Money & entitlements
OHA vs LQA: what's the difference for a PCS to Germany?
Quick answer
OHA is the **active-duty** overseas housing allowance; LQA is the **GS civilian** equivalent for authorized positions. Both kick in once you sign a lease — before that you're on TLA or TQSA — and both backdate to your lease start date, but they run on different regulations, different forms, and different offices. Contractors and NAF employees get neither by default.
| OHA (active duty) | LQA (GS civilian) | |
|---|---|---|
| Governing regulation | JTR / DoD FMR Vol. 7A | DSSR |
| How it's paid | Monthly housing allowance rate | Against actual rent, up to a locality cap |
| Companion allowance | COLA | Post Allowance |
| Activation form | DD Form 2367 | SF-1190 |
| Where to file | 86 CPTS | AF CPF, Bldg 2120, Ramstein |
| Backdates to | Lease start date | Lease start date |
| Healthcare | TRICARE | FEHB |
OHA — active duty
While you're house-hunting, you're on TLA (Temporary Lodging Allowance). The moment you sign a lease, you switch to OHA — a monthly housing allowance — plus COLA, a cost-of-living top-up. Both are governed by the JTR / DoD FMR Vol. 7A.
To activate OHA, submit DD Form 2367 plus your signed lease to 86 CPTS (Air Force finance). OHA backdates to your lease start date — not the day you sign the paperwork, not when finance processes it.
Command sponsorship matters here too: without it, dependents travel unofficially and can lose OHA (and SOFA status) at arrival.
Source JTR / DoD FMR Vol. 7A.
LQA — GS civilians
GS civilians don't get TLA or OHA — they get the civilian equivalents. While house-hunting you're on TQSA; once you sign a lease, you switch to LQA, which is paid against your actual rent up to a locality cap, plus Post Allowance (the civilian, non-taxable version of COLA). LQA runs on the DSSR (Department of State Standardized Regulations), not military finance rules.
To activate LQA, submit SF-1190 plus your signed lease to AF CPF, Bldg 2120, Ramstein. Like OHA, it backdates to your lease start date.
Whether LQA is authorized at all depends on your specific position — check your offer or appointment letter, don't assume it's included. GS civilian healthcare is FEHB, not TRICARE.
Source DSSR (Department of State Standardized Regulations).
Contractors and NAF
Contractors and NAF employees don't receive OHA or LQA by default. Whatever housing support you get comes from your contract or NAF appointment letter — check that directly rather than assuming either allowance applies.
The one rule both share
It's easy to miss: both OHA and LQA backdate to your lease start date, not the date you sign the form or the date finance processes it. Families who sit on a signed lease for a few weeks before filing are leaving money on the table for days they've already paid rent.
Frequently asked
- Does OHA/LQA start when I sign the lease or when I move in?
- Neither, technically — both backdate to your lease start date, whatever that says on the lease itself. Submit your paperwork promptly so the backdated amount actually gets processed.
- Do contractors get OHA or LQA?
- No, not by default. Contractors' housing support comes entirely from their individual contract — check that, not general PCS guidance.
- What's the civilian version of COLA?
- Post Allowance. It's the non-taxable cost-of-living top-up GS civilians get alongside LQA, the same way active duty gets COLA alongside OHA.
Verified 2026-07-11 · Boris is an independent project, not affiliated with the DoD.
In the Boris app
Boris keeps all this straight for you in the app — your personalized checklist, the verified KMC directory, and offline access. Free, no account, no tracking.
