What Is Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA)?
Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) is a tax-free housing allowance for service members stationed outside the United States who live in private housing. OHA is the overseas counterpart to Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH). If you are stationed in Germany, Japan, Italy, Korea, or another overseas location and you rent or own off-base housing, OHA is the allowance that helps pay for it.
The key difference is simple: BAH pays a fixed monthly rate, while OHA reimburses your actual housing costs up to a cap. This makes OHA more personalized to your real lease, but it also means your payment can change as rents and exchange rates move.
Who Qualifies for OHA
You qualify for OHA when three things are true. First, you are on active duty at an overseas (OCONUS) duty station. Second, you are not assigned to government-provided housing. Third, you live in private rental or owned housing in the local economy. Members with dependents receive a higher rate than members without dependents, just like BAH.
OHA is set by the Department of Defense and administered through the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO). Your rate depends on your pay grade, your dependency status, and the rental ceiling for your specific location.
The Three Parts of OHA
OHA is more than a single housing payment. It has three separate components, and this is where it differs most from BAH.
- Rental Allowance — Reimburses your actual monthly rent up to a location-and-grade ceiling. If your rent is under the cap, you are paid your rent; if it is over the cap, you pay the difference.
- Move-In Housing Allowance (MIHA) — A one-time payment for the up-front costs of setting up overseas housing, such as security deposits, agent fees, and required modifications like security or safety items.
- Utility/Recurring Maintenance Allowance — A monthly amount to help cover utilities and recurring upkeep. This is added automatically based on your location and dependency status.
How OHA Rates Are Set and Updated
OHA rates track local rental markets and currency exchange rates. Because exchange rates shift, DoD updates OHA for many locations twice a month so your allowance stays aligned with what you actually pay. You certify your rent to your finance office using a DD Form 2367 (Individual Overseas Housing Allowance Report), and your allowance is calculated from that reported rent up to the ceiling.
OHA vs. BAH: Side-by-Side
| Feature | OHA (overseas) | BAH (U.S.) |
|---|---|---|
| Where it applies | OCONUS duty stations | U.S. duty stations (by ZIP) |
| How the amount is set | Your actual rent up to a cap | Fixed rate for your ZIP + grade |
| Extra move-in payment | Yes — MIHA | No |
| Utility allowance | Yes — monthly | No (built into the flat rate) |
| How often it changes | Often — tracks rent + exchange rate | Once a year |
| Taxable? | No — tax-free | No — tax-free |
One practical consequence surprises many first-time OCONUS arrivals: because OHA reimburses rent up to a cap rather than paying a flat rate, you generally cannot "pocket the difference" by renting cheaply the way you sometimes can with BAH. If your rent is below the ceiling, your rental allowance drops to match it.
How to Look Up Your OHA Rate
Use the official DoD OHA rate lookup to find the rental ceiling, utility allowance, and MIHA for your location and pay grade. If you are still stateside and comparing a possible overseas move against a U.S. assignment, our BAH calculator can estimate your stateside rate for comparison, and the BAH guide explains how the U.S. side works.
Related Allowances
OHA is one of several allowances that change when you move overseas. If you are preparing for an overseas assignment, review your full PCS entitlements, and see the military pay hub for base pay tables and every allowance. Reserve and National Guard members on shorter overseas orders should also read how BAH Type II and Reserve/Guard housing pay work, since eligibility rules differ from active-duty OHA.