District of Vechta: Costs of accommodation and heating 2016

(Info sheet as PDF-file)

Upper limits of rents increase on the 1th of january 2016
The overview below shows the upscaled upper-limits for a `reasonable' rent (cold charges included, i.e. without the costs for household-electricity and heating) in the municipalities of the district of Vechta from 1 Januar 2016.
The consequence: At the unemployment benefit II (Arbeitslosengeld II) or the social benefit (Sozialhilfe) the former not completely accepted costs for the rent have from now on to be accepted – anyway, to a considerably higher proportion.

Reexamined: why are higher rent limits accepted by the authorities now?
1. Beginning with 2016-01-01 apply new and upscaled limits of the housing benefit (Wohngeld according to the housing benefit act). The increase is particularly high in the town of Lohne. This town is no longer associated with the lowest rental group as yet by 2015 and has thereby caught up with the town of Vechta (see tabel backside).

2. According to constant jurisprudence of the Bundessozialgericht (= highest court in germany which takes decisions on social security benefits) ten percent are to set up on the rent limits of the housing benefit to calculate the rent limits of the Alg II and the social benefit in the single community.

3. To calculate the limit of the heating costs in 2016, multiply the fuel-dependent limits (1,57 € with natural gas) with the living space adequate for the respective household size (see in the table below right). The reasonable living space is 50, 60, 75, 85 or 95 square meters with increasing number of people. The living space increases by 10 m² for each additional person in the family. In the same way the heating costs accepted by the jobcenter regularly rise with rising living area.

Result: The limits of the accepted rents increase at the turn of the year 2015/2016 partly considerably. The concreate increase depends on the number of people in the benefit community (Bedarfsgemeinschaft). Compare the values in tables on this and on the following page. With it the upper limits of the accepted costs of accomodation follow the increase of the rents in the last years.
For the jobcenter Vechta the amount of the rent inclusive heating costs decides about the ade-quacy of the accomodation. In consequence an relatively expensive rent (Kaltmiete*) is acceptable if the heating costs are low. For instance a rent of 410 € would be acceptable in Lohne if it is combined with relativly low monthly heating costs. In this example heating costs of 50 euros a month would make the apartment reasonable because up to 78,50 € heating costs would be accepted. In this case a rent inclusive heating costs to be paid by 460 € would be below the upper limit of the total housing costs in Lohne of 464,60 euros for a one-person household.

However:
Necessary heating costs have to be accepted

A limit of heating costs of for instance 1,57 € for each m² living space should stop no one to demand to accept the needed higher heating costst if they are required. In the most cases we got to know about the reasons for expensive heat resulted out of bad conditions of the apartment (i. e. bad closing doors and windows, poorly insulated walls or floors), an old heating system or expensive fuels. Job Centre and social services have at such reasons, for which the tenant is not responsible, fully to recognise the resulting heating costs. 2016 the JC Vechta takes per fuel different limit values per square metre of living space: for gas 1.57 €, for electricity € 1.85 and for oil € 1,64.

Also new “Regelsätze” from 1 january 2016
Beginning with 2016-01-01 apply increased benefits for the standard needs to ensure the means of subsistence (= Regelsatz). The monthly amount for the standard needs is for single persons 404 €, for adult partners 364 €. Children up to the age of 25 (18 - 24 years) living with their parents 324 €, children or youth from 14 up to the age of 18 (14 - 17) 306 €, children from the age of 6 up to the age 13 270 €, children up to the age of 5 237 euros.

New upper rent limits from 1 january 2016

With the official notification of the jobcenter (Be-scheid) concerning the new standard benefits (Regelsätze), at least with an new official notification from the local jobcenter after the first of january 2016 a clearly higher rent should be accepted for all, to whome the complete rent and heating costs had not been paid by the jobcenter before. We propose to all, to look into the calcula-tion sheet (Berechnungsbogen) within the official notification, wether there the total rent and heating costs are included or not. You should find in the calculation sheet at least the amount of money lis-ted in the tabel on the first page of this informa-tion sheet, if your total housing costs are above the upper limits.

Ask us for additional informations,
your collegues of ALSO

 

* Kaltmiete: cold charges included, i.e. without the costs for household-electricity and heating.