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Short answer
Housing benefit is a rent subsidy for households with their own, but low, income. If you receive Grundsicherungsgeld from the Jobcenter or other basic income support (Grundsicherung), you do not get housing benefit, because housing costs are already included there. In Dortmund you apply at the Wohngeldstelle, online or by post. It is paid from the month in which your application arrives.
Step by step
Check whether housing benefit fits
Housing benefit is for tenants and owners with their own income. If you receive Grundsicherungsgeld or other basic income support, there is no housing benefit. The amount depends on household size, income and rent.
Apply
Apply online via the Wohngeld service on dortmund.de or send the application by post. Applying is free. Beware of websites that charge for this.
Attach documents
Tenants need a landlord’s certificate (Vermieterbescheinigung) and proof of income for everyone in the household.
Apply early
Housing benefit is paid from the month your application arrives, not retroactively. So apply in good time.
Respond to letters
Processing can take a while because of the number of applications. Reply quickly if the Wohngeldstelle asks for more documents.
Documents you need
- Housing benefit application
- Landlord’s certificate (Vermieterbescheinigung)
- Proof of income for all household members, e.g. payslips, pension notice, sick pay or unemployment benefit
- Bank details (IBAN)
Deadlines and costs
Start: housing benefit is paid from the first day of the month in which the application arrives.
Costs: applying is free.
Amount: there are no fixed amounts; household size, total income and rent are what count.
Common pitfalls
- Receiving Grundsicherungsgeld at the same time – you cannot get both; we help you compare
- Landlord’s certificate missing – ask your landlord early
- Paid application help online – not needed, applying is free
- Income or rent changes – report changes to the Wohngeldstelle