Everyday money · Germany

Wohngeld in Germany: a practical guide

Wohngeld can help eligible households with housing costs. Start with who belongs to your household, which income counts and whether another benefit affects entitlement.

Fabian BeiningFinanz2Go · English finance guide

Sources checked: 26 October 2026

Housing support · Three connected checksHousehold.
Income.
Housing.

There is no single national salary cut-off that answers every Wohngeld case.

CheckUse the official calculator for orientation

ApplyThe local authority makes the decision

Start with these three checks.

Check possible exclusions

Other housing-related benefits, student finance and residence status can change the answer.

Prepare the right figures

Wohngeld income and eligible rent differ from simple take-home pay and warm rent.

Apply in time

The application month normally determines the earliest start, if the conditions are met.

What is Wohngeld?

Wohngeld is support towards eligible housing costs. Tenants and qualifying subtenants can receive a Mietzuschuss; owners who occupy their own home may qualify for a Lastenzuschuss. It is not a flat payment for everyone with the same salary. [1]

01 · Household

Identify the people who count for this application.

02 · Income

Prepare the income expected during the relevant period.

03 · Housing

Separate eligible rent or ownership costs from other bills.

The ministry identifies household size, income under Wohngeld rules and eligible rent or ownership costs as the core calculation factors. [2] Start with those inputs before comparing a figure you found online with your own circumstances.

Check other benefits and student-finance rules first

People receiving specified means-tested benefits are generally excluded when housing costs have already been included in those benefits. The rules cover, among others, relevant SGB II, SGB XII and asylum-benefit cases. Loan-only support and certain mixed-household situations need a separate assessment; do not treat every benefit recipient in a shared home as the same case. [3]

Students face a different test. If every household member is entitled in principle to BAföG or the specified training support, Wohngeld is generally excluded even if the actual payment is zero because of income. Support exclusively as a loan is an exception. A household with a child or another member outside that category can require a different assessment. [4]

A rejected BAföG application is not enough information. Keep the decision and its reason. Ask the Wohngeld office whether the rejection changes the underlying entitlement test in your household. Do not cancel or withdraw existing support solely on the basis of an online estimate.

Can international residents apply?

Foreign nationals can qualify, but actual presence in Germany and the residence categories in § 3(5) WoGG matter. The law includes qualifying EU free-movement rights and specified residence titles or statuses. It also normally excludes certain search and temporary-purpose titles, including the Chancenkarte. A German address or job alone does not establish entitlement. [1]

Prepare the exact title and legal basis shown on your document, its validity dates and the household’s circumstances. Ask the Wohngeld office about benefit eligibility. If you have a residence title, separately clarify with the immigration authority or qualified immigration adviser how receiving support relates to the conditions of that title. This guide does not assess residence consequences.

Which income should you use?

Wohngeld income is not simply gross salary or the amount reaching your bank account. It combines the relevant household members’ income with the applicable deductions and allowances. The ministry’s current guidance excludes Kindergeld and Kinderzuschlag from this income calculation. [2]

The official calculator asks about the income expected during the assessment period, normally the coming twelve months, and explains categories such as employment, self-employment, pensions and investment income. Minijob earnings are not automatically ignored just because their payroll tax treatment differs. [5]

Prepare	Why it helps
Recent payslips and expected changes	A new job, fewer hours or a known pay rise can affect the forecast
Self-employment records	Turnover alone is not the same as the relevant profit
Pension, maintenance and other income records	The office needs the full picture rather than one wage figure
Evidence for deductions or allowances	Only the applicable rules determine what can be deducted

Our Minijob guide explains that employment category. Use the Kindergeld guide for the separate child-benefit application. Neither guide calculates your Wohngeld income.

Why warm rent is not the calculation input

The rent definition excludes items such as heating, hot water, household energy and parking charges. Ask for a breakdown when these are bundled into one payment; entering the entire warm rent can misstate the input. [6]

The calculation then applies rent limits linked to the household and the municipality’s Mietenstufe, together with the statutory heating-cost and climate components. These components are not reimbursement of each household’s actual energy bill. [7]

For example, a lease showing one total monthly debit should be separated into base rent, relevant operating costs, heating and any parking charge before you use a calculator. This is a document-preparation example, not an award calculation. The cost-of-living guide helps distinguish the bills in your monthly budget.

Use the official Wohngeld calculator carefully

The BMWSB Wohngeld-Plus calculator is the official starting point linked here. Read the explanations beside its fields and check the period to which its parameters apply. [5]

A result is orientation, not a binding decision or a submitted application. Only the responsible Wohngeld authority can decide your case. [8]

Confirm which household members must be included before entering a headcount.
Use the local rent category and the correct rent components.
Record any uncertain income item and ask the office how to treat it.
Keep the calculation assumptions alongside the result so you can correct them later.

Budget with the decision, not the estimate. Until support is confirmed, keep it separate from dependable income in your household budget. An estimated payment should not be treated as money already available.

Where, when and how to apply

Apply to the Wohngeld authority responsible for your home through your municipality, city or district. The ministry directs applicants to the federal service portal to select the relevant location. The basic evidence is an application, housing-cost records and income evidence; your circumstances can require more. [8]

Document group	Prepare for the local form
Household and identity	People living with you, family relationships and requested identity or residence documents
Housing	Rental contract, current rent breakdown or the requested owner-cost evidence
Income and benefits	Payslips, pension or benefit decisions and other relevant income records
Special circumstances	Evidence requested for allowances, maintenance or a change in circumstances

The award period normally starts on the first day of the application month, provided the qualifying conditions exist then. If they arise later, the start moves accordingly. There are specific exceptions, including some cases following rejection of another benefit; ask the office rather than assuming unrestricted back payments. [9]

Keep a copy and proof of receipt. If evidence is missing, contact the office promptly about the accepted filing method and how to supply the remaining documents. Do not assume a calculator result or an unfinished online form preserves the application date.

After applying: decision, changes and renewal

An award normally covers twelve months; the law allows shorter periods and, where circumstances are expected to stay stable, up to twenty-four months. Check the actual dates on your decision and apply again before support expires. [9]

Tell the authority about relevant changes while the application is pending. Once approved, follow the decision’s reporting instructions and the statutory rules for income, rent and household changes. A change can increase, reduce or end support; it is not safe to assume the original award remains correct in every situation. [2]

If you disagree with a decision, read its explanation and the stated review procedure and deadline. Keep the decision, the evidence you submitted and any follow-up correspondence together.

Planning around a new child? Read the Elterngeld guide for that separate application and timing. Ask the Wohngeld office how each payment is treated in your specific housing-benefit calculation.

Common questions

What is the maximum salary for Wohngeld?

There is no single figure for all households. The people included, relevant income, housing costs and local rent category must be assessed together.

Can I receive Wohngeld while working?

Employment alone does not prevent eligibility. Income, housing costs and the other conditions still have to be checked.

Does a student with no BAföG payment automatically qualify?

No. The reason for the missing payment matters. Entitlement in principle can exclude Wohngeld even where the BAföG amount is zero.

Does this page calculate my entitlement?

No. It helps you prepare the information and links to the official calculator. The local Wohngeld authority decides the application.

Sources and scope

Checked on 26 October 2026 against the current statutory provisions and ministry guidance. This is an English preparation guide, not an eligibility, immigration or legal assessment. Local forms and the authority’s individual calculation govern the application. Proposed changes are not presented here as enacted rules.

See our editorial policy for research and correction principles and About Finanz2Go for the operator behind this guide.