Poland to mandate elevators in residential buildings by 2026

New regulations in Poland aim to address accessibility issues for an aging population by mandating elevator installations in multi-family residential buildings with three or more floors and public buildings with two or more floors starting in 2026.

However, a loophole in the regulations allows for exemptions. According to the Ministry of Development and Technology and the Polish Chamber of Architects, building owners may apply for a waiver if installing an elevator is deemed impossible, such as in historic or protected buildings.

The push for accessibility is driven by demographic shifts; seniors aged 65+ now constitute over 21% of the Polish population. Many existing buildings, particularly four-story blocks built during the PRL era, lack elevators because older regulations did not require them for buildings under five levels.