Whether and to what extent you are entitled to housing benefit depends primarily on the following factors:

1. the number of household members to be taken into account,

2. the amount of your total income,

3. the amount of your rent or charges to be taken into account.

Re 1: Number of household members to be taken into account

In addition to you as the person entitled to housing benefit, the household members include the persons who live with you in an apartment. This home must be the center of life for each of these persons. All household members are taken into account if they are not excluded from housing benefit. You are excluded from housing benefit if you receive other social benefits that already include housing costs, for example

- Citizen's allowance or

- Basic income support in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity.

Students living alone and trainees who are entitled to Federal Training Assistance (BAföG) or Vocational Training Allowance (BAB) are also not entitled to housing benefit.

This also applies if BAföG or BAB has been rejected because the parents' income is too high.

Re 2: Amount of total income

The total income is the sum of the annual income of all household members to be taken into account.

Certain allowances and deductions for maintenance payments can be deducted from this.

Re 3: Amount of rent or charges to be taken into account.

The rent is the agreed remuneration for the use of the living space on the basis of a rental agreement.

Burdens for owners are the expenses for servicing and managing the property.

The basis for calculating housing benefit is the gross rent. Rent does not include, for example, heating costs and the cost of hot water. Nor does it include payments for the provision of a garage or parking space for motor vehicles or payments for general support services such as the provision of nursing or care services, domestic services or emergency call services.

For details, please contact your local housing benefit office.