Overview

• Applicants must file with their local Wohngeld office, payments are made monthly in advance starting with the application month, and consumer advocates warn about fraudulent third‑party sites that charge fees without submitting claims.
• The January 1, 2025 update lifted average benefits by about 15% under Wohngeld‑Plus and expanded eligibility, with roughly 1.2 million households currently receiving support.
• Tenants and owner‑occupiers can qualify, with owners eligible for a Lastenzuschuss that covers costs such as interest, principal repayment and specified operating expenses.
• Awards are calculated from household size, total income, eligible rent or owner burden and the municipality’s Mietenstufe I–VII; high‑cost cities like Munich fall into the top tier with higher allowable caps.
• Deductions and special rules affect outcomes: work‑related expenses lower countable income (employee allowance €1,230; pensioner allowance €102), parts of the Grundrente are excluded, Pflegegeld is generally not counted for the recipient but may be partly or fully counted when passed to caregivers, and residents of care homes can qualify under defined conditions.