Barrier-free living in Germany: Analysis reveals deficits

Barrier-free living in Germany: Analysis reveals deficits

According to the “Servicemonitor Wohnen”, less than half of the rental apartments in Germany are barrier-free. The representative tenant survey, carried out by Analysis & Concepts immo.consult, showed that more than half of the rental apartments are neither barrier-free nor barrier-free. Only 22 percent of those surveyed said they owned a barrier-free apartment, while 21 percent said their apartment was considered barrier-free.

According to DIN 18040, barrier-free apartments in Germany must be usable for people with disabilities without any particular difficulties. In contrast, the term “barrier-friendly” is less precisely defined. The survey found that most low-barrier and barrier-free apartments are offered by municipal housing companies (55 percent), while management companies only account for 34 percent.

On the list of age-appropriate renovation measures, the floor-level shower comes first with 20 percent interest. Elevators (14 percent) and a threshold-free entrance area (9 percent) are less in demand. Michael Deeg, Managing Director of Analysis & Concepts immo.consult, emphasizes the urgency that too few apartments in Germany are already barrier-free or barrier-free and this need will continue to increase due to demographic change.

The “Service Monitor Living” has been published by Analysis & Concepts immo.consult since 2010 and examines the needs of tenants in contact with their landlords. The survey is based on 1,000 tenants from all over Germany. The analysis is subject to a fee and includes a short version and a full version with detailed evaluations for various subgroups. Analysis & Concepts immo.consult is an independent consulting and research company that specializes in the housing industry and the real estate market.