Guide · Subsidies in Upper Austria
Housing benefit in Upper Austria: what you are actually entitled to
The province of Upper Austria pays tenants on low incomes up to €300.00 a month towards their rent. The catch is rarely where people look for it: at most €3.70 per square metre counts, whatever your tenancy agreement says. Rent 45 m² at 8 euros and you pay 360 euros in rent but only €166.50 is counted. Here is what that means for you, with a calculator that shows every step.
Who qualifies
- Main tenancy only
- Housing benefit goes to main tenants, both in subsidised flats run by non-profit housing associations and in private rented flats. Not for owner-occupied flats, detached or terraced houses, places in halls, or all-inclusive rents. It ends as soon as you buy the flat.
- Main residence and status
- The flat must be your main residence. You also need Austrian or EEA citizenship; people from third countries need at least five years of lawful residence and German language skills.
- Minimum income
- Household income must be above the marginal earnings threshold of €551.10 a month (unchanged for 2026, it has been frozen). Below that, housing benefit is not the right route; social assistance is.
- Private rent: the rent threshold
- In a private rented flat the net rent per square metre must not exceed €7.00, or €8.00 for agreements signed from 1 January 2023. Above that there is no housing benefit at all. The threshold does not apply to subsidised flats.
How the province calculates
The calculation has two sides. On one is how much of your rent counts at all: the reasonable floor area times at most €3.70 per square metre. Reasonable means 45 m² for one person and 15 m² for each further person. If your flat is larger, only the reasonable area counts; if it is smaller, the actual area does.
On the other side is what you are expected to carry yourself: the reasonable housing cost. It is your household income minus your weighted household income, and that is the base amount of €580.00 times the sum of your weighting factors, plus the inflation allowance. The factors: 2.44 for one person, 3.84 for two, 0.8 more for each further person, plus 0.5 for each child with a significant disability or person with 60 per cent reduced earning capacity.
Housing benefit is the difference between the two. It is capped at €300.00 a month, and below €7.00 nothing is paid at all. That is also what the second limit in the table hangs on: the upper limit is the point where less than €7.00 would be left.
The limits per household size
Up to the first limit you get the maximum housing benefit, from the second none at all. Both figures include the inflation allowance of €100.00 and therefore apply to 2026 approvals.
| In the household | Reasonable area | Maximum benefit up to | Nothing from | Maximum amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 45 m² | €1,515.20 | €1,674.70 | €166.50 |
| 2 people | 60 m² | €2,327.20 | €2,542.20 | €222.00 |
| 3 people | 75 m² | €2,791.20 | €3,061.70 | €277.50 |
| 4 people | 90 m² | €3,255.20 | €3,581.20 | €300.00 |
| 5 people | 105 m² | €3,719.20 | €4,100.70 | €300.00 |
The upper limit falls accordingly if your flat is smaller than the reasonable area or your housing cost is below €3.70 per m².
Calculator: roughly what comes out
Four numbers are enough. The calculator shows you not just the amount but the whole route to it, so you can see what the sticking point is when little or nothing comes out.
Why €3.70 makes such a difference
Housing benefit is not designed as a share of your rent but as a contribution up to a politically set price per square metre. For one person with 45 m² that is at most €166.50 a month, whether the flat costs 250 or 360 euros in net rent. So the subsidy covers a larger share the cheaper you live. That is not a flaw in the calculation but its intent, and it is why looking at a subsidised flat almost always pays off.
How to apply
- 01
Gather the form and the evidence
The application form is a free download from the province. You also need the tenancy agreement, the current rent statement and proof of income for everyone in the household.
- 02
Submit, easiest by email
The application goes to wo.post@ooe.gv.at, attachments preferably as PDF. In person and by post also work: Amt der Oö. Landesregierung, Abteilung Wohnbauförderung, Bahnhofplatz 1, 4021 Linz. Phone advice is on 0732 7720-14140.
- 03
Approval lasts a year at most
Housing benefit is granted for a maximum of one year and then reassessed. Note the end of the term: miss the follow-up application and you lose months that cannot be recovered.
- 04
Paid monthly in arrears
After approval the money arrives at the end of the month. If something material changes, meaning income, household size or rent, you have to report it: overpayments are reclaimed.
Housing benefit or housing construction subsidy?
The two get confused constantly although they address different people. Housing benefit is an ongoing contribution to RENT, for people on low incomes. The housing construction subsidy is a cheap loan for building or buying PROPERTY, so a house, a terraced house or an owner-occupied flat. If you rent, you want housing benefit; if you build or buy, the construction subsidy. Both sit with the same provincial department.
Frequently asked questions about housing benefit in Upper Austria
How much housing benefit will I get in Upper Austria?
At most €300.00 a month, and at most the reasonable area times €3.70 per square metre: €166.50 for one person, €222.00 for two, €277.50 for three. From that the reasonable housing cost is deducted, meaning everything your income exceeds the weighted household income by. Below €7.00 a month nothing is paid.
Where is the income limit?
For the maximum benefit at €1,515.20 for one person, €2,327.20 for two and €2,791.20 for three. Entitlement disappears entirely from €1,674.70, €2,542.20 and €3,061.70. All figures already include the inflation allowance of €100.00 and apply to 2026 approvals.
Can I get housing benefit for a private rented flat?
Yes, but only up to a rent threshold: net rent must not exceed €7.00 per square metre, or €8.00 for agreements from 1 January 2023. Above that there is nothing at all. The threshold does not apply to subsidised flats of non-profit housing associations.
Why is only part of my rent counted?
Because the province counts at most €3.70 per square metre. That is the heart of the rule: housing benefit is not a share of your actual rent but a contribution up to that rate. Living more expensively therefore does not get you more, you carry the difference yourself.
Is there housing benefit for a place in halls or a student residence?
No. Places in halls are explicitly excluded, as are owner-occupied flats, houses, terraced houses and all-inclusive rents. The province subsidises the halls themselves instead.
How long does approval last?
One year at most. After that you have to reapply, and in good time: backdating is possible only within narrow limits. If income, household size or rent change during the term, you have to report it.
What is the difference from the housing construction subsidy?
Housing benefit is an ongoing contribution to rent, the construction subsidy is a cheap loan for building or buying property. Tenants want housing benefit, builders and buyers the construction subsidy.
What is the inflation allowance?
An amount of €100.00 by which the province raises every household's income limit for approvals starting in 2026. It applies automatically, no separate application is needed. If you were just above the limit last year, it is worth trying again.
Where do I apply?
With the Amt der Oö. Landesregierung, Abteilung Wohnbauförderung, Bahnhofplatz 1 in 4021 Linz. Easiest by email to wo.post@ooe.gv.at with attachments as PDF; in person Monday to Friday from 8 am to noon, by phone on 0732 7720-14140.
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Last checked: 26. August 2026 (calculation guide, income limits and application route from the province of Upper Austria, figures for approvals starting in 2026; formula cross-checked independently against the calculation guide of the Chamber of Labour Upper Austria; marginal earnings threshold 2026) · Orientation, not legal advice · Free advice: Chamber of Labour Upper Austria and the tenants’ association