How long does Wohngeld take?
- Faster cases~3 months
- Average cases~3 months
- Slower casesUp to 6 months
Housing benefit decisions take considerably longer than the 4–8 weeks most guides quote. Hamburg's own housing authority currently states an average of 14 weeks, and the Pankow district office in Berlin published nine weeks in July 2026. After the 2023 Wohngeld-Plus reform widened eligibility, application volumes doubled or tripled in many municipalities and cities such as Munich have reported waits beyond a year. Smaller towns are usually faster.
More details
Two protections matter while you wait. Wohngeld is paid from the month in which you applied, so a slow decision does not cost you money — the back payment follows once it is approved. And if more than eight weeks pass with a complete application on file, you can request an advance payment (Vorschuss); if you are in genuine hardship you can claim Bürgergeld as a bridge in the meantime.
There is no legal deadline forcing the office to decide within a set period, which is why a complete application — all income and rent documents at once — is the single most effective thing you control.
By city
| Berlin | 2 months | 1 |
| Hamburg | 3 months | 1 |
Sources
Information is for general knowledge only.