Prerequisites
You will continue to be entitled to housing benefit.
You are entitled to a housing benefit if you:
- are a tenant of residential property,
- are subtenants of living space,
- live in a cooperative or foundation apartment,
- are a resident of a nursing home (including people with disabilities in special housing arrangements),
- have a rental-like right of use (for example, permanent right of residence),
- Are the owner of an apartment building, commercial building or business in which you live,
- live in a single- or two-family house that also contains business premises that do not allow it to be classified as a home,
- have a full-time agricultural job where the living area is not separated from the business area,
- live in a women’s shelter, even if the fee is calculated on a daily basis,
- were placed in accommodation by the homeless authority.
You are entitled to a housing benefit subsidy if you:
- are the owner of a home or condominium,
- own a small settlement,
- have a part-time agricultural job,
- have a full-time agricultural job with separate living and business areas,
- have a permanent right of residence similar to ownership,
- have a hereditary building right or have a claim to the transfer of a building or apartment.
In all cases, you live in the living space yourself and bear the associated costs.
Documents required
To continue receiving housing benefit, you must submit current documentation in addition to your application. All changes since the end of the approval period must be documented. This generally includes:
- current certificate of earnings (form)
- current proof of income, such as salary/earnings statements, pension adjustments
- current BAB/BAföG notices
- Notices about parental allowance
- Notices regarding unemployment benefit I, citizen's allowance, basic security
- last tax assessment, self-assessment and appendix to the self-assessment (form) for self-employed persons and tradespeople
As proof of housing costs or the burden:
- Rent change letter (current rent composition and amount)
- Proof of rent payment (e.g. bank statement)
- if applicable, current water bill from Hamburg Wasser
- current loan agreements and repayment plans as well as proof of payment (e.g. bank statement)
- Proof of property tax amount
In individual cases, further documents may be required.
Please note
If your financial situation or living circumstances have changed, you are obliged to immediately inform the housing benefit authority of any changes that may lead to a reduction in your housing benefit.
In order to prevent or detect the unlawful use of housing benefit, the housing benefit authority may regularly check household members through a so-called data comparison (for example, for income from a mini-job).
Deadlines
- As a rule, you will continue to receive housing benefit from the first of the month after the previous notice has expired, provided you have submitted your application for continued payment to the housing benefit office no later than one month after the end of the approval period.
- The approval for housing benefit is usually valid for 12 months.
