Look up your rent level for housing benefit

Every municipality is assigned to one of seven rent levels (Mietenstufen). The rent level determines how much of your rent counts towards housing benefit (Wohngeld). Enter your postcode:

This shows the level that has applied since 2023. Under the draft law, new levels will apply from 2027 – the overview for each state shows both.

Rent levels by federal state

• Baden-Württemberg
• Bayern
• Berlin
• Brandenburg
• Bremen
• Hamburg
• Hessen
• Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
• Niedersachsen
• Nordrhein-Westfalen
• Rheinland-Pfalz
• Saarland
• Sachsen
• Sachsen-Anhalt
• Schleswig-Holstein
• Thüringen

What does the rent level mean?

Housing benefit only takes your rent into account up to a maximum amount. This depends on the number of people in your household and on the rent level (§ 12 Wohngeldgesetz). Level I applies to municipalities with very low rents, level VII to the most expensive cities such as München. For a single-person household, for example, the maximum amount ranges from €361 (level I) to €677 (level VII), plus a climate component of €19.20.

How is the level decided?

Municipalities with at least 10,000 inhabitants have their own rent level. Smaller municipalities are given the level of their district. It is based on the rents paid by housing benefit households compared with the national average. The list is set out in the annex to the Housing Benefit Regulation (Wohngeldverordnung).

Rent levels from 2027

Under the planned housing benefit reform, new rent levels are due to apply from 1 January 2027, based on the housing benefit statistics for 2023 and 2024. Many municipalities will move up one level. The law has not yet been passed. More on Wohngeld 2027 (in German)

Sources: Anlage zu § 1 Abs. 3 Wohngeldverordnung; draft law BT-Drs. 21/8284, Art. 2; municipality directory © Destatis. As of 6 November 2026.