Wohngeld

Wohngeld (housing benefit) is a state subsidy towards housing costs for households on a low or moderate income. Its legal basis is the Wohngeldgesetz (WoGG) in the version published on 24 September 2008, most recently reformed comprehensively by the Wohngeld-Plus-Gesetz, which came into force on 1 January 2023. It is supplemented by the Wohngeldverordnung (WoGV), which, among other things, sets the rent levels (Mietstufen) of municipalities.

Wohngeld is a tax-funded social benefit; the federal government and the Länder share the costs equally (§ 32 WoGG). It is not an insurance benefit — there is no contribution obligation and no prior accrual of entitlements.

The benefit is granted in two forms: as a rent subsidy (Mietzuschuss) for tenants (§§ 1 et seq. WoGG) and as a charges subsidy (Lastenzuschuss) for owner-occupiers of residential property (§§ 1, 3 WoGG). According to the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB), the 2023 reform roughly doubled the average Wohngeld and significantly expanded the group of eligible recipients. Further official guidance is available at bmwsb.bund.de.

Entitled in principle are persons who have their residence in Germany and whose income is too low to cover their housing costs in full, but who at the same time are not dependent on basic-security benefits. The Act distinguishes between two groups of persons:

• Tenants of a flat or a room (§ 3 Abs. 1 WoGG) — including in subletting arrangements or in residential homes.
• Owner-occupiers of residential property they live in themselves, that is a freehold flat or a private home (§ 3 Abs. 2 WoGG — Lastenzuschuss).

Excluded from Wohngeld under § 7 WoGG are, in particular, recipients of so-called transfer benefits with a housing-cost component. These include Bürgergeld (SGB II), social assistance (SGB XII), basic security in old age and on reduced earning capacity, as well as benefits under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act (Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz). In these cases, housing costs are already covered by the respective main benefit.

Most BAföG recipients and trainees entitled to vocational training assistance (Berufsausbildungsbeihilfe) are likewise excluded, provided they are eligible in principle — even if support is in fact not paid out due to the offsetting of income or assets (§ 20 WoGG).

There is no rigid income threshold; whether Wohngeld is payable depends on the interplay between income, rent and household size. As a rough guide, however, there are upper limits on monthly gross total income above which entitlement is generally excluded (figures vary depending on the rent level; the following table is a rule of thumb for the middle rent level IV).

For context: following the Wohngeld-Plus reform of 2023, the thresholds for a one-person household at rent level IV were around €1,400 net and for a four-person household around €3,000 net. Anyone living in a city at rent level VI or VII may have a significantly higher income and still qualify.

Flat-rate deductions of 10 % each are made from gross income for taxes, pension and health insurance (up to 30 % in total), § 16 WoGG. There are also allowances, for example for single parents, severely disabled persons and earned income of children (§§ 17, 17a WoGG).

The amount of Wohngeld is determined by a formula laid down in Anlage 1 zu § 19 Abs. 1 WoGG. It takes three central variables into account:

• M — the monthly rent or charge to be considered (capped by maximum amounts according to rent level and household size, § 12 WoGG).
• Y — the chargeable monthly total income of all household members after deductions and allowances (§§ 13–18 WoGG).
• n — the number of persons forming part of the household (§ 5 WoGG).

In simplified form, the formula is: Wohngeld = 1.15 × (M − (a + b · M + c · Y) · Y), where a, b and c are coefficients depending on household size, taken from Anlage 1 WoGG. In practical terms, this means: the lower the income and the higher the chargeable rent in proportion to it, the more Wohngeld is paid.

For an initial estimate, the Federal Ministry provides a Wohngeld calculator at bmwsb.bund.de; most Länder also offer their own online calculators. Experience shows that the official decision rarely deviates by more than a few euros from the calculator result, provided all entries are correct.

The chargeable maximum rent under Wohngeld depends not only on household size but also on the rent level (Mietstufe) of the municipality. Rent levels are determined for each municipality — for cities not part of a district, for each city — on the basis of the regional rent level (§ 12 Abs. 3 und 4 WoGG in conjunction with the Wohngeldverordnung). They range from I (low-cost) to VII (very expensive); level VII was newly introduced with the 2023 reform.

• Levels I–II: mainly rural municipalities in eastern Germany, in Saarland and in parts of Lower Saxony.
• Levels III–IV: medium-sized district towns and commuter belts.
• Levels V–VI: larger university cities (e.g. Köln, Düsseldorf, Hannover, Stuttgart).
• Level VII: high-cost metropolitan areas such as München, the inner-city districts of Hamburg, Frankfurt am Main, Berlin (central locations) and individual commuter-belt municipalities.

Classifications are reviewed at regular intervals — typically every two years, most recently as of 1 January 2025. An upgrading can lead to a noticeably higher Wohngeld, because the table maximum rent rises accordingly. The current list of all municipalities and their rent levels is published by the Federal Statistical Office.

