Rent limit in the Grundsicherung (formerly Bürgergeld), 2026

The Jobcenter pays housing costs (Kosten der Unterkunft, KdU) only up to a local limit: since 1 July 2026 up to 1.5× the limit in the first year, then up to the limit. In Berlin it is €447 a month for one person, Nebenkosten included (2026).

• Limits are the published municipal Angemessenheitsgrenzen (reasonableness limits) for the Bruttokaltmiete, for 1–4 people. Source and date per city live in the site’s city dataset and appear in the calculator.
• Regelsatz 2026 (unchanged since 2024): adult living alone €563, each of two partners €506, child aged 14–17 €471, 6–13 €390, 0–5 €357.
• Phases follow § 22 SGB II as amended from 1 July 2026: a 12-month Karenzzeit capped at 1.5×, then a Kostensenkungsaufforderung with usually up to 6 months to lower the cost, then only the limit.
• Area = limit ÷ (typical asking cold rent per m², wohnungsboerse.net 2026, interpolated between the 30/60/100 m² bands, + average cold Nebenkosten of €1.35/m² from the Deutscher Mieterbund’s Betriebskostenspiegel); for Stuttgart without Nebenkosten. The result appears under the scale, next to the typical 50/65/80/90 m² for 1–4 people.
• Not included: income counted against the benefit, Mehrbedarfe (supplements), heating, one-off needs, Wohngeld. This is a comparison, not an eligibility check.

This is not legal or financial advice.

How much rent does the Jobcenter pay in Berlin in 2026?

Up to €447 for one person, €540 for two, €624 for three and €732 for four (Bruttokaltmiete, AV-Wohnen 2026). Heating is covered separately. In the first year of benefits, rent up to 1.5× these limits is recognised.

What counts as rent for the KdU limit?

The Bruttokaltmiete: cold rent (Kaltmiete) plus Nebenkosten without heating — water, sewage, waste, caretaker, property tax. Heating and hot water are recognised separately at actual cost if reasonable. The exception in our data is Stuttgart, which publishes its limit without Nebenkosten.

What changed on 1 July 2026?

Bürgergeld became Grundsicherungsgeld (the Neue Grundsicherung law, passed by the Bundestag on 5 March 2026). In the Karenzzeit, rent is no longer recognised in full but up to 1.5× the local limit. The rent is re-checked at every renewal. Benefit periods that began before 1 July 2026 run to their end under the old rules.

What happens if my rent is above the limit?

For the first 12 months the Jobcenter recognises rent up to 1.5× the limit, and for families with children it can recognise more, case by case. It then sends a Kostensenkungsaufforderung (request to lower costs) with usually up to 6 months to act. After that only the limit is recognised and you pay the difference from the Regelsatz. If a move is impossible or unreasonable, the actual rent stays recognised.

When does month 1 start?

With the first month you receive Grundsicherung, not with the job loss: months with only Arbeitslosengeld I don’t count. If benefits stop for a month or more, the grace year pauses and resumes when they restart. A new grace year starts only after 3 years without Grundsicherung or Sozialhilfe.

How current are the limits?

The calculator shows each city’s table date. Tables from 2024: Leipzig, Braunschweig, Chemnitz, Düsseldorf, Nuremberg, Darmstadt; the limits may have risen since. The binding figure for your case comes from the Jobcenter.

1. § 22 SGB II — needs for housing and heating (as amended from 1 July 2026), https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_2/__22.html
2. Deutscher Bundestag — Neue Grundsicherung passed (5 March 2026), https://www.bundestag.de/dokumente/textarchiv/2026/kw10-de-grundsicherung-1150460
3. Federal Government — Regelbedarfe 2026 unchanged (2025), https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/aktuelles/nullrunde-buergergeld-2383676
4. Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Grundsicherungsgeld: housing and rent (2026), https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/grundsicherung/wohnen
5. Federal Government — Bundesrat approves Neue Grundsicherung, in force 1 July 2026 (2026), https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/aktuelles/bundesrat-neue-grundsicherung-2399562
6. wohnungsboerse.net — Mietspiegel 2026, asking rents per m² (2026), https://www.wohnungsboerse.net/mietspiegel
7. Deutscher Mieterbund — Betriebskostenspiegel, billing year 2024: €2.67/m², of which heating €1.32 (2025), https://mieterbund.de/aktuelles/meldungen/mieterbund-veroeffentlicht-aktuellen-betriebskostenspiegel-fuer-deutschland/

Read next: Means-tested benefits · Warm vs cold rent · Wohngeld (housing benefit) · City index: costs in 30 cities