The end of micro-studio apartments is certain. We know when the regulations will come into force
Prohibition on selling the so-called micro-studios, i.e. apartments whose area does not exceed 25 square meters and the obligation to maintain a greater distance between balconies are examples of solutions included in the regulation on counteracting the so-called pathodevelopment. It will not come into force on April 1, but at the beginning of August this year.
The regulation of the Minister of Development and Technology was signed on October 27, 2023, when the ministry was headed by Waldemar Buda from PiS. It was to enter into force on April 1, 2024. The minister concluded that such a long period between signing and entering into force is enough for companies to prepare for the new requirements. Buda said that he did not want to “surprise companies that are already designing and have their construction projects underway”, but “everything that will require a permit from April will have to comply with these (…) new regulations.”
The new management of the ministry decided that this deadline was insufficient. We wrote that requests to postpone the entry into force of the regulations came not only from developers, but also from local governments, which need more time to modify the documentation of planned investments in line with the new regulations.
The regulation will enter into force on August 1, 2024.
Regulation on counteracting the so-called pathodevelopment
The regulation on the conditions to be met by buildings and their location introduces new rules regarding the technical conditions to be met by buildings and their location. It assumes, among others: increasing the distance of a multi-family residential building over 4 stories high from the plot boundary to 5 meters. Until now, this distance was a minimum of 3 meters in the case of walls without windows or doors, and in the case of walls with windows or doors – 4 meters.
Neighbors are to be better separated from each other by partitions between balconies. According to the new regulation, in a multi-family residential building, in the case of more than one balcony on one balcony slab, a partition with a height of at least 2.2 m and a width corresponding to at least the width of the balcony should be used, and if the balcony has a width equal to or greater than 2 m – minimum 2 m.
The partition should also have adequate light transmittance. It should be a minimum of 30% and a maximum of 50%, thanks to which such a darkened partition will give a feeling of isolation from the neighbors.
The act will also introduce a ban on selling premises with an area of less than 25 square meters. It will be possible to build premises with a smaller area, provided that the premises are located on the first or second above-ground floor of the building and there is direct access to it from the outside of the building.
