You can apply for housing benefit if you have a low income above the basic income support level and belong to one of these groups of people:

• pensioners with a low pension
• Working families, single parents and couples with low incomes
• Employees in the low-wage sector
• Students, unless the entire household is entitled to BAföG
• Residents of care homes

You can receive housing benefit as

• receive a rent allowance. This applies, for example, if you
  • have rented living space
  • live in accommodation as a subtenant
  • live in a facility, for example for people with disabilities
• receive an encumbrance allowance if you own your own home or a condominium.

As a rule, you will be granted housing benefit for 12 months. If your income remains the same, the approval period can be up to 24 months. After that, you must submit an application for continued benefit.

If the costs of accommodation are covered by another social benefit provider, you are not entitled to housing benefit. This is the case, for example, with

• Citizen's allowance
• Basic income support in old age
• Basic income support for reduced earning capacity
• Assistance with living expenses

Furthermore, people who receive one of the following benefits do not receive housing benefit:

• Support for training in accordance with the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG)
• Vocational training allowance and training allowance
• Securing living expenses while participating in the special program "Promotion of the professional mobility of young people interested in training and unemployed skilled workers from Europe" (MobiPro-EU)

This also applies if you are only entitled to these benefits in principle. In these cases, the benefit will only be denied in terms of the amount. However, if at least one member of your household is not entitled to one of these benefits, for example the child of a single parent or the parents of students, you are still entitled to housing benefit. This also applies if you receive the benefits exclusively as a loan.

All regions in Germany are divided into 7 different rent levels, as rents vary greatly. The upper income limits for entitlement to housing benefit vary accordingly. You can use a housing benefit calculator to work out in advance whether you are entitled to housing benefit. If you have a fluctuating income, create an income forecast based on the last 12 months.

There is a special case if you have to move to another home as a result of a flood disaster because your previous home is no longer habitable. In this case, you can also apply for housing benefit for rooms that are only intended for temporary living. These can be, for example

• Caravans
• houseboats

Emergency accommodation such as dormitories, schools or gymnasiums do not count as living space. You only need to submit documents and evidence that may have been destroyed within 6 months. If living space for which you already receive housing benefit has become uninhabitable, this decision becomes invalid.

Do you earn little money?
And you don't get any other help for your home?
Then you can get housing benefit.

These people can receive money:

• Families with little money
• Single parents with little money
• Couples with little money
• Workers with low wages
• Students without BAföG for everyone in the house
• People with little pension
• People in institutions for the disabled
• People in nursing homes

This applies to

• Tenants
• Sub-tenants
• People with their own house
  or their own apartment.

How much housing allowance do you get?
That depends on 2 things:

• How much money do you earn?
• How high is the rent?

There are 2 types of housing benefit:

• Rent subsidy for tenants
• Burden subsidy for owners

Do you have a multi-family home?
Or do you have a commercial building?
Or you have a farm?
Then you can also get housing allowance.

You want to get housing allowance?
Then you have to make an application.
To do this, you have to go to the Wohn-Geld-Amt.
You must bring various documents with you.
For example:

• identity cards
• proof of income
• Transfer benefits.

You can also make the application in another way.
For example

• in writing
• by e-mail
• by fax
• by telephone

Do you have to extend the housing benefit?
You must do this no later than 1 month after the end.
The extension is usually valid for 12 months.
If your income remains the same, it can last up to 24 months.

Could you get more housing benefit?
You must also apply for this.
You must inform the Housing Benefit Office.
You must do this immediately for these changes:

• Everyone in your apartment earns 15 percent less.
• Your rent increases by more than 15 percent.
• More people move into your apartment.

Do you already receive housing benefit?
Then you must always report these important changes immediately:

• Your income will increase.
  But only if it increases by more than 15 percent.
• Your rent will decrease.
  But only if it decreases by more than 15 percent.
• You have fewer people in your home.
  For example:
  A person moves out.

You must also report this:

• You have a condominium.
  This means:
  You own the apartment.
• Your income will increase.
  But only if it increases by more than 15 percent.

Sometimes you only find out about the changes later.
Then your housing allowance will be reduced retroactively .