Search strategy: municipal housing companies (in Berlin degewo, HOWOGE and others) allocate WBS flats first — register with them directly, not just on portals.
Applying and Using It
Apply at the city housing office: incomes of the whole household, 2–6 weeks of waiting, valid for a year. Then: hunting flats tagged WBS.
✓ Verified: 15/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
AUTHORITY
Wohnungsamt / Amt für Wohnen
Municipal authorityHousing benefit (Wohngeldstelle) and the WBS housing permit both go through your town's Amt für Wohnen.
Where to go in your city →
DOCUMENTS 4
COSTS
- €WBS usually €5–20
› Details and tips
👨🏻💻
Max recommends:
I attached every document from my city checklist upfront — decision in 12 days without a single follow-up. Follow-ups are the real brake.
👩🏼💼
Lea recommends:
Fill the urgency field honestly: illness, overcrowding, separation. It is a separate queue in flat allocation.
Useful Tools
- Verbraucherzentrale Legal
Consumer protection centres.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Does one state WBS work in another? ▾
Generally yes — but allocation rules are state matters, and urgency categories do not transfer. If you move, check with the new housing office.
How long does the WBS take? ▾
Usually 2–6 weeks. Cities with online applications (Berlin, Hamburg) are faster; follow-up document requests cost the most time — submit complete.
Does the WBS guarantee a flat? ▾
No — it is the entry ticket, not the keys. You search normally, but competition for the WBS stock is smaller, and municipal companies keep dedicated WBS waiting lists.
What flat size does my WBS allow? ▾
The WBS states the permitted size by household size — e.g. one person: 1–2 rooms/around 45–50 m², varying by state. Smaller is always fine, larger is not. The exact limit is on the certificate or from the housing office.