OHA (Overseas Housing Allowance) Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

What is OHA and who gets it?

Overseas Housing Allowance reimburses service members stationed OCONUS for actual rent (up to a country/location cap), plus utility and recurring maintenance (MIHA – Utility/Recurring) and a one-time MIHA Move-In. With- vs without-dependents rates differ.

How is the rental ceiling determined?

DoD sets a max rental allowance per location and pay grade, updated twice monthly by Defense Travel. You are reimbursed the lower of actual rent or the cap; if rent is below the cap, you don't pocket the difference - unlike BAH stateside.

What is the utility allowance based on?

MIHA Utility/Recurring is a flat country average covering electricity, gas, water, and routine maintenance. It does not vary by actual bills, so efficient households can come out ahead and high-use ones short.

Where do I confirm official rates?

Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) publishes current OHA, MIHA, and COLA. Always cross-check the calculator output with DTMO and your finance office before signing a lease - this tool is educational only.

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Estimates for informational purposes only.

Important Disclaimer: Estimates for informational purposes only.

This calculator provides estimates for informational purposes only. Results are based on assumptions and may not reflect actual outcomes. Consult qualified professionals in relevant fields before making important decisions based on these results.

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How This Calculator Works

Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) is a tax-free reimbursement that covers the actual monthly rent a service member pays at an overseas duty station, up to a published ceiling that varies by country, locality, pay grade, and dependency status. Unlike CONUS BAH - which is a flat monthly payment regardless of what you actually pay for housing - OHA is true reimbursement: if your lease is below the ceiling, you receive only what you spend. The Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) republishes OHA ceilings twice a month so that exchange-rate swings do not erode purchasing power. This calculator estimates the published ceiling for a chosen country, pay grade, and dependent status, and adds the country's separate utility/recurring-maintenance allowance plus an illustrative Move-In Housing Allowance (MIHA) miscellaneous one-time payment. Final rates depend on signed lease documents on file with your housing office - estimates only.

Formula / Method

Total monthly OHA package = min(actual rent, published rent ceiling) + utility/recurring-maintenance allowance. The rent ceiling is derived from a DTMO market survey of foreign rental listings in the locality, set at roughly the 80th percentile of rents adequate for a service member's family size at their grade. Without-dependents rates are about 90% of with-dependents in this estimator. The utility allowance is a flat country-level figure intended to cover electricity, gas, water, sewer, trash, and basic recurring fees; it is paid in full even if your actual utility bills are lower. MIHA-Miscellaneous (separate from MIHA-Rent and MIHA-Security) is a one-time payment of typically $500–$1,500 per move to offset the cost of converting appliances, buying transformers, and outfitting a foreign rental. All amounts are non-taxable for U.S. federal purposes.

Worked Example

An E-7 with dependents PCSing to Germany finds an apartment for €2,300 (~$2,500) per month. The published ceiling for an E-7 with dependents in this estimator is $2,450, so OHA reimburses $2,450 - the family pays the $50/month gap out of pocket. The utility allowance adds $380/month tax-free. Total monthly housing package: $2,830 tax-free, or $33,960/year. On arrival the member also receives MIHA-Misc of about $1,100 to buy transformers and a washer/dryer set sized for the rental. If the same member had rented at $2,100, OHA would reimburse only $2,100 - the unused $350 of ceiling does NOT become a stipend; OHA is strictly reimbursement.

Common Mistakes

Treating OHA like BAH - renting below the ceiling does NOT put extra money in your pocket; you only get reimbursed for what you actually pay.

Forgetting that OHA changes every 15 days with exchange rates; your housing office recalculates automatically but the dollar amount on your LES will move.

Confusing the three MIHA components: MIHA-Rent (one-time fees like agency commissions), MIHA-Security (one-time security upgrades in high-threat areas), and MIHA-Misc (one-time appliance/transformer offset).

Signing a lease above the ceiling without budgeting the out-of-pocket difference - the gap is taxable income to you economically since you fund it from net pay.

Assuming you can still draw OHA after moving into government quarters - OHA stops the day you accept on-base housing.

Tips & FAQ

Always submit your signed lease (translated if required) to the housing office within five days of signing - OHA does not back-pay further than that without a waiver. If your landlord demands a year of rent up front (common in some Middle East and African localities), DFAS can pay OHA in advance against the lease; ask your finance office about Advance OHA. Members who choose to live further from the installation to save on rent often find their commute consumes the savings in tolls, fuel, and time; the published ceiling is set against rents close to the installation for a reason. Single junior enlisted are typically required to live in barracks overseas and receive no OHA. Always confirm current ceilings at the DTMO Allowances site and verify your specific entitlement through DFAS and your installation housing office before signing a foreign lease.

OHA (Overseas Housing Allowance) Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

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