Calculating living area under the German WoFlV
Last updated: 26 October 2026
Under Germany's Living Space Ordinance (Wohnflächenverordnung, WoFlV), areas with a clear height of at least 2 m count in full, areas between 1 and 2 m count half, and areas under 1 m do not count at all. Balconies, loggias, roof gardens and terraces usually count a quarter, at most a half. Basements, storage rooms outside the flat, laundry rooms, lofts, boiler rooms and garages are not part of the living area.
When the WoFlV applies
The WoFlV is a German federal ordinance from 2003 and has applied since 1 January 2004. It is only directly mandatory for publicly subsidised housing. For privately financed rental flats there is no legally binding method. If landlord and tenant have agreed nothing else, however, the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) generally interprets living area according to the WoFlV, in settled case law.
This matters: if a rented flat is more than 10% smaller than stated in the lease, the BGH generally treats this as a defect that entitles the tenant to reduce the rent, even with a "ca." figure (judgment of 24 March 2004, VIII ZR 133/03). For rent increases, the actual living area has counted since 2015 (VIII ZR 266/14). For purchase and building contracts, whatever the contract states applies. So check which calculation method your contract names.
What counts as living area
Under § 2 WoFlV, a flat's living area comprises the floor areas of all rooms that belong exclusively to that flat. This includes:
- conservatories, swimming pools and similar rooms enclosed on all sides,
- balconies, loggias, roof gardens and terraces if they belong exclusively to the flat.
It does not include:
- ancillary rooms such as basements, storage rooms and basement substitutes outside the flat, laundry rooms, lofts, drying rooms, boiler rooms and garages,
- rooms that do not meet the building regulations of the German states,
- commercial rooms.
How to measure the floor area
You measure the clear dimensions between building parts, from the front face of the finish, so in the finished room with plaster and tiles (§ 3 WoFlV). You either measure in the finished room or take the figures from a building drawing. If the building differs from the drawing, you measure again.
Included are, among other things, the areas under door and window linings, skirting boards, fixed built-in items such as stoves, heating and air-conditioning units, cookers, baths or shower trays, exposed installations and built-in furniture.
Not included are:
- chimneys, facing walls, pillars and columns higher than 1.50 m with a footprint of more than 0.1 m²,
- stairs with more than three risers and their landings,
- door recesses,
- window and wall niches that do not reach the floor or are 0.13 m deep or less.
The older Second Calculation Ordinance (II. BV) allowed a flat 3% deduction for plaster when calculating from structural dimensions. The WoFlV no longer has this deduction; you measure the finished room.
How much each area counts
| Area | Credited under § 4 WoFlV |
|---|---|
| room or part of a room with a clear height of at least 2 m | in full |
| room or part of a room from 1 m to under 2 m clear height | half |
| room or part of a room under 1 m clear height | not at all |
| unheated conservatory, swimming pool and similar enclosed rooms | half |
| balcony, loggia, roof garden, terrace | usually a quarter, at most a half |
| basement, laundry room, boiler room, garage | not at all |
With sloping ceilings, you split the room into strips: the part under 1 m, the part between 1 and 2 m and the part from 2 m. For a balcony, a quarter is the normal case. The ordinance allows up to a half but gives no fixed criteria for it. In practice it is usually justified by a particularly good location or quality, or explicitly agreed.
Worked example
An attic flat with a balcony and a basement room:
| Room | Floor area | Credited | Living area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Living room 4.50 × 5.00 m | 22.50 m² | in full | 22.50 m² |
| Bedroom, part from 2 m: 2.40 × 4.00 m | 9.60 m² | in full | 9.60 m² |
| Bedroom, part 1–2 m: 1.00 × 4.00 m | 4.00 m² | half | 2.00 m² |
| Bedroom, part under 1 m: 0.60 × 4.00 m | 2.40 m² | not at all | 0.00 m² |
| Kitchen 3.00 × 2.80 m | 8.40 m² | in full | 8.40 m² |
| Bathroom 2.20 × 2.50 m | 5.50 m² | in full | 5.50 m² |
| Hallway 1.20 × 5.00 m | 6.00 m² | in full | 6.00 m² |
| Balcony 1.50 × 4.00 m | 6.00 m² | a quarter | 1.50 m² |
| Basement room | 6.00 m² | not at all | 0.00 m² |
| Total | 70.40 m² | 55.50 m² |
The floor area of all rooms is just over 70 m², but the living area under the WoFlV is only 55.50 m². The difference is especially large in attic flats, so it pays to look closely at listings.
WoFlV, DIN 277 and usable area
Besides the WoFlV, you will come across two other terms in Germany:
- DIN 277 is a standard for floor areas and volumes of buildings, currently in its 2021 edition. It splits the gross floor area into net room area and construction area, and the net room area further into usable area, technical area and circulation area. Room heights and sloping ceilings do not reduce the area. An area under DIN 277 is therefore often larger than the living area under the WoFlV. Architects use the standard mainly for planning and cost estimates.
- Nutzfläche (usable area) in everyday German usually means areas that are not part of the living area but can be used, such as a basement, loft or hobby room. In DIN 277, the comparable term today is Nutzungsfläche, and it includes the living rooms themselves.
| WoFlV | DIN 277 | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | living area, e.g. for rent and subsidies | floor areas for planning and costs |
| Sloping ceilings | under 1 m not, 1–2 m half | full floor area |
| Balcony, terrace | usually a quarter | separate area, not reduced |
| Basement | does not count | recorded as an area |
Finding the living area with RoomPlanning
When you draw your flat in RoomPlanning, every room shows its net area inside the walls, and the Rooms panel shows the total for the storey (Rooms and areas). That is the floor area, before the WoFlV crediting. For rooms with sloping ceilings or for the balcony, enter the credited value under Set area by hand.
The living area calculator is quicker: you enter the partial areas, choose for each whether it counts in full, half, a quarter or not at all, and get the living area. How to read dimensions from an existing plan correctly is explained in the guide How to read a floor plan.
Frequently asked questions
Does a balcony count half towards the living area?
Under the WoFlV, usually only a quarter. Up to a half is possible, but the ordinance gives no fixed criteria for it. More than a half is not allowed.
Does the basement count as living area?
No. Basement rooms, storage rooms outside the flat, laundry rooms, boiler rooms and garages are ancillary rooms and do not count under § 2 WoFlV, even if you use them.
How are sloping ceilings calculated?
Areas with a clear height of at least 2 m count in full, between 1 and 2 m half, under 1 m not at all. Measure where the slope reaches 1 m and 2 m in height and calculate the strips separately.
How much may the living area in a German lease deviate?
If the actual area is more than 10% below the agreed figure, BGH case law generally entitles you to reduce the rent. For smaller deviations you have to show that the flat is noticeably less usable as a result.
Sources
- Wohnflächenverordnung (WoFlV) – gesetze-im-internet.de (German)
- BGH, VIII ZR 133/03: living area more than 10% smaller – Berliner Mieterverein (German)
- BGH, VIII ZR 266/14: actual area counts for rent increases – Haufe (German)
- Zimmer oder Nebenraum? Das zählt alles zur Wohnfläche – dpa via leinetal24.de (German)
- DIN 277: Grundflächen und Rauminhalte im Hochbau – Bauprofessor (German)
This guide is general information and is not legal or planning advice.