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Who can get Wohngeld? The eligibility rules

You can get Wohngeld if you pay rent or the costs of your own home, your income is below the limit and you get no basic income support. The rules explained.

Quick answers

Am I eligible for Wohngeld?
Yes, if you live in Germany in a rented home or one you own, pay the housing costs yourself, have a household income that is not above the limit but is enough to live on, and do not receive basic income support (Grundsicherung) or social assistance (Sozialhilfe). The Wohngeld calculator shows whether you qualify and how much you could get.
Is there a minimum income for Wohngeld?
The law does not set a fixed minimum income. However, the housing benefit office checks whether your income and Wohngeld together are enough to live on. If your income is well below that, the office will ask how you cover your living costs.
Can foreigners get Wohngeld?
Yes, if they are lawfully resident in Germany and meet the other conditions. People who receive benefits under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act (Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz) cannot get Wohngeld (§ 7 WoGG).

The conditions at a glance

  1. Housing costs: you pay rent (rent subsidy, Mietzuschuss) or the costs of a home you own and live in (owner-occupier subsidy, Lastenzuschuss – in German). Subtenants and people living in a residential or care home can also get Wohngeld.
  2. Residence: the home is the centre of your life in Germany.
  3. Income: the total income of everyone in your household is below the limit for your household size and rent level (Mietenstufe) – see income limits. At the same time, your income and Wohngeld together must be enough to live on.
  4. No basic income support: if you receive basic income support (Grundsicherungsgeld), social assistance (Sozialhilfe), basic income support in old age (Grundsicherung im Alter) or benefits under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act (Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz), you cannot get Wohngeld. These benefits already cover your housing costs (§ 7 WoGG).
  5. No substantial assets: the guideline is €60,000 for the first person and €30,000 for each additional person – see savings and assets (in German).
  6. Not a BAföG household: if everyone in the household is, in principle, eligible for BAföG (student finance) or vocational training allowance (Berufsausbildungsbeihilfe), there is no Wohngeld – see students and apprentices (in German).
  7. Minimum amount: if the calculation comes to less than €10 a month, no Wohngeld is paid (§ 21 Nr. 1 WoGG).

Who counts as part of your household?

Everyone who lives with you and shares household finances with you: your spouse or civil partner, a partner in a long-term committed relationship (Verantwortungs- und Einstehensgemeinschaft), children, parents and other relatives. Flatmates in a shared flat (Wohngemeinschaft, WG) who keep their finances separate do not count; each of them can then apply for Wohngeld for their own share of the rent.

Who often gets Wohngeld?

How much Wohngeld could you get?

Our calculator tells you and shows every step of the calculation – free of charge, no registration needed. Our assistant can then fill in your federal state’s official application form, which stays in German.

Calculate housing benefitPrepare your application

Applying at your housing benefit office (Wohngeldbehörde) is free of charge. The housing benefit office decides.

Related guides

General information, not advice on your individual case. Legal basis: §§ 1, 3, 4, 7, 20, 21 WoGG. Last updated: 8 November 2026.