Since 1 January 2023, the Wohngeld-Plus-Gesetz has provided for a permanent heating-cost component (§ 12 Abs. 6 WoGG). It increases the chargeable rent by a flat-rate amount per household member, thus offsetting the sharp rise in energy prices in recent years on a permanent basis — and not merely as a one-off heating-cost subsidy.

Under current law, the flat-rate amount is €2 per square metre of the standard reference floor area in the table, which corresponds to around €14.40 per month for a one-person household; with each additional person, both the reference floor area and the flat rate increase. The component is taken into account automatically as soon as a Wohngeld application is submitted — a separate application is not required.

Important in practice: actual heating costs do not have to be evidenced, as the component is paid as a flat rate. Anyone who receives a heating-cost statement with a high additional payment should nevertheless check whether a one-off hardship subsidy from the Land may be available — some Länder grant supplementary support outside the WoGG.

Also new since the Wohngeld-Plus-Gesetz is the climate component under § 12 Abs. 7 WoGG. It is intended to protect Wohngeld-eligible households from rent increases driven by energy-related measures, which can result from refurbishment and modernisation works as well as from the CO2 price under the Brennstoffemissionshandelsgesetz (Fuel Emissions Trading Act).

Unlike the heating-cost component, the climate component does not work as a flat-rate top-up but as an increase in the maximum rent chargeable for Wohngeld purposes. It is also staggered according to household size; for a one-person household, under current law it is around €0.40 per square metre of reference floor area, that is approximately €19.20 per month, and increases with each additional person.

Practical effect: tenants in buildings that have undergone energy-efficiency refurbishment can also receive Wohngeld without the modernisation surcharge under § 559 BGB effectively negating their entitlement.

Wohngeld must be applied for actively — payment is not made by the authorities of their own motion. The competent body is the Wohngeldbehörde (housing benefit office) of the city or district in which the dwelling is located. As a rule, an application takes effect retrospectively from the first day of the month in which it is received by the authority (§ 25 WoGG); it is therefore worth applying early.

Three options are available:

• Online via the Land portal: most Länder now offer a digital Wohngeld application via their respective administrative portal, for example service.berlin.de, service.bayern.de, servicekonto.nrw, amt24.sachsen.de or service.bremen.de. The link to the federal Bundes-ID enables identification by means of the national ID card with eID.
• Paper form: forms are available at every citizens' office (Bürgeramt) and as a PDF on the websites of the Wohngeldstellen. They can be submitted, signed, by post or in person.
• In-person appointment: still possible in many municipalities, often only by prior appointment.

The documents required by the Wohngeldbehörde follow from the general duty to cooperate (§§ 60 et seq. SGB I) and from § 23 WoGG. The following documents are typically needed:

• Application form, fully completed and signed.
• Rent certificate (Mietbescheinigung) (official form), completed by the landlord, or alternatively the current tenancy agreement plus the most recent rent increase notice.
• Earnings certificate covering the last three months — for self-employed persons, a current profit and loss statement or the most recent tax assessment.
• Evidence of other income: pension decisions, unemployment benefit I, sickness/parental allowance, maintenance, rental income, capital gains.
• National ID card or passport; for foreign nationals, a residence permit (a permanent right of residence is required, § 3 Abs. 5 WoGG).
• Registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung), or extended registration certificate, for all household members.
• Bank statements for the last one to three months (often requested for plausibility checks).
• For owners: extract from the land register, loan agreements, evidence of running costs and service charges (Hausgeld).
• For children: birth certificates or school/university enrolment certificates.
• For severe disability: copy of the severely disabled person's pass (for the allowance under § 17 WoGG).

The processing time for a Wohngeld application varies considerably depending on the competent municipality. According to figures from the consumer advice centres (Verbraucherzentralen), it has typically been six to twelve weeks since the 2023 reform; in heavily burdened cities, six months or more were not unusual in the months immediately following the reform, as application numbers more than tripled.

Important: Wohngeld is paid retrospectively from the month of application (§ 25 WoGG). Anyone applying on the 30th of a month therefore secures the same entitlement as if they had applied on the first of the month. Payment is then often made as a lump-sum back payment, followed by monthly ongoing payments.

If the household is already in financial difficulties, the law provides for advance payments (§ 26 WoGG in conjunction with § 42 SGB I). These can be requested informally where the conditions for entitlement are clearly met in principle and processing is being delayed.

Wohngeld is generally granted for an approval period of twelve months (§ 27 WoGG). The decision states the precise start and end dates. Upon expiry of the approval period, entitlement ends automatically — the authority does not switch to further payments of its own motion.

Anyone wishing to continue receiving Wohngeld after that must submit a renewal application (Folgeantrag). It is recommended that this be submitted around two months before the current period ends, in order to avoid any payment gap. The procedure mirrors that of an initial application, but often only the current evidence of income and rent needs to be re-submitted.

