Rent increase and housing benefit in Frankfurt

Housing benefit follows the countable gross cold rent – that is net cold rent plus cold service charges, without heating, hot water, electricity or a parking space. If the landlord raises this rent, the subsidy can become too low because the decision notice starts from the previous rent.

Not every increase immediately leads to more housing benefit. During the current award period a threshold applies: only if the rent rises by more than 15 per cent against the rent used so far does an increase of the award come into consideration. The procedure for that is the increase application.

The measure is the rent that the authority has taken into account in the current decision notice – capped by the maximum for Mietenstufe VI. If your actual rent is already above the maximum, a further rise often does not raise housing benefit, because the excess stays uncounted anyway.

Example: if a gross cold rent of 600 euros was recognised and it rises to 700 euros, that is more than 15 per cent. Then you can apply for the increase. If it only rises to 650 euros, the current amount usually stays unchanged; the new rent flows into the next renewal application.

The increase application aims to raise the monthly amount because housing costs have risen or the household has grown. You submit it actively and enclose the rent increase plus evidence of the new rent paid.

The duty to notify concerns changes that can reduce or end the claim – for example strongly risen income or a fallen rent. You need not fear a rent increase as an “unfavourable change”; without an increase application the amount nonetheless stays the same at first. Both routes are described under Duty to notify and Increase application.

Typical are the letter on the rent increase or the new service-charge statement insofar as it changes the cold costs, the amended tenancy agreement or an addendum, and evidence of the first payments at the new amount. A current rent certificate from the landlord often replaces individual documents in practice.

The full list by form of housing is under Documents. Submit copies. If a document is missing, the office requests it; that lengthens processing of the increase application.

With an effective stepped rent the steps often already stand in the contract. Even so the authority examines each step only when it applies and is paid. An index rent follows the official consumer index; here too the actually owed and paid gross cold rent counts as soon as the new amount is settled.

Balancing payments from a service-charge statement are not a lasting rent rise. They can in the individual case play a role as a one-off burden, but do not replace the 15 per cent check of the ongoing rent. Clarify uncertainties with the office from the statement.

If housing benefit stays unchanged, that is often because the 15 per cent threshold has not been reached or the rent has already used up the maximum. That is then not a sign that the increase is ineffective – it takes effect only at the next award.

If you consider the decision notice wrong, check the reasons and the deadline for an appeal. The pages on the amount and the Frankfurt maximum amounts help place the figures. A general refusal of housing benefit as a whole is to be distinguished from an unchanged amount.