Since August 2016, recognised refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection have generally been subject to the residence rule in § 12a AufenthG, meaning they must take their habitual residence for up to three years in the federal state (Land) to which they were assigned for the asylum procedure (subject to statutory exceptions, e.g., employment, vocational training/studies, certain integration measures, or close family reasons). In addition, § 12a allows the competent authority – within defined time limits – to impose a more specific local residence requirement (Wohnsitzauflage) within that Land, typically implemented as an assignment to a municipality/locality rather than to a specific flat. For persons who are still living in a reception centre or other temporary accommodation after recognition, § 12a(2) provides that they may, within six months after recognition/first permit (and, if adequate housing could not be allocated, once again within a further six months), be required to take residence in a “specific place” for the purpose of ensuring they are provided with adequate housing, provided this does not conflict with integration objectives.[1]
Neither recognised refugees nor beneficiaries of subsidiary protection are legally obliged to remain in reception centres or other forms of collective accommodation once protection has been granted. In practice, however, many beneficiaries – especially in large and university cities – struggle to find private rental housing and therefore remain in collective accommodation longer than intended. This situation is often linked to the generally tight housing market and persistent shortages of affordable units, which have intensified since 2022 and continue to affect municipalities’ ability to move people from centres into regular housing. Limited access to housing can lead to extended stays and practical/financial dilemmas for local authorities regarding accommodation and cost coverage.[2]
“Fehlbeleger” refers to these people who are no longer required to live in asylum/reception accommodation but who remain in collective facilities because they cannot find (or cannot afford) suitable housing on the regular market. In 2025, reporting from Thuringia based on data from the Landesverwaltungsamt stated that “Fehlbeleger” made up about 35% of residents on average in communal refugee accommodation there, and the main reason cited by local government associations was the severe lack of housing.[3] A practical illustration of the scale is seen in Bavaria (Lower Franconia), where the regional government reported around 5,401 “anerkannt(e) Fehlbeleger” in the asylum accommodation system as of 30 September 2025.[4]
Recent publications underline that housing market integration remains uneven and strongly shaped by structural constraints. A 2025 peer‑reviewed study on “housing integration of refugees and asylum seekers in Germany” finds that refugees’ housing pathways are marked by frequent moves and persistent disadvantages compared to other migrant groups, indicating that stable housing outcomes do not automatically follow from legal status alone. The refugee council of Niedersachsen reports that they are increasingly seeing problems with recognized refugees, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection or persons subject to a national ban on deportation, who have to leave the reception centers but often cannot find a place to live; this particularly affects families. In some cases they are threatened with being placed in homeless shelters.[5]
For Ukrainian refugees, a 2025 BAMF research report (based on the representative IAB-BAMF-SOEP Survey on Refugees conducted in the second half of 2023) shows comparatively high access to private housing: by the end of 2023, 83% were living in private flats or houses and most reported satisfaction with their housing situation. At the same time, the report highlights that private housing was often found through friends and acquaintances, pointing to the importance of social networks and the risk that those without such networks face greater barriers. Overall, the 2025 evidence suggests a dual reality: many refugees do move into private accommodation over time, but in tight local markets—combined with discrimination or landlords’ reluctance when rent is paid via social benefits—access to independent housing can remain a major bottleneck and prolong residence in collective facilities.[6]
Refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection who cannot cover housing costs themselves usually receive support for costs of accommodation and heating (“Kosten der Unterkunft und Heizung”, KdU) from either the local Jobcenter (Bürgergeld under SGB II) or the local social welfare office (Sozialamt under SGB XII). As with other social-benefit recipients, these costs are generally covered only up to an “adequate” (angemessen) level, which is defined locally (typically via municipal guidelines / a “schlüssiges Konzept”) and therefore differs substantially between cities and districts; beneficiaries need to check the applicable ceiling with the competent authority.
If beneficiaries of protection have income but still live in collective accommodation, municipalities often charge accommodation fees (Gebühren/Entgelte) to contribute to operating costs, and these fees can vary widely and sometimes exceed local market rents. In Hamburg, the city decided to increase the regular fee for public “Wohnunterkünfte” to €889 per person per month from 1 September 2025 (up from €850), with reduced fees for certain self-payers within defined income limits. In Berlin, the LAF accommodation fee system continued in 2025 with a standard fee of €763 per person per month and a reduced fee (e.g., €305) available on application under certain income conditions. While the stated rationale is that fees reflect the full operating costs of accommodation (including services and facility operation), in practice they may absorb a large share of people’s income and can create hardship, especially where moving into regular housing is blocked by tight markets.
Many local organisations and initiatives try to support refugees in finding apartments. One initiative operating for the whole of Germany, ‘Living Together Welcome’ (Zusammenleben willkommen, formerly ‘Refugees Welcome/Flüchtlinge Willkommen’) runs an online platform providing assistance for people who want to share a flat with asylum applicants and refugees.[7]
[1] Section 12a(2) Residence Act.
[2] In most Federal States, the municipalities receive support for accommodation of asylum seekers from the Federal State’s budget, but it is not regulated whether this applies to recognised refugees as well. According to a media report, the Federal State of Thuringia has declared that it will cover the municipalities’ costs if refugees are housed in collective accommodation centres: mdr.de, ‘Federal State opens accommodation centres for recognised refugees’, 27 May 2017, available in German at: http://bit.ly/2notjRc.
[3] MDR, ‘”Keine Entspannung”: Warum Kommunen trotz weniger Flüchtlinge in Thüringer Unterkünften klagen‘ 23 March 2025, available in German here.
[4] Government of Unterfranken, Asylbewerber in Unterfranken – ANKER-Einrichtung Unterfranken (Daten, Fakten, Aktuelles), available in German here.
[5] EUAA, Input by civil society organisations to the Asylum Report 2025, 10 January 2025, available here.
[6] Kosyakova, Y., Rother, N. & Zinn, S. (eds.). (2025). Lebenssituation und Teilhabe ukrainischer Geflüchteter in Deutschland: Ergebnisse der IAB-BAMF-SOEP-Befragung (Forschungsbericht 51). Nürnberg. Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge. Available in German here.
[7] Zusammenleben Willkommen, WG-Zimmer für geflüchtete Personen, available at: https://bit.ly/3uGyrUI.