Law & Politics
Building code amendment 2016
New building code: Berlin requires accessible apartments in every second new build from 2020
Berlin's Senate has approved changes to the building code. From 2020, half of all apartments in new buildings with elevators must be barrier free. At the same time, retrofitting elevators in existing buildings becomes easier.
Peter Guthmann
Berlin's Senate has approved a draft for the third amendment of the city's building code, on the initiative of Urban Development Senator Andreas Geisel (SPD). The focus is on accessibility and fire safety. For owners and investors, the rules are changing for both new construction and existing properties.
What applies to new construction
In new residential buildings with elevators, a growing share of units must be barrier free: one third until the end of 2019, half from 2020 onward. The regulation aims to increase the stock of age appropriate apartments in Berlin.
Shared areas are also affected: storage rooms for wheelchairs, strollers, and bicycles must be accessible. New retail spaces larger than 300 square meters will be required to have an accessible restroom.
Easier retrofitting for existing buildings
For owners of existing properties, the planned relaxation of requirements for retrofitting elevators is relevant. Fewer bureaucratic hurdles can speed up modernization and make properties in boroughs like Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf or Steglitz-Zehlendorf more attractive to a broader tenant base. Also new: mandatory smoke detectors in all residential buildings.
Costs: Lower than often assumed
A Swiss study on accessibility in new construction found that for larger projects, the additional costs are often below half a percent of total construction costs. For smaller new builds, costs range between 1.5 and 4 percent. Two thirds of the measures improve comfort for all residents. Only one third applies to specific features for people with disabilities.
Part of the "Berlin: accessible for all 2020" strategy
The building code amendment is part of the vision "Berlin: accessible for all 2020." In addition to housing, public squares, transit stops, and public buildings are also to become barrier free. For investors monitoring the Berlin market, accessible construction also means access to a growing target group: the capital's aging population.