Information for landlords

Some tenants may struggle with the responsibility for paying their rent to private landlords.

Does your tenant receive Universal Credit?

If your tenant is receiving Universal Credit, please see Universal Credit and rented housing - a guide for landlords on gov.uk

Does your tenant receive Housing Benefit?

If your tenant is struggling to pay their rent, we can decide, at our discretion, to make payments directly to landlords in the following circumstances:

• If we consider the tenant is likely to have difficulty managing his or her own affairs. Vulnerabilities behind this could include having a learning disorder or an alcohol or drug problem. 
• If we believe the tenant is unlikely to use their Local Housing Allowance (LHA) to pay their rent, because we know they have previously failed to do so when their LHA has been backdated, or there has been a delay in processing a claim and a large amount of benefit is due to be paid. We may decide to make the first payment direct to the landlord.
• If the tenant has built up rent arrears of eight weeks or more and payment direct to the landlord is implemented under housing benefit regulations. We can decide to continue making payments direct to the landlord, even after the arrears have fallen below eight weeks.
• If the tenant is having deductions taken from their Income Support or Jobseeker’s Allowance to pay off rent arrears.

Contact us

Please contact us to discuss options. You will need to provide evidence with your request.

Email: housingbenefits@waverley.gov.uk

More information

Find out more about Discretionary Housing Payments