Housing Assistance; Applying for a Rent or Utility Subsidy

Purpose

Housing assistance is provided upon application to ensure affordable and family-friendly housing as a subsidy toward the costs of owner-occupied housing.

Scope

Housing assistance is paid as a rent subsidy for rental housing and comparable housing, and as a mortgage subsidy for owner-occupied and comparable housing.

Eligibility

Tenants of an apartment may receive housing allowance as a rent subsidy upon application. The same applies to individuals who live in sublet accommodations or in a residential facility (e.g., a retirement or nursing home).

Owners of a single-family home, a condominium, or a part-time agricultural property may apply for housing assistance as a property-expense subsidy for the housing they occupy themselves.

Grounds for Exclusion (No Entitlement to Housing Assistance):

• Recipients of so-called transfer payments (e.g., citizen’s income under SGB II, basic income support for the elderly and those with reduced earning capacity, subsistence assistance) are generally excluded from housing assistance if the cost of housing has already been taken into account in the calculation of the transfer payment.
• Single students and apprentices are only eligible for housing allowance if they are not otherwise entitled to benefits intended to support their education (e.g., BAföG, training allowance).
• There is no entitlement to housing allowance if claiming it would constitute an abuse of the system, particularly due to substantial assets.

Eligible Costs

Rent and other housing-related expenses are eligible for consideration only up to a maximum amount set by law. This amount is determined by the number of household members to be considered and the municipality’s rent tier. Further information is available from the responsible housing allowance authority (see “Who Is Responsible for You”).

Type and Amount

The amount of housing allowance to which you are entitled, in the form of a rent subsidy or a subsidy for housing-related expenses, depends on

• the number of household members to be considered,
• total income, and
• the amount of eligible rent or housing costs.

Administrative Staff:

• Letter range A–C: Room 423, Phone + (49) 09131 / 86 - 2841
• Alphabetical range D – He: Room 423, Phone + (49) 09131 / 86 - 1589
• Letter range Hf – L: Room 424, Phone + (49) 09131 / 86 - 3490
• Letter range M–Ri: Room 424, Phone + (49) 09131 / 86 - 2978
• Letter range Rj–U: Room 422, Phone + (49) 09131 / 86 - 3481
• Letter range V–Z: Room 422, Phone + (49) 09131 / 86 - 2799

To receive housing assistance, the person eligible for housing assistance (see “Eligible Persons”) must submit an application. 

The housing allowance application includes questions regarding the essential information needed to determine eligibility for housing allowance. The information provided in the application must be supported by the appropriate documentation.

The application for housing assistance must be submitted, along with the necessary supporting documents, to the district office or independent city in whose jurisdiction the housing for which housing assistance is being requested is located.

If the responsible housing assistance authority already offers a corresponding online application process, it is also possible to submit an application digitally. As a temporary measure, housing assistance authorities are currently offering various online application processes (see “Further Links”). The “Application for Housing Allowance” online procedure allows you to apply for a rent subsidy and a utility subsidy, as well as to submit additional documents for an application that has already been filed. The “Housing Allowance – Application for Rent Subsidy” online procedure allows you to apply only for a rent subsidy.

To select the appropriate authority, enter the ZIP code or the city of the residence for which you are applying for housing assistance under “Select Location.” If available, the online application process for the relevant authority will then be displayed. If the application is not available online, the corresponding application form (under “Forms”) must be completed, signed, and submitted to the relevant authority along with the required supporting documents.

The competent district office or independent city (housing allowance authority) will decide on the application and issue a written notice. The housing allowance authority can also provide further information and answer questions. Housing allowance is generally granted for twelve months starting from the month the application is submitted. After that, a new application is required.

Housing assistance is generally granted starting on the first day of the month in which the application was submitted.

• Proof of the gross income of the household members to be included
  (e.g., pay stub, pension notice, income tax assessment)
• For rent assistance: Proof of rent
  

  (e.g., lease agreement, rent statement)

• For a housing cost subsidy: Proof of housing costs
  

  (e.g., documentation of expenses related to debt service and operations)

• Additional Evidence
  

  You can find detailed lists of the documentation that may be required for an application under “Forms.” To find out whether additional documentation is needed to process your application for a rent or utility subsidy, please contact the housing assistance agency responsible for your case.