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Hey Guys,

What is a Wohnungsberechtigungsschein? (WBS)
Do I need one? And what is it good for?

Does anyone have a few information for me?

Best regards.
asked Oct 15, 2015 in Home & Living by human | 13,890 views

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1 Answer

+4 votes
Best answer
Hi human,

as an advice: as you can get a Wohnberechtigungsschein (WBS), do this.

This will be an essential document for you. There are some apartments built with public funding that are available only for people with low income or who depend on state support. A WBS entitles you to apply for such an apartment. It means you do not have to compete with everyone else. Prices for such places are state regulated and lower than on the regular market. This means the Jobcenter would pay the rent for it. It is therefore absolutely central that you apply for a WBS. The WBS is issued for rooms: One room per family member, plus bathroom and kitchen. A couple with two children will get a WBS for 4 rooms, which means you cannot apply for an apartment with 5 rooms.
You can apply for such a form at the Bürgeramt, or “Public Office”; however, you need to apply at the Bürgeramt that is responsible for the district in which you are currently living. If you are living in a camp, ask members of staff in the camp which Bürgeramt is responsible for you. At the Bürgeramt, you will need a variety of documents, such as your passport, and most importantly the document saying that you are a recognized refugee with the right to stay in Germany for the next three years.
You should also pressure the Bürgeramt that your case is particularly urgent, because you have to move out of a camp. Then you will get WBS with Dringlichkeit, meaning urgency. That way, you will be treated with preference over those who have only a normal WBS (without Dringlichkeit).
Once you have your WBS, you can **** for apartments that say specifically WBS benötigt, which means a WBS is required.

Best regards,
Conny
answered Oct 15, 2015 by Conny
Thanks for this information! Can a student also apply for wbs?
Hello @Ayinde
every person of age is allowed to apply for WBS. That includes students since they usually don't have a significant income. Keep in mind that you will have to provide documents that prove that you are a student (e.g. a confirmation of enrollment) in addition to the papers that Conny already listed in her initial answer. At least that's what student services Potsdam (German website) says:
****://***.studentenwerk-potsdam.de/wohnberechtigungsschein.html
I hope this information is helpful to you.
Best regards, Thorgen
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