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Apply for continued benefit for housing allowance
If you are already receiving housing benefits, you can apply for continued benefits under certain conditions.
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Basic information
Housing assistance is intended to enable you to live in adequate, family-friendly housing. You may apply for continued payment of housing assistance no later than one month after the end of the approval period, in the same manner as in your initial application, as
- a rent subsidy for tenants or subtenants of residential units or for residents of a residential facility (residents of a residential facility as defined by the respective state law
- this also includes people with disabilities who are admitted to special housing arrangements—not merely on a temporary basis—to receive integration assistance) or as a
- mortgage subsidy for owners of a single-family home or a condominium
If your housing costs are covered by another social benefits provider, you are not eligible for housing assistance. This is the case if you are already receiving
- basic income support or
- basic old-age security, or
- disability benefits, or
- living expenses, or
- any other transfer payment in which housing costs have been factored into the calculation.
Requirements
You must still be eligible for housing assistance as an applicant. You are eligible for a housing subsidy as:
- Tenant of living space
- Subtenant of living space
- Residents of a cooperative apartment or a boarded apartment
- residents of a home (home residents as defined by the respective state law
- this also includes people with disabilities who are not only temporarily admitted to special forms of housing for the provision of integration assistance)
- tenants with similar rights of use, in particular holders of a tenant-like permanent right of residence
- owners of an apartment building (three or more apartments), a commercial building or a commercial enterprise, if you live in this building
- Owners of a one- or two-family house in which you live, but which also contains business premises to such an extent that it can no longer be considered a home of your own
- Owners of a full-time agricultural business whose residential part is not separated from the business part
- women living in women's shelters, even if the remuneration is calculated on a daily basis
- a person who is admitted to homeless shelters or third party housing by the homelessness authority, even if the user fee (which is not, for example, based on the number of days or graded according to adult persons and children) is paid to the homelessness authority
You are eligible for a housing subsidy as:
- Owner of a home or condominium,
- Owners of a small housing estate,
- Owners of a part-time agricultural business,
- the owner of a full-time agricultural business, provided that the residential part and the business part are separated from each other and the residential part is eligible for a housing allowance,
- owners of a permanent right of residence similar to ownership
- holders of hereditary building rights and those who are entitled to the transfer of ownership of the building or dwelling or to the transfer or granting of the hereditary building right.
The owner of the living space must occupy the living space and bear the burden for this.
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Procedure
- It is best to contact the responsible office in advance to ask for the documents you need.
- You submit your application for continued benefits in writing using the form provided or by using the online service. You can send the form by mail to the housing allowance office responsible for you or hand it in personally.
- The authority will examine your application for continued benefits and send you a decision.
- In the event of continued approval, the housing allowance will generally continue to be granted for twelve months and can continue to be granted for up to 24 months if your income remains comparatively constant.
More information
The following guidelines apply:
To prevent or detect the unlawful receipt of housing assistance, the housing assistance agency may regularly verify the information provided by all household members by cross-checking data—including through automated means—in particular with the Pension Insurance Data Center. For example, a cross-check may be performed to determine
- whether basic income support is being paid while housing allowance is being received,
- whether the recipient is engaged in employment subject to social insurance contributions or in marginal employment,
- or the amount of investment income for which an exemption order has been issued.
It is also possible to cross-check with the registration authority regarding registered addresses, housing status, and the timing of address changes. In addition, the Federal Central Tax Office may be consulted regarding bank accounts. Suspected cases of fraud are generally reported to the public prosecutor’s office. Through these checks, the housing allowance authority can determine, for example,
- whether housing assistance is being received multiple times,
- whether transfer payments that would result in disqualification from housing assistance are being received at the same time,
- whether the information provided in the housing allowance application
- regarding income from employment,
- income from one or more pensions,
- and income from capital gains (interest or dividends),
- whether, in the case of initial unemployment, unemployment benefits were discontinued (for example, due to taking a new job), and
- whether the original residence for which housing assistance was provided is still actually being used.
The review may be conducted up to ten years after notification of the relevant housing allowance approval.
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Necessary Documents
- Comment
It is best to contact the responsible office in advance to ask for the required documents. In principle, you must provide the following proof of housing costs or charges:
- Documents about transfer services
For example, assistance with living costs, social benefits, basic benefits for old age and reduced earning capacity, benefits under the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act (Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz)
- Certificate of merit
Increased income-related expenses are to be proven according to the tax assessment notice, current notices on pension payments of any kind, on benefits according to the Third Book of the Social Code - Employment Promotion (for example, unemployment benefit I, short-time allowance, transitional allowance)
- Proof of sick pay and other wage replacement benefits
- for self-employed persons/traders: last tax assessment notice
- Students: Certificate of enrollment
- Income of all household members
To be on the safe side, please declare all income of all household members in money or money's worth, regardless of its source and regardless of whether the income is taxable or not. In this way, you will avoid unnecessary queries. The housing allowance office will then check which of the incomes are chargeable.
