Advice urgently needed. I have been struggling to afford my privare rented house. My sister has a room at her house she has previously rented out which is now empty. I have been asked to move in but we have read i wouldnt be able to claim housing element as i would be living in the same house as her. Our stepdad who used to rent houses out has said he could act as property manager (setting up a new company) so the rent payments would go through his company. Is this possible? Or even legal? He has a different surname to us but i have been registered as living at the same address as him in the early 00's