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Procedure descriptions

Apply for housing benefit

You are entitled to housing benefit if your income is not sufficient to cover the cost of your accommodation. Housing benefit for tenants is known as a rent allowance, whilst housing benefit for owners of their own home is known as a mortgage allowance.

Amount:

  • Depends on the individual case.
  • It is based on household size, income and the rent or mortgage payments.

Duration:

  • Usually for 12 months. In individual cases, this period may be longer or shorter.
  • If you wish to continue receiving housing benefit after this period, you must reapply.

Students:

  • You are not entitled to housing benefit if you are, in principle, entitled to BAföG. This also applies if you do not actually receive BAföG because your own income or that of your parents is too high.
  • However, you can apply for housing benefit if you are not, in principle, entitled to BAföG, for example because you have exceeded the age limit or are studying beyond the standard period of study. A prerequisite is always that the flat is the centre of your life; a main residence is regarded as an indication of this.

Moving house:

If you are already receiving housing benefit, you must bear the following in mind should you move house:

  • You must inform the housing benefit authority of your move immediately. You must repay any housing benefit overpaid.
  • Your entitlement to housing benefit for your previous home will cease. You should submit a new application for your new home straight away. This is important to ensure you continue to receive housing benefit without interruption, provided you still meet the eligibility criteria.

Forms/Online Services

Responsible authority

The housing benefit authority.

Depending on where you live, the housing benefit authority is either the city council or the district office.

Please note: For residents of certain large district towns, the district office may be responsible. However, local councils that do not have responsibility for housing benefit will accept your application and forward it to the relevant authority.

Bürgeramt Echterdingen/ Rente [Stadt Leinfelden-Echterdingen]
Wohngeld [Stadt Leinfelden-Echterdingen]

Details

Prerequisite

  • Your total income does not exceed a certain limit.
    The calculation of your income is based on the Income Tax Act; this means that your individual taxable income is the decisive factor, supplemented by a list of tax-free income that must be taken into account.
  • You bear the costs of your accommodation yourself. If these costs are covered by a third party, you are not eligible for housing benefit.

Recipients of the following transfer payments are not eligible for housing benefit:

  • Basic income support (formerly Bürgergeld, Unemployment Benefit II and Social Assistance)
  • Transitional allowance and injury benefit, in each case up to the amount of the basic income support, including advances and instalments on transitional allowance or injury benefit
  • Grants towards the uncovered costs of accommodation for apprentices and students
  • Basic income support for the elderly and those with reduced earning capacity
  • Living expenses allowance
  • Supplementary assistance with living expenses or other forms of assistance in a residential care facility covering living expenses, under the Federal Pension Act or under a law declaring that Act to be applicable
  • Benefits in special cases and basic benefits under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act
  • Child and youth welfare, if the household consists exclusively of recipients of these benefits

Exceptions:

  • You receive the transfer payment exclusively as a loan, or the transfer payment has been refused, withdrawn or denied.
  • You are switching from receiving a transfer payment to housing benefit.
  • People who live with you in a joint household and have therefore been taken into account in the calculation of the transfer payment.

Procedure

It is best to apply for housing benefit in writing. Please use the paper form provided above. You can also obtain it from the relevant authority.

You will need to use different paper forms depending on whether you are renting your home (rent allowance) or own it (mortgage allowance).

If you wish to make an initial application for a rent allowance, you can also use the online application form provided above.

You can also apply for housing benefit informally. Special conditions apply in this case.
Your (informal) application is then deemed to have been submitted at that point in time. Please submit the completed form together with all the necessary documents within the deadline notified to you. If your application is approved, you will receive housing benefit from the first day of the month in which you submitted your informal application.

You will receive a written decision on your application in the form of a notification.

If your application is approved, the relevant authority will transfer the payments to the account you have specified once a month in advance.

Deadlines

  • Initial application: none
  • Applications for continuation of benefits: Please submit your application for continuation of benefits in good time, for example two months before the end of the current approval period. This will help to avoid any interruption in payments.

Required documents

  • Proof of the number of household members.
  • Proof of rent (tenancy agreement, etc.) or mortgage payments (loan agreement, etc.).
  • Proof of the household’s total income (earnings, pension, child benefit, etc.).

Costs

none

Processing time

The housing benefit authorities are currently receiving a large number of applications. It may therefore take a little longer to process your application. Please bear with us.

Miscellaneous

If your financial situation or personal circumstances have improved or changed, this may result in a reduction in your housing benefit. You are obliged to notify the housing benefit authority immediately of any changes that could lead to a reduction in your housing benefit.

To prevent or detect the unlawful claiming of housing benefit, the housing benefit authority is entitled to carry out regular checks on household members by means of a so-called data comparison.

If you are receiving housing benefit and child benefit, you may also be entitled to a child supplement. You can check whether you are entitled to a child supplement using the KiZ-Lotsen tool on the Familienkasse website and submit your application directly online. You will find the link to this in the further information section.

Legal basis

Wohngeldgesetz (WoGG)

Wohngeldverordnung (WoGV)

Allgemeine Verwaltungsvorschrift zur Durchführung des Wohngeldgesetzes (Wohngeld-Verwaltungsvorschrift - WoGVwV)

Gesetz zur Ausführung des Wohngeldgesetzes (WoGGAG BW)

Release note

machine generated, based on the German release by: Ministerium für Landesentwicklung und Wohnen Baden-Württemberg, 26.06.2026