- Students: BAföG notice
- Students: Declaration of monthly allowances from parents during studies.
- Health insurance certificate
- Proof of pension or life insurance
- If applicable: proof of pension or life insurance coverage
- If applicable: severely disabled person's certificate (if applicable, proof of care allowance payments)
- If applicable: proof of residence status
In the case of foreigners from third countries, proof of residence status and duration of stay must be submitted.
Other EU citizens must submit a certificate of right of residence/EU residence permit and registration with the registration office.
- You will also need the following documents to apply for a rent subsidy:
Landlord Certification Form (usually provided by housing assistance agencies).
- You will need the following documents to apply for an encumbrance subsidy:
- Form for determining the burden from the debt service
- Proof of the burden from the debt service (certificate of borrowed funds, last payment voucher, interest and redemption schedule, if applicable)
- Proof of the amount of the purchase price or construction costs (also for modernizations)
- Real estate tax assessment notice/proof of the amount of ground rents
- If applicable, proof of income from the transfer of rooms and areas to third parties
- Calculation of living space in accordance with DIN 277 or the Living Space Ordinance (WoFlV, building application)
- If applicable, notice of the building subsidy
- Proof of ownership, excerpt from land register, purchase contract
- Comment
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Online Services
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Housing benefit continuation application
You can conveniently complete your request online. The application will be sent to the office responsible for you.
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Fees / Costs
gebührenfrei
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Deadlines & processing time
What deadlines must be paid attention to?
As a rule, the housing allowance will be paid to you from the first of the month (after the end of the previous allowance period) if an application for continued benefits has been submitted to the housing allowance office within one month of the end of the allowance period at the latest.
How long does it take to process
A decision on the application for continued benefits will be made immediately. The processing time depends, among other things, on the completeness of your information and the submission of the evidence required for processing the application.
Any longer processing times will not be at your expense: your entitlement to housing benefit will be examined from the day you submit your application. If your housing allowance entitlement continues, you will not lose any housing allowance.
Frequently asked Questions
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Who is a household member?
Household member is the person entitled to housing allowance.
Household members are also:
- the spouse or partner who is not permanently separated
- the person living in a community of responsibility and responsibility for others
- siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews
- parents-in-law, children-in-law, stepparents
- parents, children, siblings of the life partner
- Sister-in-law, brother-in-law and his children, niece/nephew of the spouse
- Foster children regardless of their age and foster parents
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What income should be taken into account?
Annual income, as defined by the Housing Allowance Act, is the sum of positive income (gross income minus income-related expenses) as defined in Section 2(1) and (2) of the Income Tax Act, plus the income specified in Section 14(2) of the Housing Allowance Act, minus the deductions for taxes and social security contributions for each household member.
To calculate housing allowance, a projected assessment is made—that is, an estimate of expected income. The 12 months preceding the application may serve as the basis for this projected assessment.
All taxable and tax-exempt income must always be reported accurately.
Examples:
- for employees: wages/salary (earnings statement)
- For retirees: All types of pensions (pension notices, pension statements)
- For individuals subject to income tax (unless proof is provided by the earnings statement): all income, to be documented by:
Income tax prepayment notice
Most recent income tax assessment
Most recent income tax return - For recipients of child support: Proof of the payer, the type, amount, and recipient of the payments
- For children: Proof of child benefit
- For unemployed individuals: Approval notice from the employment office regarding unemployment benefits or basic income support
- For apprentices or students: Proof of the type, amount, and recipient of educational assistance (e.g., BAföG, vocational training allowance)
- For recipients of social assistance or war victims’ benefits: Proof of the type, amount, and recipient of the benefits
- Proof of other benefits: (e.g., proof of interest income or other investment income, rental income, benefits from third parties—including those provided on a loan basis, if applicable—in-kind benefits, scholarships)
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What is a "negative certificate"?
If you apply for housing allowance in another municipality or in another federal state, the responsible authority usually requires the submission of a negative certificate. This is then issued on request by the housing allowance office of the former place of residence. This is to check whether and until when housing benefit was paid.
The issuing of the negative certificate is free of charge. A personal appearance to get the certificate is not required. The application is made informally. It is also possible to apply for the negative certificate by telephone. An authorized person is entitled to take out the negative certificate at the housing allowance office on behalf of the applicant. The power of attorney must be presented.
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What do I need to communicate?
Changes to be reported immediately include:
- Number of household members,
- Decrease in rent or burden,
- increase in income, and
- Change in living quarters, including within the home.
This page has been automatically translated by DeepL. We cannot guarantee that the translation is correct.
The official information in German is complete and correct. 30.07.2026