ROUTE

Wohngeld: Housing Subsidy

The subsidy for working people on modest incomes: eligibility check, your city form via postal code, renewals. Not welfare — no residence-permit risk.

✓ Checked: 15/08/2026

Wohngeld is a state subsidy towards your rent for people who do have an income, just a small one — from work, a pension or a scholarship. It is not Bürgergeld and not welfare, so it does not count against a residence-permit renewal, permanent residence or citizenship. People on Bürgergeld, and usually on BAföG, cannot claim it: housing costs are already covered there.

1

STEP

Wohngeld: Are You Eligible?

The housing subsidy for working people on modest incomes — not welfare, no risk for your residence permit. The check takes minutes.
2

STEP

The Wohngeld Application: Form and Documents

Your municipality form via postal code; the key document is the Verdienstbescheinigung from your employer. Applying is free.
3

STEP

The Decision and Renewals

Wohngeld is granted for 12 months. Renewal is not automatic — file the Weiterleistungsantrag 2 months before the period ends.

COSTS AND DEADLINES

What you pay for on this route

Applicationfree

Deadlines you cannot miss

Renewal application — 2 months before the period endsThe Decision and Renewalsguideline

Amounts follow official fees as of each step’s verification date. Your city may charge a different rate — check the step itself.

› More about this route

The route runs in three steps: an eligibility check with the calculator using your postcode, rent and income; then your municipality's form plus the one document everything hinges on, the employer's Verdienstbescheinigung; and finally the Bescheid and its renewal. Since the Wohngeld Plus reform the subsidy averages €300–400 a month, with the exact figure depending on income, rent and city.

Applying is free, but payments start from the month you apply and are never backdated — every month spent hesitating is money gone. Awards usually run for 12 months, and the renewal does not arrive by itself.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

All possible documents for this route

WHERE PEOPLE MOST OFTEN LOSE MONEY AND TIME

Waiting until every document is in hand. The application date decides which month payments start from, so filing incomplete and sending the missing certificate a week later almost always pays off.
Missing the Weiterleistungsantrag. After 12 months payments stop silently, and a fresh application starts the clock again with no backdating. Set a reminder two months before the award expires.
Staying quiet about a change in income. Above roughly 15 per cent you are obliged to report it, and silence turns into a repayment demand plus a possible fine. A drop is worth reporting too — the amount is recalculated upwards from the month you report it.
Mixing up the form fields: income goes in gross, and rent as Bruttokaltmiete — base rent plus cold service charges, excluding heating, electricity and a garage. It will not get you rejected, but it costs a correction round and weeks of waiting.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ROUTE

How long does it take from applying to the first payment?▾

Anywhere from a few weeks to several months depending on the city. The wait costs you nothing, because the calculation starts from the month you applied. If your entitlement is clear and processing drags on, you can request an advance (Vorschuss).

Where do I start if I have no idea whether I qualify?▾

With step one, the calculation. Wohngeld remains the most under-claimed benefit in Germany precisely because eligible people rule themselves out without doing the maths. The threshold has been far higher since the 2023 reform, and the estimate takes minutes.

Do I have to be registered at the address I am claiming for?▾

Yes — the Meldebescheinigung is on the document list, and the subsidy applies to the flat you actually live in. If your Anmeldung is still open, close that first; it belongs to the housing route.

What happens if I move mid-award?▾

Tell the office: a change of rent changes the calculation. If you move to another city, the Wohngeldstelle at your new address takes over — ask there whether your case is transferred or a new application is needed.

Rejected, or awarded less than expected — what now?▾

Compare the Bescheid against your own figures; the rent and income they used are the usual culprits. You have one month from the date of the decision to file a Widerspruch, it is free, and it goes to the same office.

WHAT USUALLY COMES NEXT

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