Housing benefit if renting from family
This content applies to England only.
Housing laws vary between England and Scotland. Get advice relating to Scotland
You may not be able to claim housing benefit if you pay rent to a family member.
I live with other family members
If you are (or your partner is) renting a home from a close family member who shares all or part of the home with you, you won’t get housing benefit, even if you are paying them rent. This applies if you are renting from a:
- parent or step-parent
- father-in-law or mother-in-law
- child or step-child
- son-in-law or daughter-in-law
- brother or sister (including half-brothers and half-sisters)
- brother-in-law or sister-in-law
- partner of any of the above.
I live in a property owned by a family member
If you live in a property owned by a family member and pay them rent, you may be entitled to housing benefit. The council will want to take a detailed look at your agreement with your landlord. You won’t get housing benefit if:
- you're not paying rent on a commercial basis
- the arrangement has been set up to take advantage of the housing benefit system – this is called a ‘contrived tenancy’. For example, if your landlord only asks you to pay rent when you are not working (and so are eligible for housing benefit), but not when you are working (and earning too much to qualify for housing benefit), this would be a contrived tenancy.
My landlord is the parent of my child
You won’t be able to get housing benefit if you are (or your partner is) responsible for a child and the landlord is a parent of that child.
I’m renting from my ex-partner
You won’t be able to get housing benefit if you rent you home from:
- your ex-partner – and you and your ex-partner used to live there together, or
- your partner’s ex-partner – and your partner and their ex used to live there together.
What if my application is turned down?
You have the right to appeal a decision you don’t agree with – read more on challenging a decision. If you’re in this position, you may need to talk to an adviser at a Shelter advice centre or Citizens Advice Bureau – you can use our advice services directory to find an agency near you.
Share your story
Our housing crisis is affecting millions of people across the country. The most effective way for Shelter to show just how bad things have got and how much needs to be done is by highlighting the real-life experiences of people around the country.
If you have had a bad housing experience you can help Shelter by sharing your story with us 
