There are three types of tenancies in the private rented sector. Your eligible rent depends on the type of tenancy you have.

If you have a "protected" or a "rent-controlled" tenancy, the amount of rent you have to pay to your landlord will be limited by the relevant legislation.

However, if your landlord can set his/her own rent levels, your eligible rent for the purposes of calculating housing benefit will be based on your specific circumstances. New legislation in April 2008 introduced local housing allowance rates. These are set amounts of maximum eligible rent within certain areas in Northern Ireland and for different types of accommodation.

Learn more about working out your local housing allowance.