National Minimum Wage and Living Wage: accommodation
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1. Accommodation rates
Accommodation provided by an employer can be taken into account when calculating the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage.
No other kind of company benefit (such as food, a car, childcare vouchers) counts towards the minimum wage.
Accommodation offset rates
The accommodation rates are set in April each year.
| Year | Daily accommodation offset rate | Weekly accommodation offset rate |
|---|---|---|
| April 2024 | £9.99 | £69.93 |
Previous rates
| Year | Daily accommodation offset rate | Weekly accommodation offset rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | £9.10 | £63.70 |
| 2022 | £8.70 | £60.90 |
| 2021 | £8.36 | £58.52 |
| 2020 | £8.20 | £57.40 |
| 2019 | £7.55 | £52.85 |
| 2018 | £7 | £49 |
| 2017 | £6.40 | £44.80 |
Use the minimum wage calculator to check if it’s been paid.
Using the offset rate to work out the minimum wage
If an employer charges more than the offset rate, the difference is taken off the worker’s pay which counts for the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage.
This means the higher the accommodation charge, the lower a worker’s pay when calculating the minimum wage.
If the accommodation charge is at or below the offset rate, it does not have an effect on the worker’s pay.
If the accommodation is free, the offset rate is added to the worker’s pay.
See examples of accommodation rates for minimum wage calculations.
2. What counts as accommodation charges
Include these costs as part of your overall accommodation charges:
- rent
- charges for things like gas, electricity, furniture
- laundry
Working out if the employer provides the accommodation
The employer is providing accommodation if any of these apply:
- the accommodation comes with the job
- the employer (or a connected person or company) owns or rents the property the worker lives in, even if there’s no direct link between the job and the accommodation
- the employer (or an owner, business partner, shareholder or director) gets a payment or benefit from the worker’s landlord or a member of the landlord’s family
Accommodation costs count towards the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, even if the worker does not have to use the accommodation to do the job. If the accommodation is optional, it only counts as a cost if the worker uses it.
Local housing authority and social housing providers
If someone working for a local housing authority or social housing provider gets accommodation from their work, this does not automatically count towards the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage.
It only counts if the accommodation is linked to the employment. For example, a care warden who has to live on site has their accommodation linked to their job.
Higher or further education institutions
Accommodation is not counted when working out the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage if it’s provided by a higher or further education institution to a worker who’s enrolled on a full-time course with the institution.
Help and advice
Call the Acas helpline if you have any questions about workers’ rights and the minimum wage.
3. Effect on the minimum wage
This effect of accommodation rates on the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage depends on how much an employer charges for accommodation.
It’s calculated by ‘pay period’, the intervals at which someone is being paid. This can be weekly, monthly or in irregular intervals like every 10 days.
If the accommodation is free, it still affects the minimum wage. There is an offset rate of £9.99 per day for this.
It does not matter if the cost of the accommodation is taken from the worker’s wages beforehand or if the worker pays the cost after they get their wages.
Examples
Example 1: accommodation is free
John is 24 and gets £9.60 an hour. This is below the National Living Wage (which he should get as he’s over 23).
He works 30 hours a week.
He gets paid every 7 days (his pay period).
His employer provides free accommodation 7 days a week.
This brings John’s pay up to £11.93 an hour, which is above the National Living Wage of £11.44.
Calculation:
-
£9.99 (offset rate used when accommodation is free) × 7 (days accommodation provided in pay period) = £69.93
-
£69.93 + (£9.60 × 30 - the total pay in reference period) = £357.93
-
£357.93 ÷ 30 (total hours in pay period) = £11.93
Example 2: accommodation is charged below the maximum rate
Lisa is 20 and gets £10.30 an hour. This is above the National Minimum Wage.
Her employer charges £6.50 per day for accommodation which is below the threshold of £9.99. No offset rate is applied.
The accommodation charge does not affect Lisa’s pay of £10.30 an hour.
Example 3: accommodation is charged above the maximum rate
Sam is 35 and gets £11.45 an hour. This is above the National Living Wage (which he should get as he’s over 21).
He works 40 hours a week.
He gets paid every 3 weeks (his pay period).
His employer charges £10.50 per day for accommodation.
Sam lives in the accommodation full time which is 21 days for his pay period.
This brings Sam’s pay down to £11.36 an hour, which is below the National Living Wage.
Calculation:
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£11.45 (hourly rate) × 120 (total hours in pay period) = £1,374
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£10.50 (accommodation rate) × 21 (days accommodation provided in pay period) = £220.50
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£9.99 (offset rate used when accommodation is free) × 21 (days accommodation provided in pay period) = £209.79
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£1,374 (total pay in pay period) – £220.50 (total accommodation cost in pay period) + £209.79 (total accommodation offset in pay period) = £1,363.29
-
£1,363.29 ÷ 120 (total hours in pay period) = £11.36