Housing benefit; applying for a rent or encumbrance allowance

Under certain conditions, low-income households can receive housing benefit as a state subsidy towards housing costs. The application must be submitted to the housing benefit authority (district office / independent city) in whose area the housing is located.

Purpose

Housing benefit is paid on application as a subsidy towards the costs of owner-occupied housing in order to ensure adequate and family-friendly housing.

Object

Housing benefit is paid as a rent subsidy for rented apartments and comparable housing, and as an encumbrance allowance for owner-occupied and comparable housing.

Entitled persons

Tenants of an apartment can receive housing benefit as a rent subsidy on application. The same applies to people who sublet or live in a home (e.g. retirement or nursing home).

Owners of their own home, a condominium or an agricultural sideline can apply for housing benefit as an encumbrance allowance for owner-occupied housing.

Reasons for exclusion (no entitlement to housing benefit):

• Recipients of so-called transfer benefits (e.g. citizen's allowance in accordance with SGB II, basic income support in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity, assistance with living expenses) are generally excluded from housing benefit if the costs of accommodation have been taken into account when calculating the transfer benefit.
• Single students and trainees can only receive housing benefit if they are not entitled to benefits to support their training (e.g. BAföG, training allowance).
• There is no entitlement to housing benefit if the claim would be abusive, in particular due to considerable assets.

Eligible costs

Rent and housing costs are only eligible up to a maximum amount determined by law. This depends on the number of household members to be taken into account and the rent level of the municipality. Further information can be obtained from the relevant housing benefit authority (see "Who is responsible for you").

Type and amount

The amount of housing benefit you are entitled to in the form of a rent or service charge subsidy depends on

• the number of household members to be taken into account
• the total income and
• the amount of eligible rent or charges for the living space.

• Proof of the gross income of the household members to be taken into account

  (e.g. certificate of earnings, pension statement, income tax statement)

• for rent subsidy: Proof of rent

  (e.g. rental agreement, rental certificate)

• in the case of load subsidy: Proof of the burden for the living space

  (e.g. proof of burden from debt service and from management)

• Further evidence

  You can find out whether further proof is required for the processing of the application for a rent subsidy or an encumbrance subsidy from the housing benefit authority responsible for you.

In order to receive housing benefit, the person entitled to housing benefit (see "Entitled persons") must submit an application.

The housing benefit application contains questions about the essential information required to determine entitlement to housing benefit. The information in the application must be supported by the relevant evidence.

The application for housing benefit, together with the necessary supporting documents, must be submitted to the district office or independent city in whose area the housing for which housing benefit is being applied for is located.

If the responsible housing benefit authority already offers a corresponding online procedure, a digital application is also possible. Various online procedures are currently being offered by the housing benefit authorities on a transitional basis (see "Further links"). The online procedure "Application for housing benefit" allows you to apply for a rent subsidy and an encumbrance allowance as well as to submit additional documents for an application that has already been submitted. The online procedure "Housing benefit - application for rent subsidy" only allows you to apply for rent subsidy.

To select the responsible authority, enter the zip code or the location of the apartment for which housing benefit is to be applied for under "Select location". If available, the online procedure of the competent authority will then be displayed. If the application is not available as an online procedure, the relevant application form (under "Forms") must be completed, signed and submitted to the competent authority together with the relevant supporting documents.

The responsible district office or independent city (housing benefit authority) will decide on the application with a written decision. The housing benefit authority will also provide more detailed information and answer questions. As a rule, housing benefit is granted for twelve months from the month in which the application is submitted. After that, a new application is required.

Housing benefit is generally granted from the first of the month in which the application is made.