ov.uk/government/publications/allocation-of-accommodation-guidance-for-local-housing- authorities-in-england 72 7.71. Safety, physical condition and affordability within the young person’s income and/or the limits of the Local Housing Allowance (LHA)30 will all require careful checking to determine the suitability of a property. 7.72. Local authorities should explore options for, and potential benefits of, working in partnership with housing services before developing separate arrangements to help care leavers access private rented accommodation. 7.73. Examples of interventions could include: • Landlord accreditation schemes; • Rent deposit and bond guarantee schemes; • Developing partnerships and agreements with known private landlords; • Services offering parallel support for tenants and landlords to help identify and mitigate problems early (including rent arrears) and prevent and mediate difficulties; • Protocols with Housing Benefit departments for the assessment of whether a tenant requires ‘safeguarding’ for local housing allowance purposes31. Contingency planning and homelessness 7.74. The homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 199632) provides a safety net for people in housing crisis. It should not be used as a mechanism for meeting housing needs that can be anticipated and planned for. Local authority protocols for care leavers’ transition to independent living should reflect this by enabling the delivery of effective preparation for independence with planned, sustainable moves. There should be no expectation that care leavers will be treated as “homeless” when their care placement comes to an end, in order to place the housing authority under an obligation to secure accommodation under Part 7 of the 1996 Act. 7.75. Once a care leaver has been pl