How to apply for housing benefit (Wohngeld) – step by step

Housing benefit (Wohngeld) helps households on a low income pay their rent, or the costs of a home they own and live in. You only get it if you apply – and only from the month in which your application reaches the office.

The key facts

You apply to the housing benefit office (Wohngeldbehörde) of your town or municipality. In smaller places, this is often the district administration (Kreisverwaltung).
Applying is free of charge – on paper or, in many federal states, online.
Wohngeld is paid from the first day of the month in which your application arrives (§ 25 Abs. 2 WoGG). It is not paid for earlier months.
It is usually granted for twelve months. After that, you need to apply again with a renewal application (Weiterleistungsantrag).

Who can apply for Wohngeld?

Tenants can apply for the rent subsidy (Mietzuschuss); owners who live in their own flat or house can apply for the owner-occupier subsidy (Lastenzuschuss). Whether you get it, and how much, depends on three things: how many people live in your household, the income of everyone in it, and your rent or housing costs – up to a cap set by the rent level (Mietenstufe) of the place where you live.

As a rule, you cannot get Wohngeld if you receive basic income support (Grundsicherungsgeld, formerly Bürgergeld), social assistance (Sozialhilfe) or basic income support in old age (Grundsicherung im Alter). These benefits already cover your housing costs (§ 7 WoGG). Substantial savings or other assets also rule out Wohngeld; the guideline is €60,000 for the first person and €30,000 for each additional person.

Want to know first whether it is worth applying? Try our free Wohngeld calculator.

Where do you apply?

At the housing benefit office of the municipality where your home is. You can find the right office on your town’s website or through the federal government’s administration portal (Verwaltungsportal des Bundes). In many federal states – for example North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Hamburg, Bremen and Saxony – you can apply online. You usually need a BundID account for this (the federal government’s login for online services).

Applying for Wohngeld in five steps

Check whether you qualify: use the Wohngeld calculator.
Get the form: ask your housing benefit office for the “Wohngeldantrag für den Mietzuschuss” (for tenants) or the “Wohngeldantrag für den Lastenzuschuss” (for owner-occupiers), or download it online.
Fill it in: the form has 31 questions – about everyone in your household, all your income and your rent. Our application assistant shows you, question by question, what to enter. The official form is in German and must be completed in German, because German is the official language for dealings with the authorities (§ 19 SGB X).
Add your supporting documents: your tenancy agreement, payslips or pension statements and other papers – see Documents for your Wohngeld application. You can send in missing documents later.
Sign it and hand it in: ideally within the same month. Keep a copy for yourself.

How long does it take?

Processing times vary a lot from office to office; several weeks or even months are not unusual. Because Wohngeld is still paid from the month in which you applied, a long wait does not cost you anything – but applying late does. A complete application is processed faster.

Once your Wohngeld is approved

Report changes: if your income rises significantly, someone moves in or out, or you move home, you must tell the office.
Ask for more: if your rent goes up or your income goes down, you can apply for an increase (Erhöhungsantrag).
Renewal application: send it about two months before your approval period ends, so there is no gap in payments.

Wohngeld in 2027

The Federal Government plans to cut housing benefit from 1 January 2027. Under the draft law, if you apply by 31 December 2026, you keep at least your December 2026 amount throughout your approval period. All the details (in German)

Sources: Wohngeldgesetz (Housing Benefit Act) §§ 7, 22, 25, 27; form “Wohngeldantrag für den Mietzuschuss” (version 2.3). Last updated: 6 November 2026.