OHA: the Overseas Housing Allowance

BAH covers permanent duty stations in the 50 states. Members assigned to permanent duty overseas who lease private housing receive the Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) instead.

How OHA differs from BAH

• Reimbursement, not a flat rate. DTMO describes OHA as a cost-reimbursement allowance designed to offset housing costs. You are reimbursed for rent up to the amount of your lease or the allowance, whichever is less. BAH is a flat monthly rate whatever your actual rent.
• Three parts: rent, a utility/recurring maintenance allowance, and a move-in housing allowance (MIHA).
• Paperwork. You apply with DD Form 2367 (Individual Overseas Housing Allowance Report) and a copy of your lease; MIHA/Rent, MIHA/Security and MIHA/Infectious Disease claims use DD Form 2556.
• Currency. OHA is paid in U.S. dollars while rent and utilities are usually paid in local currency, so it is adjusted for exchange-rate movements.

Rental allowance

Computed from actual rent payments reported through local finance systems. Maximum rental allowances are set so that 80% of members with dependents have their rent fully reimbursed. Members without dependents (or unaccompanied) are entitled to 90% of the with-dependents rate.

Utility/recurring maintenance allowance

Paid monthly for utility bills and routine maintenance and minor repairs, set to cover the 80th percentile of costs reported by members. If the landlord pays utilities, this allowance is not paid. Members without dependents who pay their own utilities get 75% of the with-dependents amount.

Move-in housing allowance (MIHA)

Partially covers the cost of moving into leased quarters. It has five components: MIHA/Miscellaneous (a lump sum for items such as transformers or wardrobes, paid with the first OHA rental payment), MIHA/Rent (one-time, non-refundable rent-related charges), MIHA/Security, MIHA/Infectious Disease and MIHA/Safety (dwelling upgrades in designated locations).

Alaska and Hawaii

Alaska and Hawaii are in the 50 states, so duty stations there use BAH, not OHA. See Hawaii BAH and Alaska BAH.

Looking up OHA rates

OHA rental ceilings and utility amounts are set per overseas location and change with surveys and currency adjustments. Use DTMO's OHA rate lookup for current figures; this site does not reproduce them.