Overview
- About 1.2 million households currently receive the housing subsidy in Germany.
- No additional increase is planned for 2026 after an average 15% rise took effect on January 1, 2025, with the next routine recalculation due in January 2027.
- Asset rules remain unchanged for 2026, with indicative thresholds of €60,000 for the first household member plus €30,000 for each additional person and limited exemptions for contractually bound retirement savings reported.
- A Sozialstaatskommission recommends bundling Wohngeld, Bürgergeld and Kinderzuschlag, reducing responsible bodies to Jobcenters and municipal social offices and building a unified digital portal, a plan BMAS says it will now examine.
- The Federal Court of Justice ruled on January 30 that long-term subletting may not be run for profit, allowing only cost-covering surcharges with landlord consent, while short-term rentals remain subject to separate local and EU rules with a registration duty expected from around May 2026.