Up and down the country, private renters in receipt of housing benefit are locked out of finding a home due to the government’s reckless housing benefit freeze.
We’re asking Shelter supporters to see for themselves just how tough it is right now for struggling renters who need to find a new home, by taking the #TryToRent Challenge.
What do I need to do?
1. Go to a UK property portal, such as RightMove or Zoopla, then enter your postcode and the monthly rent you’d be able to afford with your local housing allowance in your area (see table below)
2. Take a screenshot of the results
3. Share your screenshot on Twitter with the hashtag #TrytoRent Challenge
4. Not on Twitter? Send your screenshot along with your name to campaigns@shelter.org.uk. We’ll try to share as many as we can on our social media channels.
The table below shows local monthly LHA rates – if you need to check which rate applies in your area, you can enter your postcode into the government’s LHA Direct tool.
| Monthly local housing allowance entitlements by size of home | |||
| Broad rental market area | One bedroom | Two bedroom | Three bedroom |
| Ashford | £623.31 | £728.00 | £897.52 |
| Aylesbury | £673.14 | £797.81 | £1,047.11 |
| Barnsley | £364.00 | £398.88 | £473.72 |
| Barrow-in-Furness | £375.01 | £443.78 | £548.51 |
| Basingstoke | £693.12 | £822.73 | £947.40 |
| Bath | £723.02 | £847.69 | £992.29 |
| Bedford | £573.43 | £723.02 | £872.60 |
| Birmingham | £523.55 | £623.31 | £673.14 |
| Black Country | £397.89 | £508.60 | £593.36 |
| Blackwater Valley | £698.10 | £872.60 | £1,096.98 |
| Bolton and Bury | £393.90 | £478.70 | £593.36 |
| Bournemouth | £596.87 | £757.90 | £947.40 |
| Bradford & South Dales | £349.05 | £448.76 | £523.55 |
| Brighton and Hove | £797.81 | £997.27 | £1,196.69 |
| Bristol | £693.12 | £822.73 | £947.40 |
| Bury St Edmunds | £523.55 | £648.22 | £797.81 |
| Cambridge | £772.89 | £847.69 | £947.40 |
| Canterbury | £593.36 | £792.83 | £972.31 |
| Central Greater Manchester | £598.35 | £648.22 | £723.02 |
| Central Lancs | £393.90 | £498.64 | £573.43 |
| Central London | £1,280.46 | £1,585.65 | £1,914.73 |
| Central Norfolk & Norwich | £493.65 | £598.35 | £708.07 |
| Chelmsford | £648.22 | £792.83 | £982.28 |
| Cheltenham | £548.51 | £693.12 | £847.69 |
| Cherwell Valley | £648.22 | £772.89 | £897.52 |
| Chesterfield | £388.92 | £448.76 | £548.51 |
| Chichester | £648.22 | £822.73 | £992.29 |
| Chilterns | £747.93 | £972.31 | £1,246.57 |
| Colchester | £523.55 | £688.09 | £847.69 |
| Coventry | £488.67 | £573.43 | £673.14 |
| Crawley & Reigate | £747.93 | £947.40 | £1,196.69 |
| Darlington | £329.98 | £398.88 | £493.65 |
| Derby | £393.90 | £498.64 | £593.36 |
| Doncaster | £373.97 | £438.79 | £483.69 |
| Dover-Shepway | £433.81 | £573.43 | £747.93 |
| Durham | £324.09 | £378.95 | £448.76 |
| East Cheshire | £493.65 | £598.35 | £822.73 |
| East Lancs | £368.33 | £423.84 | £498.33 |
| East Thames Valley | £797.81 | £997.27 | £1,271.49 |
| Eastbourne | £598.35 | £762.88 | £897.52 |
| Eastern Staffordshire | £423.84 | £523.55 | £623.31 |
| Exeter | £568.45 | £678.12 | £822.73 |
| Fylde Coast | £368.33 | £496.64 | £573.43 |
| Gloucester | £448.76 | £598.35 | £747.93 |
| Grantham & Newark | £373.97 | £483.69 | £573.43 |
| Greater Liverpool | £398.88 | £468.69 | £523.55 |
| Grimsby | £333.67 | £428.83 | £448.76 |
| Guildford | £847.69 | £1,096.98 | £1,371.24 |
| Halifax | £373.97 | £448.76 | £523.55 |
| Harlow & Stortford | £718.03 | £897.52 | £1,121.90 |
| Harrogate | £523.55 | £663.17 | £792.83 |
| Herefordshire | £423.84 | £548.51 | £678.12 |
| High Weald | £693.12 | £897.52 | £1,126.88 |
| Hull & East Riding | £346.67 | £398.88 | £473.72 |
| Huntingdon | £563.46 | £698.10 | £822.73 |
| Inner East London | £1,280.46 | £1,585.65 | £1,914.73 |
| Inner North London | £1,280.46 | £1,585.65 | £1,914.73 |
| Inner South East London | £1,146.86 | £1,346.28 | £1,670.41 |
| Inner South West London | £1,280.46 | £1,545.74 | £1,914.73 |
| Inner West London | £1,204.71 | £1,470.95 | £1,914.73 |
| Ipswich | £488.67 | £608.31 | £713.05 |
| Isle of Wight | £448.76 | £573.43 | £723.02 |
| Kendal | £493.65 | £598.35 | £723.02 |
| Kernow West | £493.65 | £623.31 | £732.98 |
