United Kingdom
OHA in the UK
Updated
This is a personal guide. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the Department of Defense, any U.S. military service, or any base office. Allowances change often (sometimes twice a month). Always confirm with your base housing office and finance before you sign anything.
Allowances and rates
Last checked:
These are the allowances and rates used on this page. Rows marked Needs verification are missing, unofficial, or marked check current rate. Do not treat them as a guaranteed payment.
- Needs verification — confirm it before you rely on it.
- Source cited — the article names a source. The figure can still change.
| Item | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|
| OHA rent ceiling, any pay grade DTMO OHA calculator — The ceiling depends on locality, pay grade, and dependents. This page does not print one. | Check current rate | Needs verification |
| Utility / recurring maintenance allowance DTMO OHA — Set from local surveys. No UK amount is printed here. | Check current rate | Needs verification |
| MIHA / Miscellaneous DTMO OHA — A lump sum paid with the first OHA rent payment. The amount is not printed here. | Check current rate | Needs verification |
| MIHA / Rent, Security, Infectious Disease, Safety DTMO OHA — Receipt reimbursement, and only where that MIHA type is allowed. Not a monthly rate. | No flat amount | Needs verification |
| COLA DTMO COLA calculator — Not part of OHA. No amount is printed here. | Check current rate | Needs verification |
Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) is the housing allowance for a US service member assigned overseas. In the United Kingdom the guides on this site use OHA, not BAH. The rules below are from the Defense Travel Management Office and DoD Financial Management Regulation Volume 7A, Chapter 26 (May 2025). Confirm them there before you rely on them. Start with the PCS to the UK checklist if you are still gathering orders, passports, and a shipping date.
Rent
OHA is a cost-reimbursement allowance. DTMO says members are reimbursed for rent up to the amount of the lease or the allowance, whichever is less. The maximum rental allowances are set so that 80 percent of members with dependents have rents fully reimbursed. Some members pay something out of pocket. A member without dependents, or an unaccompanied member, is entitled to 90 percent of the with-dependent rental rate.
The ceiling depends on the locality where you live, your pay grade, and whether you have dependents. It is not one number for the whole country. Check current rate on the OHA calculator after the housing office confirms the locality. Locality codes are on the OHA rate lookup.
You apply with DD Form 2367, with a copy of the lease. If the rent is under the ceiling, the reimbursement follows the lease. You do not receive the unused difference as extra pay.
Needs verification. This page does not list a ceiling for any UK locality or any pay grade. The base guides that have a cited ceiling still flag it, because those figures were not taken from the DTMO calculator. Use the guide, then the calculator. Do not copy a number from one base onto another.
Utility and recurring maintenance allowance
DTMO pays this monthly to members who pay their own utilities and recurring maintenance. It is built from surveys of members who pay those bills, and it is set to cover the 80th percentile of reported costs. A member without dependents who pays their own utilities receives 75 percent of the with-dependent rate. If the landlord pays the utilities, you do not receive this allowance as a separate payment. DTMO says that included amount is added to the rental allowance instead.
The dollar or pound amount is local. Check current rate on the OHA calculator. A cited utility figure appears on a base guide only when that guide has one, and it stays flagged until it is confirmed on the calculator.
Move-in housing allowance
MIHA helps with the cost of moving into privately leased or owned housing. DTMO lists five parts:
- MIHA/Miscellaneous is a lump sum for average move-in costs, such as a transformer or a utility connection. Members with and without dependents receive the full allowance with the first OHA rental payment. It does not cover move-out costs. Check current rate for the amount.
- MIHA/Rent reimburses reasonable, fixed, one-time, nonrefundable charges the landlord or a foreign government requires before you move in. Refundable deposits, advance rent, and recurring costs are not included. Homeowners are not eligible. There is no flat amount.
- MIHA/Security, MIHA/Infectious Disease, and MIHA/Safety are receipt reimbursements, and only in locations DTMO has designated for that payment.
The FMR says MIHA is not paid for government or government-leased housing. Claim MIHA/Rent and the designated types on DD Form 2556. The process guide is on the DTMO OHA page.
What this page does not decide
The United Kingdom is not on DTMO's published list of countries authorized for rental advances (Brazil, Hong Kong, and others are). That list can change. Ask finance before you assume an advance. COLA is a different allowance. Check current rate on the COLA calculator.
Council tax, TV licensing, and school fees are not OHA. The base guide for the town is the place for those, and only when that guide has a source.
Base guides
- RAF Alconbury and RAF Molesworth — Huntingdonshire, United Kingdom. Last checked: October 2026.
- RAF Croughton — West Northamptonshire, United Kingdom. Last checked: October 2026.
- RAF Fairford — Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. Last checked: October 2026.
- RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall — Suffolk and Norfolk, United Kingdom. Last checked: October 2026.
- United Kingdom
- PCS to the UK checklist