Dutch Housing Minister proposes looser building rules to cut costs, speed construction

Housing Minister Mona Keijzer announced plans to relax building regulations to make new housing construction cheaper and faster. In a letter to the Tweede Kamer, she detailed changes including lower ceiling and door heights, permission for steeper staircases, and removal of a daylight measurement standard for homes.

The proposals respond to recommendations from the STOER committee, which issued dozens of suggestions aimed at reducing costs and delays in construction projects. Keijzer expressed support for many of the committee’s ideas but did not specify concrete actions on all points. She said some issues, such as excluding airplane noise from housing impact calculations, would be addressed later.

Currently, ceilings must be at least 2.60 meters high and doors 2.30 meters. Keijzer proposes lowering the minimum ceiling height to 2.50 meters and door height to 2.10 meters. The committee estimates this could save about 1,250 euros per apartment.

The STOER committee warned these changes might cause “possible comfort loss.” Keijzer appears willing to accept this if it leads to more homes being built. She said the interests of home seekers must be “explicitly and more heavily” prioritized, and she hopes the Tweede Kamer will support this approach.

However, Keijzer rejected some proposals, including easing rules on barrier-free balconies, which would violate a UN treaty protecting people with disabilities. She said, “I attach importance to independent access to outdoor spaces for everyone in new-build homes.”