Calculating Living Space in Germany (WoFlV): Slopes, Balconies

How living space is calculated under Germany's Living Space Ordinance: what counts, how to measure and how sloped ceilings and balconies are counted.

Building & Living2 linked calculatorsReading time: 6 min.

Living space determines rent, service charges and purchase price in Germany – and it is almost always smaller than the floor area. The Living Space Ordinance (WoFlV) defines what counts, how to measure and which areas are only partly included.

Key takeaways

  • Basements, lofts, laundry rooms, boiler rooms and garages are not living space (Section 2(3) WoFlV).
  • Measurement is taken between the finished walls, i.e. from the plaster or cladding (Section 3(1) WoFlV).
  • Under sloped ceilings, areas with a clear height of 2 m or more count in full, between 1 and 2 m by half, below 1 m not at all (Section 4 WoFlV).
  • Balconies and terraces usually count by a quarter, at most by half.
  • Unless agreed otherwise, operating costs are shared according to the proportion of living space (Section 556a BGB).

What counts as living space

Living space comprises the floor areas of all rooms that belong exclusively to the dwelling. This includes conservatories, swimming pools and similar enclosed rooms as well as balconies, loggias, roof gardens and terraces – provided they belong only to that dwelling (Section 2(1) and (2) WoFlV).

Not included are ancillary rooms such as basements, storage rooms outside the dwelling, laundry rooms, lofts, drying rooms, boiler rooms and garages, as well as business premises and rooms that the state building code does not allow as habitable rooms (Section 2(3) WoFlV).

When does the WoFlV apply?

It is mandatory when living space is calculated under the Housing Promotion Act (Section 1(1) WoFlV), i.e. for subsidised housing. For other homes, the ordinance itself prescribes nothing; what the lease or purchase contract says applies. When comparing homes, it is worth asking which method was used.

Measuring correctly

The floor area is determined from the clear dimensions between the building components, measured from the front edge of the finish, i.e. from the finished plaster or cladding (Section 3(1) WoFlV). It is measured in the finished home or from a building drawing suitable for a planning procedure (Section 3(4)).

  • Included are, among other things, skirting boards, fixed stoves, radiators, bathtubs and shower trays, exposed pipes and built-in furniture (Section 3(2)).
  • Excluded are chimneys, facing walls, pillars and columns taller than 1.50 m with a footprint of more than 0.1 m², stairs with more than three steps including landings, door recesses, and window or wall recesses that do not reach the floor or are no more than 0.13 m deep (Section 3(3)).

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Sloped ceilings, balconies, conservatories

Not every floor area counts in full. Section 4 WoFlV distinguishes by clear height and type of room:

AreaCounted
Rooms and parts of rooms with a clear height of 2 m or morein full
Clear height from 1 m to under 2 m (e.g. under a sloped ceiling)by half
Clear height under 1 mnot at all
Unheatable conservatories, swimming pools and similarby half
Balconies, loggias, roof gardens, terracesusually a quarter, at most half

Worked example: attic flat

An attic flat (example values): a living room with a sloped ceiling in three height zones, plus a full-height bathroom and a balcony.

PartFloor areaFactorLiving space
Living room, clear height 2.40 m10 m²110 m²
Living room, clear height 1.50 m4 m²0.52 m²
Living room, clear height 0.80 m6 m²00 m²
Bathroom, clear height 2.40 m6 m²16 m²
Balcony8 m²0.252 m²

Of 34 m² floor area, 20 m² remain as living space. Anyone comparing rent per square metre should therefore ask whether the figure was calculated under the WoFlV.

Split heating costs by area

How fixed and consumption-based costs are allocated to flats.

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Frequently asked questions

Does the basement count as living space?
No. Basement rooms are ancillary rooms and are not part of the living space under Section 2(3) WoFlV – even if they are heated.
How much does a balcony count?
Usually a quarter of its floor area, at most half (Section 4 no. 4 WoFlV). An 8 m² balcony therefore usually adds 2 m² of living space.
How is a sloped ceiling calculated?
The floor area is split by clear height: 2 m or more counts in full, from 1 m to under 2 m by half, under 1 m not at all. Measure where the slope is 1 m and 2 m high and divide the room along these lines.
How are service charges shared?
Unless the lease says otherwise, according to the share of living space. Costs that depend on recorded consumption are allocated by consumption (Section 556a(1) BGB).

Sources

Every figure in this article comes from these primary sources or from the linked calculators, which are based on the same sources.

  1. Section 1 WoFlV – scope (accessed September 30, 2026)
  2. Section 2 WoFlV – floor areas that count (accessed September 30, 2026)
  3. Section 3 WoFlV – measuring the floor area (accessed September 30, 2026)
  4. Section 4 WoFlV – how floor areas are counted (accessed September 30, 2026)
  5. Section 556a BGB – allocation of operating costs (accessed September 30, 2026)
Onur Cirakoglu — Full-Stack Developer & Founder of HEADON.pro
Onur CirakogluSources verified

Full-Stack Developer & Founder of HEADON.pro

Full-stack developer and founder of HEADON.pro. Developer of Rechnerzentrale.