Wohngeld 2026: Germany's Housing Benefit Explained for Expats

What Wohngeld is

Wohngeld (housing benefit) is a state subsidy towards your housing costs. Tenants receive it as a Mietzuschuss (rent subsidy); people living in a home they own receive a Lastenzuschuss (burden subsidy) towards loan and running costs. It is not a loan and you don't have to pay it back, provided your information was correct.

Unlike Bürgergeld, Wohngeld has no Jobcenter, no job-search obligations and no general asset test of the same kind. It is aimed at people who earn or receive enough to cover their everyday living costs but struggle with rent: working families, single parents, low earners and many pensioners. Around 1.2 million households receive it, more than half of them pensioner households¹.

Since the 2023 reform the benefit is called Wohngeld-Plus. It includes a permanent heating cost component and a climate component. On 1 January 2025 it was increased by an average of 15 percent, or about 30 euros a month, and existing recipients got the higher amount automatically¹². The same amounts apply throughout 2026.

Planned changes for 2027

In July 2026 the federal government approved a draft law to reform Wohngeld from 1 January 2027. It would skip the regular inflation adjustment due in 2027, halve the heating cost component and change the benefit formula, while simplifying how income is assessed¹³. The bill is before the Bundestag; the Bundesrat has welcomed the simplifications but criticised the cuts¹⁴. As of 6 November 2026 it has not been passed. Awards already granted are meant to stay unchanged until their approval period ends, so waiting is not a good strategy if you qualify now.

Who can get Wohngeld

You can apply if you live in the home yourself, as a tenant, subtenant, resident of a care home or owner-occupier, and your household income is low enough relative to your rent. Students can qualify only if not everyone in the household is entitled to BAföG student finance¹.

You are excluded if you receive a benefit that already covers housing costs, such as Grundsicherungsgeld (formerly Bürgergeld), social assistance or Asylum Seekers' Benefits⁴. Wohngeld takes priority over basic income support: if Wohngeld plus other benefits such as the child supplement would cover your needs, you get Wohngeld instead of going to the Jobcenter¹.

There is no single national income limit. A family of four in Munich can earn considerably more than a single person in a small town and still qualify. The fastest way to check is the Wohngeld calculator or the official federal calculator².

Residence status: who qualifies as a foreign national

Foreign nationals can get Wohngeld if they actually live in Germany and have a recognised right of residence, for example EU free-movement rights, a residence permit, a Duldung (tolerated stay) or an asylum seeker's permission to stay³. However, holders of certain permits are usually excluded, including permits to look for a job or a training place, the Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) and permits for study-related internships.

Wohngeld also matters for your permit. Most residence titles require that you can support yourself without public funds. The Residence Act lists benefits that don't count as public funds, such as Kindergeld, Kinderzuschlag and Elterngeld, and Wohngeld is not on that list¹⁵. Receiving Wohngeld can therefore be taken into account when you renew a work permit or Blue Card, apply for permanent residence or want to bring family to Germany. If a renewal is coming up, get independent migration advice before applying. More on permits is in our Blue Card guide.

How the rent is counted: Mietstufen

For tenants, the relevant figure is your Bruttokaltmiete: base rent plus cold service charges, without heating and hot water. It only counts up to a ceiling that depends on household size and the Mietstufe (rent level) of your municipality, from I (cheapest) to VII (most expensive)⁷.

Examples from the Wohngeld regulation⁸: Leipzig is level II, Dresden III, Berlin IV, Hamburg V, Cologne, Frankfurt and Stuttgart VI, and Munich VII.

Two flat amounts are then added without any proof of costs⁶. The climate component raises the ceiling (19.20 euros for one person, 34.40 euros for four). The heating relief is added to your counted rent whether or not you reach the ceiling: 110.40 euros for one person, 142.60 euros for two, 170.20 euros for three and 197.80 euros for four⁵.

Example: you live alone in Berlin and pay 600 euros Bruttokaltmiete. The ceiling is 511 plus 19.20, so 530.20 euros count, plus 110.40 euros heating relief: the office calculates with 640.60 euros. The Wohngeld itself then follows from a legal formula combining this rent, your income and your household size.

How income is counted

The Wohngeld office looks at the expected annual income of everyone in the household. From gross income it deducts 10 percent each for income tax, health and care insurance and pension insurance if you pay them⁹, plus allowances, for example for single parents or people with a severe disability. Kindergeld and Kinderzuschlag are not counted as income¹. That's why many low-earning families combine Wohngeld with the child supplement (Kinderzuschlag) and Kindergeld. To estimate your net pay, use the gross-to-net calculator.

How to apply

1. Find the Wohngeldbehörde (housing benefit office) at your city hall or district office. Many offer online applications; otherwise download the form.

2. Submit the application in the month you want support to begin. Wohngeld starts from the month the office receives it and is rarely paid retroactively¹.

3. Attach your passport and residence permit, rental contract, a rent certificate from your landlord, recent payslips or pension notices and proof of other income. Missing documents can be sent later.

4. Check the decision: household members, rent, income and the approval period.

The federal Wohngeld hotline, 030 20179050, answers general questions in German¹.

Payment, approval period and changes

Wohngeld is paid monthly in advance into a household member's account, or with your consent directly to the landlord¹⁰. It is usually granted for 12 months, sometimes up to 24. Apply for continuation about two months before it ends¹.

You must report straight away if someone moves out, your rent falls by more than 15 percent or household income rises by more than 15 percent. If your rent rises or your income falls by more than 10 percent, or someone joins the household, you can ask for a recalculation¹¹. Not reporting changes leads to repayment claims.

Not sure whether Wohngeld, Bürgergeld or another benefit fits best? The benefits finder and our guide to Bürgergeld help you compare.

Information current as of 6 November 2026.