Documents for your Wohngeld application

The housing benefit office (Wohngeldbehörde) needs proof of your rent and of the income and any special circumstances of everyone in your household. Missing documents are the most common reason why an application takes a long time.

Tip: send copies, not originals. You can hand in missing documents later – so don’t put off your application, because housing benefit (Wohngeld) is only paid from the month in which you apply. Documents in another language may need a German translation; the office will tell you.

Always needed: your home and rent

• Tenancy agreement (Mietvertrag), including all amendments
• Proof of your current rent, for example your last rent increase letter or your annual service charge statement (Betriebskostenabrechnung)
• Bank statements showing your rent payments for the last few months (you may black out other transactions, but not the amounts)
• If the office asks for it: a landlord’s certificate (“Angaben des Vermieters zum Wohnraum”)

Income of everyone in the household

• Wages and salary: payslips for the last 12 months, or a statement of earnings from your employer (Verdienstbescheinigung)
• Mini-job: payslips
• Pension: your current pension notice (Rentenbescheid) or pension adjustment notice (Rentenanpassungsmitteilung)
• Unemployment benefit, sickness benefit, parental allowance (Arbeitslosengeld, Krankengeld, Elterngeld): the decision letter (Bescheid) for each
• Maintenance and advance maintenance payments (Unterhalt, Unterhaltsvorschuss): decision letter, agreement or bank statements
• Self-employed: your latest income tax assessment (Einkommensteuerbescheid) and an estimate of your profit
• BAföG or vocational training allowance (Berufsausbildungsbeihilfe): the decision letter

Child benefit (Kindergeld) and the child supplement (Kinderzuschlag) do not count as income for Wohngeld. However, the office may ask for proof of child benefit if you claim the allowance for single parents.

Only if it applies to you

• Severely disabled person’s ID card (Schwerbehindertenausweis) or the decision on your care level (Pflegegrad)
• Proof of maintenance you pay (the maintenance order or agreement, and the payments)
• Decision letters on other social benefits, or letters refusing them
• Residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) if you are not a citizen of an EU country
• Subtenancy agreement, if you sublet part of your home
• Proof of one-off income and of any expected changes to your income
• Pension notice showing the basic pension supplement (Grundrentenzuschlag) – for the allowance after 33 years of basic pension periods (Grundrentenzeiten)

Your personal checklist

Exactly which documents you need depends on your household. Our application assistant creates a list that matches your details – with pre-filled certificates for your landlord and employer.

Sources: notes on supporting documents in the form “Wohngeldantrag für den Mietzuschuss” (version 2.3) and in the NRW renewal application (as of 07/2025). Your housing benefit office may ask for further documents. Last updated: 6 November 2026.