| Kings Lynn | £448.76 | £573.43 | £673.14 |
| Kirklees | £368.33 | £448.76 | £548.51 |
| Lancaster | £418.86 | £523.55 | £598.35 |
| Leeds | £523.55 | £593.36 | £698.10 |
| Leicester | £448.76 | £563.46 | £673.14 |
| Lincoln | £423.84 | £508.60 | £573.43 |
| Lincolnshire Fens | £433.81 | £573.43 | £648.22 |
| Lowestoft & Great Yarmouth | £398.67 | £503.62 | £548.51 |
| Luton | £623.31 | £772.89 | £972.31 |
| Maidstone | £648.22 | £812.76 | £972.31 |
| Medway & Swale | £593.36 | £747.93 | £847.69 |
| Mendip | £483.69 | £623.31 | £777.88 |
| Mid & East Devon | £448.76 | £593.36 | £723.02 |
| Mid & West Dorset | £518.57 | £648.22 | £792.83 |
| Mid Staffs | £423.84 | £548.51 | £648.22 |
| Milton Keynes | £648.22 | £822.73 | £972.31 |
| Newbury | £673.14 | £835.21 | £1,047.11 |
| North Cheshire | £423.84 | £498.64 | £593.36 |
| North Cornwall & Devon Borders | £423.84 | £533.52 | £648.22 |
| North Cumbria | £349.05 | £423.84 | £523.55 |
| North Devon | £423.84 | £548.51 | £648.22 |
| North Nottingham | £349.05 | £448.76 | £473.72 |
| North West Kent | £673.14 | £847.69 | £1,047.11 |
| North West London | £997.27 | £1,246.57 | £1,545.74 |
| Northampton | £548.51 | £693.12 | £797.81 |
| Northants Central | £473.72 | £598.35 | £693.12 |
| Northumberland | £339.08 | £393.90 | £473.72 |
| Nottingham | £468.69 | £548.51 | £623.31 |
| Oldham & Rochdale | £393.90 | £450.02 | £548.51 |
| Outer East London | £1,047.11 | £1,296.45 | £1,545.74 |
| Outer North East London | £897.52 | £1,146.86 | £1,371.24 |
| Outer North London | £1,067.04 | £1,296.45 | £1,595.62 |
| Outer South East London | £892.54 | £1,096.98 | £1,296.45 |
| Outer South London | £872.60 | £1,096.98 | £1,371.24 |
| Outer South West London | £1,047.11 | £1,321.36 | £1,595.62 |
| Outer West London | £922.48 | £1,171.78 | £1,396.16 |
| Oxford | £772.89 | £910.00 | £1,096.98 |
| Peaks & Dales | £423.37 | £523.55 | £623.31 |
| Peterborough | £478.70 | £593.36 | £693.12 |
| Plymouth | £448.76 | £583.40 | £693.12 |
| Portsmouth | £583.40 | £723.02 | £872.60 |
| Reading | £792.83 | £947.40 | £1,146.86 |
| Richmond & Hambleton | £398.88 | £498.64 | £593.36 |
| Rotherham | £373.97 | £423.84 | £478.70 |
| Rugby & East | £523.55 | £638.26 | £747.93 |
| Salisbury | £573.43 | £723.02 | £847.69 |
| Scarborough | £373.97 | £483.69 | £558.48 |
| Scunthorpe | £324.09 | £448.76 | £483.69 |
| Sheffield | £473.72 | £523.55 | £573.43 |
| Shropshire | £398.88 | £523.55 | £623.31 |
| Solihull | £573.43 | £723.02 | £872.60 |
| South Cheshire | £393.90 | £493.65 | £593.36 |
| South Devon | £448.76 | £598.35 | £728.00 |
| South East Herts | £747.93 | £922.48 | £1,196.69 |
| South West Essex | £698.10 | £872.60 | £1,072.07 |
| South West Herts | £797.81 | £997.27 | £1,296.45 |
| Southampton | £593.36 | £772.89 | £922.48 |
| Southend | £598.35 | £792.83 | £997.27 |
| Southern Greater Manchester | £523.55 | £648.22 | £747.93 |
| Southport | £407.33 | £538.50 | £663.17 |
| St Helens | £373.97 | £438.79 | £548.51 |
| Staffordshire North | £373.97 | £423.84 | £548.51 |
| Stevenage & North Herts | £673.14 | £847.69 | £1,047.11 |
| Sunderland | £388.92 | £433.33 | £493.65 |
| Sussex East | £498.64 | £648.22 | £847.69 |
| Swindon | £548.51 | £658.19 | £792.83 |
| Tameside & Glossop | £398.88 | £493.65 | £593.36 |
| Taunton & West Somerset | £448.76 | £593.36 | £713.05 |
| Teesside | £373.97 | £431.82 | £498.33 |
| Thanet | £473.72 | £648.22 | £797.81 |
| Tyneside | £423.84 | £473.72 | £548.51 |
| Wakefield | £393.90 | £473.72 | £523.55 |
| Walton | £847.69 | £1,096.98 | £1,346.28 |
| Warwickshire South | £623.31 | £747.93 | £897.52 |
| West Cheshire | £448.76 | £548.51 | £648.22 |
| West Cumbria | £349.05 | £418.86 | £493.65 |
| West Pennine | £349.05 | £388.92 | £448.76 |
| West Wiltshire | £518.57 | £648.22 | £792.83 |
| Weston-S-Mare | £473.72 | £598.35 | £747.93 |
| Wigan | £349.05 | £448.76 | £497.64 |
| Winchester | £723.02 | £857.65 | £1,096.98 |
| Wirral | £373.97 | £448.76 | £548.51 |
| Wolds and Coast | £359.02 | £451.27 | £528.54 |
| Worcester North | £438.79 | £549.12 | £648.22 |
| Worcester South | £498.64 | £623.31 | £747.93 |
| Worthing | £623.31 | £797.81 | £967.33 |
| Yeovil | £438.79 | £573.43 | £723.02 |
| York | £543.49 | £648.22 | £723.02 |
