Glossary
Rent officer
In one sentence
An official at the Valuation Office Agency who assesses rents for Housing Benefit, including exempt rents from non-registered landlords.
The rent officer's figure caps how much Housing Benefit subsidy the council gets back from the DWP for a non-registered provider's exempt rent. It does not by itself cap what the council can pay.
Related terms
Where it comes up
- Rent, service charges and Housing Benefit in supported housingHousing Benefit in supported housing covers the core rent plus eligible service charges, such as cleaning and lighting communal areas, furniture and intensive housing management. It does not cover support, counselling, personal care, water charges or most personal fuel and food. Councils expect a line-by-line breakdown showing how each charge is calculated and why it is eligible.
- What is exempt accommodation?Exempt accommodation is supported housing where the landlord is a housing association, registered charity, voluntary organisation or non-metropolitan county council, and that landlord, or someone acting for it, gives the resident more than minimal care, support or supervision. Housing Benefit pays the rent, and the usual local rent caps do not apply.
- A guide for managing agents and proptech teams in supported housingIn supported housing the landlord, support provider and managing agent carry different duties, and the paperwork has to say who does what. Managing agents need a clear management agreement and a compliance record. Proptech teams should build around the evidence councils and licensing officers ask for, with proper protection for sensitive data.