Housing benefit in Carinthia
Carinthia rebuilt its housing benefit from 1 January 2025. The calculator below follows the statute and shows every intermediate step, so you can see where the number comes from.
The three rules that set the amount
First, the cap per square metre. The province calculates with a housing cost factor of 4.00 euro and an operating cost factor of 2.50 euro, together 6.50 euro per m². What you actually pay does not matter for this side of the calculation: a 50 m² flat yields 325 euro of eligible cost, whether it costs 400 or 900 euro.
Second, the floor space. Counted are 50 m² for the first person and 10 m² for each further one. Unlike most provinces, the 50 also applies downwards: a 32 m² studio is calculated with 50 m². That is not a rounding artefact, it is in the statute, and for small flats it is the most important point on this page.
Third, the own share. It is calculated bracket by bracket, on the respective part of the income, exactly like income tax. Up to 1,000 euro nothing is expected, for the part between 1,000 and 1,200 euro it is 30 per cent, and so on. At an income of 1,300 euro that is 30 per cent of 200 plus 40 per cent of 100, so 100 euro. It is NOT 40 per cent of 1,300.
The reasonable own share, bracket by bracket
Each bracket charges only the part of the income that falls into it. Every minor child and every person with a disability in the household moves all thresholds up by 200 euro.
| Income part | own share | at most |
|---|---|---|
| up to €1,000.00 | 0 % | €0.00 |
| €1,000.00 – €1,200.00 | 30 % | €60.00 |
| €1,200.00 – €1,400.00 | 40 % | €80.00 |
| €1,400.00 – €1,600.00 | 50 % | €100.00 |
| €1,600.00 – €1,800.00 | 60 % | €120.00 |
| above €1,800.00 | 70 % | — |
The right column shows what a fully used bracket costs. The top bracket is open ended, so there is no figure.
The most that can come out
Floor space and the per-square-metre rate give the ceiling per household, before the own share is deducted. From four people upwards it exceeds the statutory maximum and is capped there.
| People | counted floor space | eligible cost | at most paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50 m² | €325.00 | €325.00 |
| 2 | 60 m² | €390.00 | €390.00 |
| 3 | 70 m² | €455.00 | €455.00 |
| 4 | 80 m² | €520.00 | €500.00 |
| 5 | 90 m² | €585.00 | €500.00 |
Calculator
All figures monthly. Housing and operating costs are what you actually pay; they cap the benefit and decide the per-square-metre threshold.
How to apply
- 01
Collect documents
Tenancy agreement, proof of income for everyone in the household, registration form and the last operating cost statement.
- 02
File the application
With the province of Carinthia, department 11. It takes effect from the month of filing, not retroactively: a month of hesitation is a month lost.
- 03
Report changes
Income, household size and the flat all change the calculation. Whoever fails to report a change has to pay it back.
Housing benefit, operating cost support, housing construction subsidy
Three different things that are often confused. Housing benefit lowers the ongoing burden and is what this calculator estimates. Operating cost support is a separate, smaller benefit. The construction subsidy helps with building or buying, not with living.
Frequently asked
Is a small flat really calculated with 50 m²?
Yes. § 6 Abs. 3 K-WBHG states that for a flat below 50 m², 50 m² count as the calculation basis. A 32 m² flat therefore yields the same 325 euro of eligible cost as one with 50 m².
Why do I get less although my rent is high?
Because the actual rent hardly matters for the calculation. At most 6.50 euro per m² are counted. The rent only acts in two places: it caps the benefit, and above 11.66 euro per m² there is none at all.
What is an income part?
The part of the income that falls into a bracket. At 1,300 euro, 1,000 sit in the first bracket (0 per cent), 200 in the second (30 per cent) and 100 in the third (40 per cent). The own share is therefore 100 euro, not 520.
Do children count?
Yes, in two ways. They increase the counted floor space by 10 m² each, and they move all income thresholds up by 200 euro. Both raise the benefit.
Does this apply to owned homes?
Carinthia extended housing benefit to owner-occupiers in 2025. This calculator models the rental case; for owned homes the same factors apply but different proofs are needed.
Read on
- Land for sale in Carinthia →
- Housing benefit Upper Austria →
- Housing benefit Vienna →
- Housing support Styria →
As of 4. September 2026. Calculated under the Carinthian housing benefit act, LGBl. Nr. 82/2024 i.d.F. LGBl. Nr. 86/2025.