Finding a private sector home

How to look for a new home

You may now feel ready to start searching for your new home. 

You can look online for letting agents and estate agents.  Use the tools and links below to help secure a property and find out if you can afford it.

The following are suggested sites.  We cannot promise that any particular agent or website will be able to help you, especially if you are going to claim housing benefit.

You can search for current available properties on the market by area on www.home.co.uk

Property search websites

Housing benefit

Once you have identified a property you will need to know how much housing benefit is available. You can find the maximum housing benefit levels (referred to as Local Housing Allowance) on the Direct Gov website. You will need the postcode for a property to be sure which rate applies.

If you are working, or if your income from benefits or investments, exceeds a certain level you may not be entitled to the maximum level of housing benefit. If so, you will need to use your income to make up the housing benefit shortfall.