Number of the month of May: 5.5 criteria

According to the research institute empirica, there are eleven criteria for determining how accessible a property is. On average, German senior households meet only half of these criteria. Particularly low-income households or senior households in cities are more likely to lack accessibility.

Whether it's stairs, bathrooms, or thresholds, whether it's the entrance area or individual rooms – many homes fail to meet accessibility requirements. This was the finding of a study conducted by the research institute empirica on behalf of Deutsche Teilkauf. Of the eleven criteria for assessing accessibility, eight relate to the apartment itself and three to the building.

The apartment: In 70 percent of households, the front doors are wide enough to be considered barrier-free. A sufficiently wide hallway is present in 65 percent of households. 63 percent have enough maneuvering space in the kitchen. Interior doors are wide enough in 59 percent of cases. Only half (50 percent) of senior households have sufficient maneuvering space in the bathroom. Step-free rooms are only available in 33 percent. Only 18 percent are free of other floor irregularities. And only 16 percent of senior households have walk-in showers.

The building: Almost a quarter of households (74 percent) have front doors that are wide enough. In two-thirds of cases (66 percent), the hallways are wide enough. However, only 15 percent have barrier-free access to the building.

Another finding of the study was that the lack of accessibility is less due to the housing status of "owner" or "renter" than to the type of building. For example, apartments in multi-family buildings are more frequently accessible, while single-family homes are less so.

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