • Effective tenant referencing.
  • How to avoid bad tenants.
  • Eviction procedures.
  • Recovering rent arrears and debt recovery.

All delegates will receive an LHA manual. It is a comprehensive how-to guide that covers a range of LHA subjects and shows what to do, when to do it and how to do it. It will be indispensable for those who work with housing benefit tenants and is not availble anywhere else.

It includes:

  • Guidance notes on direct payments.
  • Slides from the speakers.
  • Template standard letters for rent arrears and landlord assisted scheme tenant referral forms.
  • LHA process and decision maps.
  • Useful LHA contacts.

In-House Training for Letting and Managing Agents

We can also work alongside lettings and accounts teams and deliver a comprehensive and bespoke LHA training and awareness programme, which can include:

  • Introducing LHA rent arrears and void monitoring procedures
  • Formulate tenancy support arrangements with the local floating support service.
  • How to trigger LHA safeguard policy decisions
  • Standard LHA tenant referral and safeguard letters
  • Dealing with LHA overpayments and new claims
  • Establishing links with your local Valuation Office Agency (VOA)
  • Help secure temporary accommodation tender submissions
  • Gathering evidence to secure 'Direct Payments to Landlords'
  • LHA tenant referencing procedures.
  • Debt recovering and eviction proceedings
  • Utilising LHA landlord insurance products and services

How the LHA Seminars will help local authorities

The seminars aim to help the local private rented sector providers to improve their LHA performance, encourage them to engage with their local authority housing service and contribute to the following Communities and Local Government Rugg Review recommendations and homelessness objectives.

  • Improve engagement with the local private rented sector market.
  • Underpin the successful operation of a local authorities 'Local Letting Agency (LLA) Model.
  • Equalise private rented sector rental opportunities for low income households
  • Contribute to temporary accommodation reduction and housing need targets.
  • Raise awareness of local floating tenancy support services, training and local employment initiatives.
  • Promote better housing management through letting agent licensing schemes.