What kind of housing can you get housing allowance for?
You can receive housing allowance for both rented and owned housing, but your residence must meet the requirements below.
Your home must be approved for permanent residence
Your residence must be approved by the planning and building authorities in the municipality, and in general, the residence must be registered as a residential property in the Cadastre (Norway's official property register).
All living spaces in the residence must be approved for permanent occupancy. They must meet requirements for fire safety, escape routes, ceiling height, natural daylight and other building standards.
You can check the information recorded in the Cadastre. If any of the information is incorrect, the property owner must contact the municipality's planning and building authority.
Homes that are not eligible for housing allowance
You cannot receive housing allowance for holiday homes, boarding houses, hostels, institutions, commercial properties or other units that are not approved for residential use.
Shared housing
If you live in shared housing, you are generally not eligible for housing allowance. There are some exceptions if you live in shared housing for health or social care reasons.
Read more about housing allowance for private shared housing.
The residence must be independent and have its own entrance
Your residence must be physically separate from other residences in the building. You must have your own separate entrance to the residence. The entrance can be in common areas, such as a stairwell or a common corridor with an entrance door to each unit.
If you have to pass through other residential units, it is not an independent residence. There should be no form of internal connection between different residential units such as a door or staircase.
You must have your own bathroom and toilet
You must have a bathroom and toilet in your own unit. You cannot share a bathroom or toilet with others you do not live with.
You must be able to cook meals
You do not need to have a separate kitchen, but you must have a kitchenette, studio kitchen, or similar. It must be possible to prepare all meals at home, and you must have space to store food and the possibility to wash dishes.
You must have the opportunity to sleep and rest
You must have space for a bed and a seating area. There is no requirement to have a separate bedroom.