Housing benefit

What is the rent allowance?

Rent allowance helps residents pay their rent. If certain conditions are met, you can apply for rent allowance using the online form, by post or in person Service Unit Rent subsidy City of Innsbruck’s Service Unit Rent subsidy .

Please have the necessary documents to hand and read the frequently asked questions and answers. There are specific points to bear in mind for students, school pupils and apprentices.

Would you like to make an appointment for a consultation?

You can book an appointment online for personal consultations. You also still have the option of coming by without an appointment and buying a ticket at the terminal on site.

Under what conditions am I eligible for housing benefit?

• You must be living in a privately funded flat. For flats built with housing subsidies, an application for housing benefit can be submitted to the Tyrolean Provincial Government.
• You live in a rented flat (not a single room).
• You are the main tenant or a tenant with equal rights to the flat (no subletting agreement).
• Your main residence is in this flat.
• You are at least 18 years old.
• Your main residence has been in Innsbruck continuously for at least two years prior to submitting your application. This applies to EU citizens, Swiss nationals, refugees under the Geneva Convention and holders of an asylum card under Section 51a of the Asylum Act 2005. It is also possible if you can prove fifteen years of main residence (even if not consecutive) in Innsbruck.
• Rules for non-EU citizens: Five years of continuous main residence in Tyrol, of which at least the last two years must have been spent with your main residence in Innsbruck
• If, during the 12-month period prior to submitting your application, you have already lawfully received rent or annuity assistance for at least one month in another municipality in Tyrol, the period of primary residence in your current municipality of residence will count towards the two-year qualifying period.

What documents do I need?

You will need copies of the following documents:

• Tenancy agreement – all pages (only for first-time applications, a change of address or a new tenancy agreement)
• Proof of registration (only for first-time applications or when moving house)
• Current rent confirmation (from the landlord or property manager) or rent statement
• Current proof of payment/bank statement showing the rent (+ service charges)
• Annual payslip for the previous calendar year (1 January – 31 December)
• Data protection information sheet
• The last three to four monthly payslips or current pension statement
• For children aged 15 and over – confirmation of school attendance
• For housewives/househusbands – insurance details statement/co-insurance from the ÖGK
• For apprentices – apprenticeship contract and current payslip
• Copy of passport or identity card (applicant)

if applicable:

• Decision on social assistance, maternity/paternity allowance, childcare allowance, unemployment benefit, sickness benefit, rehabilitation allowance, decision on family allowance (from the age of 18), decision/bank statement regarding foreign pension payments
• Maintenance or ongoing child support payments (bank statement or court order)
• Copy of disability card
• Upon the birth of a child, you must submit the registration confirmation and the child’s birth certificate without delay.
• Divorce decree/settlement – all pages

How much is the rent subsidy?

With the aid calculator of the province of Tyrol you can calculate the approximate amount of the aid in advance.

Where do I apply for rent assistance?

You can apply for the rent subsidy online using the online form, by post or in person at Service Unit Rent subsidy of the City of Innsbruck. Please bring the completed application forms: Application for rent subsidy, rent confirmation and the required documents.

You can arrange a consultation appointment here.

Further questions and answers

When is the allowance paid?

The allowance is paid from the month following the application. If the application is submitted within the first drei working days, the allowance will be paid already in that month. The aid is always paid at the end of the month. Due to holidays and weekends, payment may be delayed by a maximum of two to drei days.

Will I receive a notice about the granting of the allowance?

Yes, you will receive a notice from the Office of the Tyrolean Provincial Government in the month of the first payment. This will state the amount and duration of the subsidy. Please make sure that your mailbox is labeled so that you can be sure to receive the notice. The average processing time is drei to four weeks.

How long will I receive the allowance?

The aid is generally granted for one year, after which you must submit a new application. If you reapply within drei months of the expiration date of the grant, the grant will be paid retroactively from the expiration date. If this period is exceeded, you will again receive the supplementary aid as of the month following the application, as was the case with the initial application. If the application is submitted within the first drei working days, the aid will be granted already in the current month.

Will I receive the allowance even if I move?

No. If you move, you must submit a new application.

Is the rent subsidy automatically discontinued if I give up my apartment/move/deregister?