A shorter approval period is possible by way of exception, for example where it is foreseeable that income or household size will shortly change. In exceptional cases longer periods are also possible, for example for pensioners with permanently stable incomes (up to 24 months, § 27 Abs. 1 Satz 3 WoGG).

Even during an ongoing approval period, Wohngeld recipients are required to notify changes in their circumstances without undue delay (§ 27 Abs. 3 WoGG and § 60 SGB I). Notifiable changes include in particular:

• Income changes of more than 15 % — both upwards (for example a new job or pay rise) and downwards (for example unemployment or short-time work).
• Changes in household size — birth, marriage, a family member moving out, death.
• Move or change in the level of rent of more than 15 % (for example rent increase, reduction following comparative-rent proceedings).
• Receipt of a transfer benefit such as Bürgergeld, social assistance or BAföG — in this case the entitlement to Wohngeld lapses retrospectively.
• Longer-term absence from the main residence (more than two months).

Anyone who fails to disclose a notifiable change risks the recovery of Wohngeld overpaid (§ 30 WoGG in conjunction with §§ 45, 48, 50 SGB X) and, in addition, regulatory-offence proceedings (§ 36 WoGG); in cases of intent, a criminal complaint for benefit fraud under § 263 StGB may follow.

Drawing on the advisory practice of tenants' associations and welfare organisations, certain grounds for refusal stand out as occurring significantly more often than others:

• Receipt of Bürgergeld or social assistance: these benefits already include the costs of accommodation and heating. There is a statutory bar (§ 7 Abs. 1 WoGG).
• Eligibility for BAföG in principle: students and pupils who receive or could receive BAföG are excluded (§ 20 WoGG).
• Tenancy agreement not in the applicant's name: anyone living in the home of a relative without being a party to the tenancy agreement themselves cannot receive Wohngeld, as there is no legally binding obligation to pay rent.
• Incorrectly calculated or missing heating costs on the rent certificate.
• No main residence at the address indicated; Wohngeld is granted only for the main dwelling.
• Assets above the allowance of €60,000 for the first and €30,000 for each additional household member (§ 21 Nr. 3 WoGG).

In many cases it is worth turning to a tenants' advice service or welfare organisation after a refusal, as purely formal errors — for example an incomplete rent certificate — can easily be remedied in the objection procedure.

An objection (Widerspruch) may be lodged against a Wohngeld decision — whether a refusal, an award that is too low or a recovery decision. The deadline is one month from notification of the decision (§ 84 SGG); if the instructions on legal remedies are incorrect or missing, the deadline is extended to one year.

The objection must be lodged with the Wohngeldbehörde in writing or for the record. Reasons are not strictly required but are strongly recommended — particularly where new documents are being submitted.

If the objection is rejected, the route to the Sozialgericht (Social Court) remains open (§ 51 Abs. 1 Nr. 5 SGG). The deadline for filing a complaint is again one month from service of the objection decision. Proceedings before the Sozialgericht are free of court fees; legal action can be brought without a lawyer, although consulting a welfare organisation, the tenants' association (Mieterbund) or a solicitor is often advisable.

Several groups of persons typically raise particular questions of detail:

• Students: anyone eligible for BAföG in principle does not receive Wohngeld under § 20 WoGG — even where support is not in fact paid out because of the offsetting of parents' income or assets.
• Pensioners: Wohngeld can be combined with the statutory pension; for older people, it is often even more attractive than basic security in old age, because there is no recourse to assets or to maintenance from relatives.
• Shared flats (WGs): WG members who do not run a joint household are not regarded as a single household for Wohngeld purposes. Each member can submit their own application for the share of rent attributable to them (§ 5 WoGG).
• People with disabilities: for a degree of disability of at least 100, or in the case of need for home care, a flat-rate allowance of €1,800 per year applies (§ 17 Abs. 1 Nr. 4 WoGG).
• Families with children: child benefit (Kindergeld) does not count as income. For single parents, an additional allowance of €1,320 per year per child under 18 applies (§ 17 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 WoGG).

The Wohngeld-Plus-Gesetz came into force on 1 January 2023 and represents the most extensive reform of Wohngeld since its introduction. Three building blocks shape the reform:

• Substantial increase in the benefit: according to the BMWSB, average Wohngeld rose from around €180 to about €370 per month — a doubling.
• Expansion of the group of recipients: before the reform, around 600,000 households received Wohngeld. With the Wohngeld-Plus-Gesetz, the eligible population grew to around 2 million households — roughly threefold.
• Structural innovations: the permanent heating-cost component and the climate component were introduced (§ 12 Abs. 6 und 7 WoGG); income thresholds, table maximum rents and asset allowances were significantly raised; the seventh rent level was created.

However, the reform also brought problems with it: many Wohngeldstellen were not equipped, in terms of staffing, for the threefold increase in applications, which in 2023 led to waiting times often exceeding six months. The federal government and the Länder responded with special arrangements for provisional payments and with additional staff.