LHA by area › Harlow & Stortford
LHA rates in Harlow & Stortford
The Valuation Office Agency's Local Housing Allowance for the Harlow & Stortford Broad Rental Market Area, April 2026 to March 2027, and what those rates return against what houses actually sold for in each postcode district.
3-bed LHA: £1,207 a month. 4-bed: £1,371. Room in a shared house: £450.
Best 3-bed LHA yield in the area: 4.5% in CM18, where a terraced house sold for a median £325,000 in the last 12 months.
Rates
| Bedrooms | Per week | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| shared accommodation (room) | £104 | £450 |
| 1 bedroom | £186 | £808 |
| 2 bedrooms | £236 | £1,022 |
| 3 bedrooms | £279 | £1,207 |
| 4 bedrooms | £316 | £1,371 |
3-bed LHA yield by postcode district
3-bedroom LHA for the year against the median terraced sale price in the district, last 12 months, districts with at least 10 sales. Sold data as of September 2026.
| District | Median terraced sale | Gross LHA yield |
|---|---|---|
| CM18 Epping Forest | £325,000 (127 sales) | 4.5% |
| CM20 East Hertfordshire | £335,000 (82 sales) | 4.3% |
| CM21 East Hertfordshire | £337,500 (28 sales) | 4.3% |
| CM19 East Hertfordshire | £341,250 (62 sales) | 4.2% |
| CM17 Epping Forest | £354,000 (100 sales) | 4.1% |
| CM22 East Hertfordshire | £356,825 (23 sales) | 4.1% |
| CM6 Braintree | £357,000 (67 sales) | 4.1% |
| CM23 East Hertfordshire | £373,500 (116 sales) | 3.9% |
| CM24 Uttlesford | £375,000 (21 sales) | 3.9% |
| SG11 East Hertfordshire | £385,000 (22 sales) | 3.8% |
| CM5 Brentwood | £492,500 (14 sales) | 2.9% |
| CM16 Epping Forest | £498,750 (56 sales) | 2.9% |
4-bed LHA yield against a semi
| District | Median semi sale | Gross LHA yield |
|---|---|---|
| CM20 East Hertfordshire | £380,000 (13 sales) | 4.3% |
| CM6 Braintree | £403,750 (78 sales) | 4.1% |
| CM22 East Hertfordshire | £417,500 (44 sales) | 3.9% |
| CM18 Epping Forest | £420,000 (22 sales) | 3.9% |
| CM17 Epping Forest | £445,000 (65 sales) | 3.7% |
| CM19 East Hertfordshire | £447,500 (22 sales) | 3.7% |
| CM23 East Hertfordshire | £448,997 (128 sales) | 3.7% |
| CM24 Uttlesford | £475,000 (23 sales) | 3.5% |
| CM21 East Hertfordshire | £487,500 (34 sales) | 3.4% |
| CM5 Brentwood | £487,500 (38 sales) | 3.4% |
| SG11 East Hertfordshire | £515,000 (27 sales) | 3.2% |
| CM16 Epping Forest | £580,000 (61 sales) | 2.8% |
What the yield figure is
Local Housing Allowance is the most housing benefit will pay towards rent in an area, set by the Valuation Office Agency for each Broad Rental Market Area and bedroom count. It is a floor for rent, not a forecast: a tenant on benefits can pay it, and market rents usually sit above it. The yield here is the 3-bedroom LHA rate for the year, divided by the median price paid for a terraced house in the district over the last 12 months (HM Land Registry). Gross, before costs, before voids, before finance. It is a screening number for comparing areas, not an appraisal of any house.
April 2026 to March 2027 (the same figures as April 2024, per the 2026 Modification Order).
Sources: VOA Local Housing Allowance rates, VOA BRMA boundaries, HM Land Registry Price Paid Data. Districts are assigned to an area by their centre point; a district straddling two areas is shown in one.