Guide · WBS calculator

Do I qualify for a WBS?
Worked out in one minute

Household, income, allowances – the calculator works out your countable annual income under the Housing Subsidy Act (WoFG) and shows which WBS level in Berlin or Potsdam is within reach for you.

Whether you get a WBS (housing entitlement certificate) is decided not by the salary on your payslip but by the countable annual income of the whole household – after flat rates and allowances. This calculator does exactly that calculation under the Housing Subsidy Act (WoFG) and shows you which WBS level you may qualify for. Nothing is saved or sent.

264flats with WBS currently listed
751flats explicitly without WBS
5Berlin levels: 100 to 220

1. Where do you want to live?

2. Who is moving in?

3. Income

Allowances: severe disability, maintenance, children with their own income

How the calculator works

  1. Annual income per person (§§ 21–22 WoFG): the gross income for the coming twelve months. For employees, the work-related expenses allowance of 1.230 € is deducted; for pensions, 102 €.
  2. Flat-rate deductions (§ 23 WoFG): 10 % each for wage/income tax, health/long-term care insurance and pension insurance – but only if the person actually pays it. Employees thus get 30 %, pensioners usually 10 %, recipients of unemployment benefit I or parental allowance 0 %.
  3. Allowances (§ 24 WoFG) deducted from household income: 4.500 € per severely disabled person with a GdB of 100 (or from 80 and in need of care at home), 2.100 € for a GdB below 80 with need of care, 4.000 € for young married couples, 600 € per child under twelve for working single parents, up to 600 € per child between 16 and 24 with their own income, as well as statutory maintenance paid.
  4. Comparison with the limit (§ 9 WoFG): the basic limit depends on household size; children count as a person and also raise the limit further. The levels are percentages of this basic limit.

The income limits at a glance

Berlin uses the federal limit from § 9 (para. 2) WoFG and raises it by regulation: the regular Berlin WBS is level 140; levels 160, 180 and 220 apply to specifically subsidised (mostly new) flats, and level 100 to some of the older social housing flats.

Countable annual incomeWBS 100WBS 140WBS 160WBS 180WBS 220
1 person12.000 €16.800 €19.200 €21.600 €26.400 €
2 persons18.000 €25.200 €28.800 €32.400 €39.600 €
each additional person+ 4.100 €+ 5.740 €+ 6.560 €+ 7.380 €+ 9.020 €
per child, additionally+ 500 €+ 700 €+ 800 €+ 900 €+ 1.100 €

Potsdam and Brandenburg have had their own, higher basic limits since 1 January 2024 (Brandenburg Housing Subsidy Act): 18.500 € for one person, 26.000 € for two, 5.800 € for each additional person and 2.000 € extra per child. For some of the subsidised flats – ProPotsdam calls this “WBS plus 60” – 160 % of this limit is enough. Whether a Berlin certificate is recognised in Potsdam is decided by the allocating office – if in doubt, apply there.

And then?

If your household falls within a level, submit the application – before the flat appears, because subsidised flats are often taken within hours while processing takes weeks. In Berlin you can do this online via service.berlin.de; in Potsdam at the social housing provision office of the city administration (Charlottenstraße 42, WBS@Rathaus.Potsdam.de; expect several weeks there). How the application works in detail is explained in the guide “Applying for a WBS”.

On WohnAlert, wherever the source provides it, every flat carries the label “WBS required” or “no WBS”; if a listing states a level (“WBS 140 required”), simply compare it with your result.

FAQ

Does gross or net income count?
Neither, strictly speaking: the starting point is gross income, from which the flat-rate allowance for work-related expenses and a flat 10 % each for taxes, health insurance and pension insurance are deducted – not the actual deductions on your payslip. For employees, this comes to roughly 70 % of gross income minus 1.230 €.
Which income is used – past or future?
The income for the twelve months from the date of application. If you are currently earning less than in the previous year (parental leave, job change, retirement), you calculate with the new figure – the authority will ask for proof, such as an income certificate from your employer.
Do child benefit, citizen's income (Bürgergeld) or housing benefit count?
Child benefit, housing benefit and citizen's income (Bürgergeld) are not part of annual income as defined by law. Unemployment benefit I, sickness benefit and parental allowance above the base amount, on the other hand, do count – without flat-rate deductions, because no taxes or contributions are paid on them.
I'm just above level 140 – is it still worth applying?
In Berlin, yes: levels 160, 180 and 220 exist precisely for these cases, and the listing then states which level is required. Also, it's easy to overlook allowances (children, severe disability, maintenance payments) that lower the result.
Does the calculator also work for Potsdam?
Yes – with the Brandenburg limits, which have been higher than the Berlin basic level since 2024. The income calculation (flat rates, allowances) is the same in both states; it follows federal law.
How accurate is the result?
It's guidance based on the legal rules, not a decision. The authority checks evidence, one-off income and special cases (e.g. rental or investment income) in detail – if you're close to a limit, you should apply anyway.

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Read more: Applying for a WBS · Finding a cooperative flat · How to apply · Rental market report · all flats

This guide has been carefully researched, but it is not legal advice. Income limits, fees and procedures change – the information from the authorities and landlords is binding.

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