Housing Placement

Through the City of Erlangen’s housing placement service, you can apply for so-called social housing or Level 1 EOF apartments within the city limits.

The application form (see below) can also be used for Level 2 and 3 EOF housing if your primary residence is in Erlangen and your application is for housing within the city limits of Erlangen. Housing seekers whose residence is not in Erlangen and, based on their income (see below for income limits and calculation examples), are likely in income category (EK) 2 or 3, should contact their home municipality to obtain a so-called “general housing eligibility certificate”(WBS); with this certificate, they can inquire directly with landlords about suitable apartments.

This requires an application (see below). The application will be processed, and your income bracket will be determined.

There are 3 income levels.

Applicants in Level 1 are referred through the housing placement service; this means they are first placed on a waiting list and then recommended to a landlord for a specific, soon-to-be-vacant apartment based on urgency and length of time on the waiting list. In accordance with legal requirements, the recommendation is made to several applicants at the same time.

The person who is awarded the apartment receives a notification of allocation (subject to a fee of 20 euros).

Erlangen residents seeking housing in Levels 2 and 3 receive a housing eligibility certificate and can use it to contact landlords directly who advertise these apartments online.

Erlangen is one of the areas with high demand for housing. Due to the tight housing market and the limited number of subsidized apartments, there are unfortunately currently longer wait times.

It is not possible to say when a specific housing offer can be made to you. This depends on the number and condition of the units that become available or are ready for occupancy, as well as on the number of people seeking housing and the urgency of their need. Limiting your search to specific neighborhoods makes finding housing even more difficult.

In general, it makes sense not to limit your search solely to the city limits or to subsidized housing.

The eligibility requirement for all types of housing is that (regardless of income) applicants must have only modest assets and no usable home ownership. Foreign residents must have held a residence permit for at least one year.

The application is valid for one year—as is the general WBS for apartments in income levels 2 and 3. The application for apartments in income level 1 is free of charge; the WBS costs 20 euros.

This form is also available with the housing application form, but only if your primary residence is in Erlangen. Otherwise, you can obtain it from your home municipality (or the local district office) in Bavaria. Your income bracket does not matter in this case.

Note: A Level 1 housing eligibility certificate issued by another municipality is not valid in Erlangen.

If you have general questions, please contact the Social Services Office, Housing Department, at wohnungswesen@stadt.erlangen.de.

If you have questions about housing placement, you can fill out our contact form, send an email to wohnungsvermittlung@stadt.erlangen.de, or call 09131 86 3100.

Table: Gross Annual Income for the Approval Period May 1, 2018 – September 1, 2023.

Income Limits for the Above-Mentioned Period:

Table: Income Limits for Apartments Built Between May 1, 2018, and September 1, 2023.

The income limits for earlier construction years differ slightly from these figures.

The tables are intended only as a rough guide! If you have any questions, please contact us at the two email addresses or by phone at 09131-86 3100; we’ll be happy to assist you.