Building accessible housing

Queensland is progressing with historic reforms that respect the rights of everyone to a home that is safe, adaptable and meets their needs.

In 2022, the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) published new minimum accessibility requirements for Class 1a buildings (houses) and Class 2 sole-occupancy units (apartments) within the National Construction Code (NCC) 2022.

NCC 2022 includes new requirements under a referenced technical standard, the ABCB Livable Housing Design Standard (LHDS). These requirements reflect the silver level under Livable Housing  Design Guidelines.

The phase in of the new requirements commenced on 1 October 2023, ensuring new housing is designed to meet the needs of the community, including older Australians and those with disability.

Accessibility features include:

• at least one step-free entry
• slightly wider internal doors and corridors
• one step-free access into a bathroom and shower
• an accessible toilet
• reinforcing of bathroom and toilet walls to allow handrails to be installed later.

To assist industry with the LHDS changes, transitional measures such as exemptions and alternative compliance pathways include:

• an 18-month exemption period for new dwellings on narrow lots (frontage of 12.5 metres or less) and existing pre-built class 1 dwellings (55m² or less in size)
• an exemption from compliance for renovations (less than 50% of a house) where it is not practical or reasonable to do so
• an exemption on general repairs and maintenance
• alternative lower-cost pathways for compliance for step-free showers
• an exemption from installing a toilet on the entry level when no habitable rooms exist on that level
• exemptions for step-free entry requirements for small and steep lots, with protections for the iconic Queenslander.

Transitional arrangements also apply to changes of building assessment provisions under section 37 of the Building Act 1975. New homes that are already significantly designed or where construction commenced prior to 1 October 2023 are not impacted by these changes.

More information

• Livable Housing Australia website
• Selling or renting your accessible property
• Finding an accessible property to buy or rent
• Livable housing (ABCB)