Am I entitled to housing allowance?

Yes, if you are

• over 18 and not doing your initial military service
• under 18 and have children

You are not entitled to housing allowance if the combined gross income of all adults in your household exceeds the maximum income limit, regardless of how high your housing costs are.

Are you or anyone else in your household a student/pupil? Read about the rules that apply to students, pupils and apprentices.

If you are the parent of a child who has shared permanent residence, you may include the child in your application. Read more about shared permanent residence. 

Your home must be approved for residential use and have:

• its own entrance
• its own bathroom and toilet
• kitchen facilities
• a suitable living and sleeping area

Read more about what qualifies as an approved residence.

If you live in shared accommodation, you are generally not eligible for housing allowance. Exceptions may apply if you live in shared accommodation for health-related or social care reasons. Read more about housing allowance for shared accommodation.

The amount of housing allowance you’re entitled to depends on your income and housing expenses. The housing allowance calculator lets you check whether you’re entitled to housing allowance.

Calculate your housing allowance

You can learn more about how housing allowance is calculated here.

When you apply online, we retrieve information from other public registers, so you do not have to enter all the information yourself. Log in using your electronic ID to apply.

If you are unable to apply online, you may submit a paper application.

If you need help with your application, please contact your municipality. 

Learn more about how to apply for housing allowance

• Your income is too high
• You haven’t notified the National Population Register that you have moved
• Your application is missing documentation or other information
• You or other members of your household are not entitled to support
• Your home does not satisfy the requirements

This is what happens after you submit your application:

The municipality receives your application

If you have applied online, the municipality can access the application through the Housing Bank’s housing allowance platform. The municipality will then check the information that you have provided and that you have enclosed the necessary documentation. If you submit a paper application, the person responsible at the municipality uploads your application to our platform. 

The Housing Bank obtains information about you from public records

Each month the Housing Bank decides how much housing allowance you should receive. Before doing so, we obtain information from sources including the National Population Register, Nav, the Norwegian Tax Administration and the State Educational Loan Fund. Read more about what information we obtain and how we process your personal data here.

Your application is processed – you receive a response

On the 20th of the month after you apply, you will receive a response to your application and, if it is accepted, payment of your housing allowance. If the 20th falls on a weekend or public holiday, the payment will be made on the last working day before.

If your application is successful, you don’t need to apply again

We automatically renew successful applications. The amount of housing allowance you receive each month depends on your income in the application month. If your income varies, your housing allowance will also vary. 

Your housing allowance may be recalculated

If your employer, Nav or other sources correct the income that they have reported to the Norwegian Tax Administration for one or more months, we automatically recalculate your housing allowance for those months. We pay you in arrears if you have received too little, and we ask you to repay us if you have received too much. 

You have a duty to report any changes

You have a duty to look carefully at the decision taken in your case and to report if there are any changes that would affect the calculation of your housing allowance. 

Read more about reporting changes

A reassessment is performed each year

When your tax assessment notice for the current year is ready, a reassessment is carried out. If the figures for income from self-employment, income from capital, foreign income or wealth used to calculate your housing allowance are different from the ones in the tax assessment, we recalculate your housing allowance. We pay you in arrears if you have received too little, and we ask you to repay us if you have received too much.

You can authorise someone to act on your behalf

If you would like help with your housing allowance application, you can authorise someone you trust to act on your behalf. Read more about authorising someone to apply for housing allowance.

For guardians and authorised representatives

If you are acting as a guardian or authorised representative for an applicant, you must send the authorisation to the housing allowance office in the municipality or city district where the applicant lives. Read more about applying for housing allowance as a guardian or authorised representative.