The three levers
1. Housing benefit: as an employee on a starter salary you can apply for Wohngeld normally — the BAföG exclusion no longer applies to you. 2. Employer: moving-cost reimbursement, commuting allowance or a rent subsidy are negotiable — especially in the Nürtingen/Metzingen region, where companies compete for talent. 3. Tax: a job-related move is deductible as work-related costs (relocation allowance plus actual costs such as transport and double rent).
How to proceed
- ✓Check Wohngeld: with starter salaries under about €2,500 gross (single) it’s worth a look — Wohngeld office Landkreis Esslingen, application free.
- ✓Ask your employer: negotiate moving costs and a housing subsidy BEFORE signing — as part of the package they are easier to get than afterwards.
- ✓Deduct the move: flat allowance plus transport, trips, possibly agent fees — keep receipts, claim them in your first tax return.
- ✓Start small: a furnished all-in room bridges the probation period without buying furniture, deposit marathons or double burdens — and keeps you flexible if you search bigger after probation.
Probation strategy: arrive first, commit later
If you move for a job, you only know after 6 months whether role and region fit. A room on time keeps you flexible: probation-period rooms at A23 (German) — furnished, all-in, from 2 months. Your employer can also rent the room for you directly: housing as a benefit (German).
As of September 2026, without guarantee — tax questions are decided by the tax office or a tax advisor.
Frequently asked questions
Do career starters get housing benefit?
Yes, if your income is below the limits — unlike students, you are not excluded. Especially in the first year with a starter salary and full rent, the free check at the Wohngeld office pays off.
What moving costs can I deduct?
For a job-related move: transport, trips, up to 6 months of double rent and a flat allowance for other costs. The allowance is adjusted regularly — current figures from the tax office or tax software.
Will my employer pay my rent?
Increasingly yes — as a subsidy or a provided room, especially amid skilled-labour shortages. Best raised in the contract negotiation. Our company pages give your HR department the arguments and models.