Housing costs element of universal credit
Guide for professionals
Deductions for joint tenants
The DWP does not normally treat a joint tenant as liable for the entire rent on their property.
Checking for joint tenancies
You must always confirm if a joint tenancy exists. Even if your client is living alone, it is important to check whether the contract is for a joint tenancy. For example, if there has been a relationship breakdown and an ex-partner has left the property but is still a joint tenant on the contract.
How the DWP apportions housing costs in joint tenancies
If a claimant is on a joint tenancy with someone who isn't their partner, the DWP usually caps the total amount of the rent they will pay through UC. The DWP does this by splitting the total rent equally between those named on the tenancy.
If the joint tenancy includes the claimant's partner as well as other people, the claimant and their partner will be allocated two shares of the divided amount.
Apportioning the rent in other ways
The DWP has discretion to divide the rental liability in a joint tenancy in other ways if it would be unreasonable to divide it equally between tenants. For example, if one of the other joint tenants has left the property and stopped paying rent, or if one joint tenant has a much larger household than the others.
Even if the DWP caps a joint tenant's UC housing costs to a portion of the rent, the landlord can still claim any amount of the whole rent of the tenancy from any joint tenant. This can result in a shortfall if one of the other joint tenants stops paying rent.
If this happens, your client should inform the DWP and ask them to apportion the rent differently.
Professionals can find out more about joint tenant liability for rent on Shelter Legal.
Social rents and joint tenancies
If the claimant is renting social housing and their liability is apportioned as a joint tenant, they are not subject to bedroom tax and no deductions are made for spare bedrooms.
Private rents and joint tenancies
If the claimant is renting privately and they are a joint tenant with someone who is not part of their household, then the rent they are considered liable for is the lower of:
their portion of the rent as a joint tenant
the bedroom rate (local housing allowance) that applies to them
More information on UC and joint tenancies
Find out more about universal credit after a joint tenant or partner leaves the accommodation on Shelter's website.
Last updated: 29 January 2026
