Broad Rental Market Area (or BRMA) boundaries are used to determine Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates. Empowered by the Welfare Reform Act (2007), the Rent Officer has defined the current boundaries in accordance with the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) (Amendment) Order 2008, which came into force on January 5th, 2009. The Order defines a BRMA as an area (a) comprising two or more distinct areas of residential accommodation, each distinct area of residential accommodation adjoining at least one other in the area; (b) within which a person could reasonably be expected to live having regard to facilities and services for the purposes of health, education, recreation, personal banking and shopping, taking account of the distance of travel, by public and private transport, to and from facilities and services of the same type and similar standard; and (c) containing residential premises of a variety of types and including such premises held on a variety of tenancies.
