“Disappointing” – associations criticize the draft law for the new building type E

Thinner ceilings, fewer sockets and unheated stairwells: Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig and Construction Minister Verena Hubertz (both SPD) have jointly presented a bill for the new building type E, which should make new buildings more cost-effective again.

The draft bill has met with criticism from associations. Tim-Oliver Müller, managing director of the Main Association of the German Construction Industry, criticizes that the federal government should have given greater consideration to the legal assessment of buildings in the project. Müller also criticizes the quality standard described in the draft, from which deviations could be made “downwards”. The construction industry expressly warned about this. This creates the impression that tenants will have to choose between good and bad buildings in the future, reports the newsletter service “Table.Media”.

Axel Gedaschko, President of the GdW, also criticizes the lack of protection in tenancy law. Although simpler construction standards are possible with building type E, their legally secure application in tenancy agreements is not legally guaranteed. According to Table.Media, this means that landlords could install fewer sockets and thinner walls, but tenants could theoretically challenge this. The fact that this legal certainty is lacking in tenancy law is “disappointing,” said Gedaschko.

Hubig explained that expensive extras have now become established on the market that are not mandatory. “With building type E, we are giving builders, construction companies and buyers the freedom to do without unnecessary bells and whistles,” emphasized Hubertz. “Every euro that we don’t invest in unnecessary standards is a euro for more affordable housing.”