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Housing benefit

Draft, translated: translated from the Norwegian original with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is the authoritative one. See the Norwegian original →

Housing benefit is support for people with low income and high housing costs. It is arranged by Husbanken and the municipality, not NAV.

Norwegian original last checked against official sources: 26 October 2026. Rules and figures change, so always check the official site before you act.

Housing benefit (bostøtte) is a support scheme for people with low income and high housing costs. It is handled by the Norwegian State Housing Bank (Husbanken) and the municipality, not NAV.

Who can get housing benefit?

According to Husbanken:

You may be entitled if you are over 18. If you are under 18 and have your own children living with you, you may also be entitled.
You must live in the home, and it must be your permanent residence.
At least one of the applicants must be legally resident in Norway.
If you live in shared housing (bokollektiv), you are generally not entitled. There are exceptions if you live there for health or social-care reasons.
The home must have, among other things, its own entrance, its own bathroom and toilet, and kitchen facilities.
If the combined income of all adults in the household is above the upper limit, you are not entitled, no matter how high your housing costs are. Income before tax is used.

Students, pupils and apprentices

According to Husbanken, you are as a rule not entitled to housing benefit if you can get a loan or grant from Lånekassen. This also applies if you live with a student or pupil, and even if you choose not to apply to Lånekassen. If you have been refused support from Lånekassen, you can apply for housing benefit.

You may still be entitled if:

children under 18 live in the household,
you are a parent living with a child over 18 who is studying,
someone in the household receives disability benefit, AAP, introduction benefit, qualification benefit or supplementary benefit for refugees with disabilities,
the pupil attends primary or lower secondary school (grades 1 to 10),
the pupil has adult rights, meaning they started upper secondary school in the year they turned 25 or later,
the education is a measure agreed with NAV or the municipality.

Students living away from home should not be included in the application. If you are unsure how student loans and grants count as income, ask the municipality.

How much can you get?

It depends on the household's income and housing costs. Use the housing benefit calculator at husbanken.no to see if you are entitled and roughly how much.

How to apply

You apply electronically via Husbanken, or on paper through the municipality. There is an application deadline each month, and Husbanken shows the next deadline on its website (in October 2026 it was 25 October). If your application is approved, you get the decision and payment on the 20th of the following month, or the last working day before if the 20th falls on a weekend or public holiday. When you apply digitally, information is collected from public registers.

Remember to report changes

You must notify the municipality if you move, your income changes, or your household changes.

Tip: If you are refused, you can apply again if your situation changes. If you need more financial help, see Economic social assistance.

Sources

Kontaktpunkt24 gives general information, not legal advice. If you need help with your own case, contact a lawyer, a legal aid service, or the relevant authority.

This page is translated from Norwegian with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is always the authoritative one.