Local Housing Allowance
LHA rates in Chichester 2026/27
The most Universal Credit or Housing Benefit can pay towards rent for a private tenancy in the Chichester Broad Rental Market Area: £950 a month for a two-bedroom home.
Rates for April 2026 to March 2027 · England · Independent, not a government service
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Check a property freeChichester LHA rates, April 2026 to March 2027
| Bedrooms allowed | Universal Credit, a month | Housing Benefit, a week |
|---|---|---|
| Room in a shared house | £450 | £103.56 |
| 1 bedroom | £788 | £181.35 |
| 2 bedrooms | £950 | £218.63 |
| 3 bedrooms | £1,225 | £281.92 |
| 4 bedrooms | £1,600 | £368.22 |
Four bedrooms is the most either benefit pays for, however large the household. Universal Credit uses the monthly rate; Housing Benefit, now mostly for people over State Pension age, uses the weekly one.
What are the LHA rates in Chichester?
For April 2026 to March 2027, the most Universal Credit can pay towards private rent in the Chichester Broad Rental Market Area is £450 a month for a room in a shared house, £788 for one bedroom, £950 for two, £1,225 for three and £1,600 for four or more. Housing Benefit uses the weekly rates in the table above.
Chichester at a glance
The 2-bedroom rate here, £950 a month, is the 34th highest of 152 areas in England, £225 above the middle rate of £725.
A single person under 35 living alone usually gets only the shared rate: £450 a month, £338 less than the one-bedroom rate.
The freeze bites hardest on the 2-bedroom rate, £147 a month below the cheapest 30% of local rents.
Of the councils in the area, Horsham has the average 2-bedroom rent furthest above the rate, by £416 a month; in Havant the gap is smallest, at £142.
Work out your rate from your household
Enter the home’s postcode and who lives with you to see which rate applies, and the gap to your rent. Nothing you enter about your household leaves your browser.
What the freeze costs in Chichester
Each rate against the cheapest 30% of local rents, as last measured (lettings to September 2025).
| Rate | LHA a month | Cheapest 30% of rents | Short by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Room in a shared house | £450 | £549 | £99 |
| 1 bedroom | £788 | £866 | £78 |
| 2 bedrooms | £950 | £1,097 | £147 |
| 3 bedrooms | £1,225 | £1,346 | £121 |
| 4 bedrooms | £1,600 | £1,675 | £75 |
Weekly figures converted at 52 weeks over 12 months.
Councils in the Chichester area
Each council’s share of private renters in this area (Census 2021), and its average 2-bedroom rent (ONS).
| Council | Private renters in this area | Average 2-bed rent |
|---|---|---|
| Chichester | 99% | £1,229 |
| Havant | 9% | £1,092 |
| Horsham | 7% | £1,366 |
Against a 2-bedroom LHA of £950. A council’s average covers all its homes, not only the cheaper ones LHA is set against, so expect it to be higher. The housing benefit gap in every council.
Is my home in the Chichester area?
Broad Rental Market Areas don’t follow council boundaries, so a council can be split between two or more. Enter the postcode in the calculator below to see which area a home is in. If it is near the edge of an area, check on LHA-Direct, the Valuation Office Agency’s official lookup.
Are LHA rates in Chichester going up?
Not this year. The rates for April 2026 to March 2027 are frozen at the April 2024 level. They were meant to cover the cheapest 30% of local rents, and in Chichester the 2-bedroom rate is now about £147 a month below that level. Rates for April 2027 have not been announced yet: the 28 October 2026 Budget did not mention them.
Which rate your household gets, and what to do if your rent is more: the LHA calculator and guide. Help with a shortfall: Housing Payments (formerly Discretionary Housing Payments), from your council.
Where these figures come from
DWP monthly rates, Valuation Office Agency weekly rates and local rents, the freeze in SI 2026/5, Census 2021 and ONS rents. Official lookup: LHA-Direct. Contains public sector information from the Valuation Office Agency (HMRC) and the Department for Work and Pensions, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The most that can be paid towards rent, not what you will receive. Independent, not connected with DWP or your council.
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