No. If you give up your apartment or change your place of residence, you must immediately notify Service Unit Rent subsidy .. of the change. Failure to do so will result in recovery of the improperly received aid. Untruthful statements may also be subject to criminal penalties (social abuse).

Is the aid determined solely on the basis of actual income?

In principle, yes.

In the case of persons with very neverdrigem, in relation to the rent untrustworthy income, the guideline rate method is used. In this case, a fictitious income is determined. This is made up of the basic income plus the net rent (without operating costs) and is used for the granting of aid. If the actual income is still below this figure after taking the rent subsidy into account, you can apply to the social welfare office for further assistance.

When do I have to report changes in family and income circumstances?

Immediately after the changes occur. If these changes are discovered ex officio, this will lead to the discontinuation of the assistance. If information is obviously deliberately concealed, this may also lead to criminal consequences. Minor changes in the amount of rent will not be taken into account during the year, but only with the next follow-up application.

What rules apply to students, school pupils and apprentices?

How do allowances for apprentices differ from those for working people and pensioners?

• The allowance is a flat-rate payment of 200 euros for one person, 280 euros for two people and a maximum of 360 euros for three people. The amount of rent is irrelevant.
• Provided that students or those in training (school, apprenticeship) only have a part-time job and their income is less than approximately 1,155.84 euros net per month, this is not taken into account. Apprentices’ wages are not counted as income.
• Parents’ income is taken into account for student grants:
  • The monthly net income (twelfth of the annual total) of the parents or those liable for maintenance must not exceed 1,995 eurosper parent or person liable for maintenance, nor must the total monthly net income (twelfths of the annual total) of both parents or those liable for maintenance, must notexceed 3,990 euros.
  • In the event of a proven absence of a second person liable for maintenance, the monthly net income (annualised) must not exceed 2,850 euros .
  • The income limit is increased by 245 euros for each sibling up to the student’s 25th birthday.

Does it matter which member of the shared flat (WG) submits the application?

No, the applicant must be the main tenant or at least a tenant with equal rights to the flat. (No subletting agreement/no room rental agreement).

What documents do I need as a trainee to apply?

You will need copies of the following documents:

• Tenancy agreement – all pages (only for first-time applications, a change of address or a new tenancy agreement)
• Registration form (only for first-time applications or when moving house)
• Current study record
• Data protection information sheet
• Rent confirmation (from the landlord or property manager) or rent statement
• Proof of payment/bank statement showing the total rent (+ service charges)
• Annual payslips/income tax assessment notices for both of the applicant’s parents (for the previous calendar year, 1 January to 31 December) + one current monthly payslip for each parent + declaration for students
• Proof of income for the parents of the other flatmates in the form of a written declaration (declaration for students)

if applicable:

• Payslips for employment, holiday work, etc.
• Scholarship award letter
• Orphan’s pension

You must report any change of flatmate immediately. You must submit the registration form, the current study record and proof of income from the parents of the new flatmate.

You can apply for rent assistance using the online form or in person at Service Unit Rent subsidy of the City of Innsbruck.

How is a student flat-share defined?

• A student shared flat is defined as a rented flat with a tenancy agreement covering the entire property (no individual room tenancy agreements) in which only students, pupils of legal age and apprentices live.
• A mixed-occupancy flat-share, in which people in employment also live, does not usually qualify for the allowance. In such a case, all incomes, including those from part-time work, would have to be added together. In the vast majority of cases, the total income would then be too high.
• If a student living in the shared flat completes their studies whilst the grant is still in force and takes up employment, the grant may continue to be paid until the end of the one-year period, reduced by the amount corresponding to that one person.

Can students go abroad at short notice without losing their grant?

A stay abroad of up to six months by students (Erasmus semester) does not interrupt the payment of the grant. The student must remain registered at the address on file for the grant as their main place of residence.

Do all students have to have their main residence in Innsbruck?

No, only the applicant must have their main residence there. However, students with a secondary residence are not eligible for the grant.

Who do I contact if I have further questions?

If you have any further questions, please contact the Service Unit Rent subsidy Under the link you will also find the office hours for telephone accessibility and the office hours for dealing with parties.

Please bring the completed application forms with you: Application for rent subsidy, rent confirmation and the required documents.