Overview
- Late October ministers Stefanie Hubig and Verena Hubertz presented a jointly drafted Gesetzentwurf that creates the new contractual option called Gebäudetyp E.
- Under the proposal builders, planners and buyers could agree in contracts to waive non‑mandatory comfort features such as extra outlets, thicker walls or higher ceilings to remove liability fears for deviations from customary standards.
- The draft explicitly keeps statutory safety and health rules in force, naming fire protection, structural integrity, ventilation and related requirements as non‑waivable.
- Ministries cite pilot‑project assessments that suggest roughly 10–15 percent savings on core building costs, but the law still needs federal coordination, state and association review, cabinet approval and passage through the Bundestag and Bundesrat.
- Political debate and consumer groups focus on risks and timing: opponents warn of a two‑tier housing market, consumer advocates want clear disclosure of long‑term retrofit costs, and officials say practical rollout to construction sites would likely lag legal adoption by about two years.