On 18 June 2025, the Federal Cabinet passed the „Construction Turbo“. The draft law provides for several amendments to the Building Code in order to facilitate and accelerate the construction of housing and social and cultural facilities, such as daycare centres. A new Section 246e of the Building Code is intended to make it possible to construct such building projects without drawing up or amending a development plan. If the municipality decides in favour of the turbo procedure, the residential construction project can be approved after just a two-month review. This regulation is limited until the end of 2030.

Further amendments to the building code are intended to facilitate redensification, such as adding storeys or extensions. In future, it should also be easier to use outdoor areas for residential purposes. However, building should only be permitted in spatial connection with existing settlements. When drawing up development plans, local authorities will also be allowed to deviate from immission guide values and technical specifications for plant-related noise in future, making it easier to create residential space in areas with industry. There are also plans to extend the conversion of rented flats into owner-occupied flats by five years in areas with a tight housing market.

„The local authorities have the final say on how the housing turbo is actually used,“ says the Federal Building Ministry. Their approval requirement remains in place. „As the approval of the municipality can be made dependent on the developer undertaking to comply with certain urban development requirements, the instrument of the urban development contract will certainly be of particular importance in municipal implementation practice,“ estimates Rechtsanwalt Dr Maximilian Dombert. The legislative process should be completed by autumn 2025.