What is Wohngeld?
Wohngeld (housing benefit) is a monthly subsidy towards housing costs for people with low incomes. Tenants receive it as a rent subsidy (Mietzuschuss); owners who live in their own home can get a subsidy towards their costs (Lastenzuschuss). If you meet the conditions, you have a legal right to it — but only if you apply. In Berlin, the federal government and the State of Berlin each pay half. With the 2023 reform known as Wohngeld-Plus, the number of households receiving Wohngeld roughly doubled.
Who can get it
- tenants and subtenants who live in the flat themselves and pay rent — including for a room in a shared flat (WG), a cooperative flat or a place in a care home;
- people whose main residence is in Berlin, for example employees, pensioners, families and single parents;
- foreign nationals with a right of residence, for example EU citizens or holders of a residence permit — including people from Ukraine with a permit under § 24 AufenthG;
- households whose income, together with Wohngeld, covers their living costs; if it does not, Jobcenter or social welfare benefits are usually the right support.
Who cannot get it
- people who receive Grundsicherungsgeld (formerly Bürgergeld) from the Jobcenter, social assistance or basic income support in old age from the Sozialamt (social welfare office), or benefits under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act — their housing costs are already covered;
- households in which everyone could in principle get BAföG (student finance) or vocational training allowance (BAB), unless it is paid only as a loan;
- households with significant assets: as a rule, more than €60,000 for the first household member and €30,000 for each additional one;
- households whose entitlement would be less than €10 a month.
If the Jobcenter or the Sozialamt turns down your application, apply for Wohngeld by the end of the following month. Wohngeld can then start from the month from which the other benefit was refused.
How much you can get
The amount depends on three things: the number of household members, the rent and the total income. That is why there is no fixed income limit. Income means the annual income of everyone in the household, minus flat-rate deductions of 10% each for taxes, health insurance and pension insurance (if you pay them) and further allowances. Rent means the rent including operating costs but without heating — and only up to a maximum that depends on household size and the local rent level (Mietenstufe). Berlin is in Mietenstufe IV. The maximum rent taken into account in Berlin (since 2025):
- 1 person: €511
- 2 persons: €619
- 3 persons: €737
- 4 persons: €858
- 5 persons: €982
- each additional person: +€119
The calculation raises this cap by a climate component and adds a flat-rate amount for heating costs — for one person currently €19.20 and €110.40 a month. At the end of 2025, households in Germany received €296 a month on average. You can estimate your claim with the official Wohngeld-Plus-Rechner of the federal housing ministry (BMWSB) on bmwsb.bund.de. Only the Wohngeldstelle (housing benefit office) decides on the actual amount.
The 2025 increase and plans for 2027
Wohngeld is adjusted to prices and rents every two years. On 01.01.2025 it rose by about 15% — around €30 a month on average. The next adjustment would be due on 01.01.2027, but the federal government plans to skip it, to halve the heating cost component and to change the calculation formula from 2027. In October 2026 the bill was still before parliament. According to the draft, Wohngeld that has already been approved continues unchanged until the end of its approval period — one more reason not to put off your application.
How to apply in Berlin
You can apply online on the ServicePortal service.berlin.de (service “Wohngeld – Mietzuschuss beantragen”) or on paper. The Wohngeldstelle in the Wohnungsamt (housing office) of the district where you live is responsible: send the paper application there by post, or hand it in at a Bürgeramt (citizens’ office) of your district. Paper forms are available on berlin.de and at the Bürgeramt. Attach copies of:
- the identity documents of everyone living in the flat and, for non-EU citizens, the residence permit;
- the rental contract and any later letters about rent increases;
- proof of rent payments for the last three months, for example bank statements;
- proof of income for all household members: payslips, pension notices, notices about unemployment benefit or other benefits;
- if applicable, proof of work-related expenses, a severe disability or a care level (Pflegegrad).
Deadlines, processing time and changes
- Wohngeld is paid from the month in which your application reaches the office — not for earlier months. So apply as soon as possible; missing documents can usually be sent later.
- Processing takes time: in 2025, Berlin’s Wohngeld offices needed 12 to 15 weeks on average, and some districts took longer. Once approved, Wohngeld is paid back to the month of application.
- As a rule, Wohngeld is approved for 12 months, or for up to 24 months if your situation is unlikely to change. For the time after that, submit a new application (Weiterleistungsantrag) about two months before the end.
- Report changes without delay: if you move, if someone moves out, if your rent falls by more than 15%, if your income rises by more than 15%, or if someone in the household applies for Jobcenter or social welfare benefits. Wohngeld paid wrongly must be paid back.
- If your rent rises by more than 10%, your income falls by more than 10% or your household grows, you can apply for a new calculation — the amount may go up.
Wohngeld, WBS, Jobcenter and other support
- WBS: this certificate gives access to social housing, while Wohngeld is money towards the rent. You can have both, but you apply for each separately — see our guide on the WBS.
- Jobcenter: if your income is not enough to live on even with Wohngeld, Grundsicherungsgeld may be the right support. Read what the Jobcenter covers when it pays the rent.
- Families: Wohngeld can be combined with the child supplement (Kinderzuschlag) from the Familienkasse (family benefits office), and children can receive education and participation benefits (Bildung und Teilhabe).
- Berlin-Ticket S: with a Wohngeld notice, you and the household members included in it can use the social ticket and discounts, for example in museums and swimming pools.
- Flat search: read how to find a flat in Berlin and create a free housing request on Flat-Radar.