Apply for housing benefit

Related forms and processes

Prerequisite

• Your total income does not exceed a certain limit.
  The calculation of income is based on the Income Tax Act, i.e. your individual taxable positive income is decisive, supplemented by a catalogue of tax-free income to be taken into account.
• You bear the costs of the accommodation yourself. If they are paid by a third party, you cannot receive housing benefit.

Recipients of the following transfer benefits do not receive housing benefit:

• Citizen's allowance (formerly Unemployment benefit II and social benefit)
• Transitional allowance and injury benefit in the amount of the citizen's allowance, including advances and instalments on transitional or injury benefit
• Allowances for uncovered accommodation costs for trainees and students
• Basic income support in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity
• Assistance with living expenses
• Supplementary assistance with living expenses or other assistance in an inpatient facility that covers living expenses in accordance with the Federal Pension Act or a law that declares it applicable
• Benefits in special cases and basic benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act
• Child and youth welfare, if only recipients of these benefits live in the household

Exceptions:

• You receive the transfer benefit exclusively as a loan or the transfer benefit has been refused, withdrawn or denied.
• You switch from receiving a transfer benefit to housing benefit.
  
• Persons who live with you in a community of need and have therefore been taken into account in the calculation of the transfer benefit.

Responsible department

The housing benefit authority.

Depending on where you live, the housing benefit authority is the municipal administration or the district office.

Please note: The district administration office may be responsible for residents of individual large district towns. However, the administrations of municipalities that are not responsible for housing benefit will accept your application and forward it to the relevant authority.

Procedure

The best way to apply for housing benefit is in writing. Use the paper form above. You can also obtain it from the relevant office.

You will need to use different paper forms depending on whether you have rented accommodation (rent subsidy) or whether you own it (encumbrance allowance).

If you would like to submit an initial application for rent subsidy, you can also use the online application available above.

You can also apply for housing benefit informally. Special features apply here.
Your (informal) application is then deemed to have been submitted at this time. Submit the completed form together with all the necessary documents within the deadline notified to you. If your application is approved, you will receive housing benefit from the first day of the month in which the informal application is submitted.

You will receive the decision on your application in writing in the form of a notification.

If the decision is favourable, the responsible office will transfer the payments once a month in advance to the account you have specified.

Deadlines

• Initial application: none
• Applications for continued benefits: Please submit your application for continued benefits in good time, for example two months before the end of the current authorisation period. In this way, interruptions in payment can be avoided.

Required documents

• Proof of the number of household members.
• Proof of rent (rental agreement, etc.) or charges (loan agreement, etc.).
• Proof of the household's total income (earned income, pension, child benefit, etc.).

Costs

none

Processing time

The housing benefit authorities are currently receiving many applications. It may therefore take a little longer to process your application. Please be patient.

Miscellaneous

If your financial situation or living circumstances have improved or changed, this may also lead to a reduction in housing benefit. You are obliged to inform the housing benefit authority immediately of any changes that could lead to a reduction in housing benefit.

In order to avoid or uncover unlawful claims for housing benefit, the housing benefit authority may regularly check the household members by means of a so-called data comparison.

If you are in receipt of housing benefit and receive child benefit, you may also be entitled to child supplement. You can check whether you are entitled to child supplement with the KiZ-Lotsen of the family benefits office and submit the application directly online. You can find the link in the more detailed information.

Appeal

An appeal may be lodged against the decision of the housing benefit authority. The objection must be submitted in writing to the housing benefit authority within one month of notification of the decision.

Legal basis

• Wohngeldgesetz (WoGG)
• Wohngeldverordnung (WoGV)
• Wohngeldverwaltungsvorschrift (WoGVwV)
• Wohngeldgesetz-Ausführungsgesetz (WoGGAG BW)

Release note

machine generated, based on the German release by: Ministerium für Landesentwicklung und Wohnen Baden-Württemberg, 01.01.2025