[Barrier-free modification of old apartments] Can an elevator be installed in an old apartment? Popular science on the "Construction Law" application process for construction licenses, owner consent ratio and application for the Double North Million Subsidy

The pain point of Taiwan’s aging population: old apartments that cannot be walked up

In the old urban areas of the greater Taipei area (such as Wanhua, Datong, Zhongyonghe and Xindian, etc.), there are densely packed 4- and 5-story old apartments without elevators. This type of apartment has a prime location and a very low indoor-to-public utility ratio, making it the first choice for many people to buy a house. However, as Taiwan enters a super-aging society, elders living in old apartments are faced with the knee pain of "difficulty going out". Many elders with mobility issues are even forced to stay indoors all year round and cannot go downstairs. This is an "accessible space defect" in terms of water, electricity and interior decoration. In order to solve this pain point, "installing elevators in old apartments (adding elevators)" has become a popular project in recent years. Many people think that installing an elevator only requires money. In fact, it involves extremely complex regulations and restrictions such as application for a construction license under the Construction Law, property rights consent ratio, and foundation civil structure.

Regulations and regulations: The legal threshold and floor area ratio for adding elevators to apartments are relaxed

Old apartments that want to install elevators in public open spaces or legal open spaces (such as fire lanes and front yards) must follow the following regulatory procedures:
1. Property rights consent ratio threshold:
- The addition of an elevator involves changes in the occupation and shared parts of public land (statutory open space). According to the "Apartment Building Management Regulations" and the "Urban Renewal, Renovation and Maintenance Measures":
- The owner of the entire building (house owner) and the land owner must be obtained .
- If the building has established a legal management committee and applies for government subsidies for renovation and maintenance, the consent threshold can be simplified to , and you can apply for a construction license from the Public Works Bureau in accordance with the law. This greatly reduces the tragedy of the project being stuck due to one household's objections.
2. Relaxation of floor area ratio and floor area ratio of building technical rules:
- Adding an elevator will increase the "building area" and "floor area ratio" of the building. In order to encourage barrier-free modifications, Article 55 of Taiwan's "Building Technical Rules" is particularly relaxed: for residential buildings with five floors or less to add lifts (elevators), the additions are not subject to restrictions on the distance between adjacent buildings and fire separation, but in principle the projected area of ​​the elevator shaft shall not exceed 12 square meters.
3. Structural safety appraisal: Adding an elevator must undergo "foundation bearing capacity drilling" and "structural safety appraisal" of the building. A structural technician or civil technician will stamp the certificate to confirm that the independent structure of the elevator shaft will not pull or collapse the original fragile main structure of the old apartment during an earthquake.

Double-Pei million urban renewal subsidy: Subsidy details of Taipei City and New Taipei City

In order to promote the renovation of old apartments, the Taipei City Government and the New Taipei City Government have compiled a high "Elevator Subsidy for Renovation and Maintenance (Elevator Installation Subsidy for Old Apartments)" every year:
1. Taipei City Urban Renewal Office "Old Elevator Subsidy (Flower Expo Program, etc.)":
- A residential building without an elevator that is more than 20 years old and has less than 6 floors.
- In principle, the total project cost will be subsidized . If it belongs to a special area of ​​urban consolidation, the subsidy ratio can even be increased to .
2. New Taipei City Government's "Subsidy for Elevator Installation in Old Apartments":
- It also subsidizes the total project cost and provides a simple and faster review channel.

The budget and construction period of adding an elevator to an old apartment

To add an external glass sightseeing elevator in Shuangbei area, the overall project cost distribution is as follows:
* The cost is about NT$ 350,000 to NT$ 600,000.
* Costs approximately NT$ 1,500,000 to NT$ 2,500,000.
* The equipment purchase cost is approximately NT$ 800,000 to NT$ 1,200,000.
The overall total construction cost is approximately NT$ 4 million to NT$ 5.5 million. If 50% of the government subsidy is deducted, and each apartment is shared among 10 households, each household’s actual investment is approximately NT$ 200,000 to NT$ 300,000 (usually the investment ratio is higher on high floors, and the first floor has the lowest or no capital contribution).

Commercial acquisitions and businessmen’s long-term asset thinking: Installing elevators is an asset-added technique that can double the valuation of aging Shuangbei old apartments

For real estate businessmen who specialize in buying second-hand apartments in Shuangbei for long-term holding, flip resale or high-end modification and management, Because of the pain of climbing stairs on the "4th floor" and "5th floor" of old apartments, their market unit prices are often 20% - 30% cheaper than those on the "2nd floor". There is a huge discount. When a businessman acquires an entire old apartment building, if he can take the initiative to integrate the residents and use 50% of the government's subsidy to install an elevator, once the elevator is installed successfully, the 4th and 5th floors, which are originally the hardest to sell and have the lowest unit prices, will be instantly upgraded to "barrier-free elevator residences with high views on the top floor", and their market unit prices will directly increase by 30% to 40%, or even exceed the value of the 2nd floor. Businessmen spend about RMB 300,000 per household on modifications, which can create millions in asset appreciation premiums. This is a golden business textbook for maximizing investment internal rate of return (IRR) in high-end real estate development by using regulatory subsidies and barrier-free projects.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs' latest "Regulations on Consumer Electrical Equipment Installation" and the key points of electricity safety in old houses

Due to the popularity of high-power household appliances (such as air fryers, microwave ovens, dishwashers, instantaneous electric water heaters, and IH furnaces) in recent years, the Energy Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs has revised the "Regulations on Consumer Electrical Equipment Installation" many times to strictly require the diversion and protection mechanisms of residential electricity circuits. Statistics show that more than 30% of building fires in Taiwan are caused by electrical factors, among which "old wire insulation deteriorates and short circuits", "socket contacts are oxidized and loose, poor contact" and "non-fuse switch (NFB) overloaded and failed to trip" are the three main fatal causes.

Old apartments in Shuangbei that are more than 30 years old have a total original designed power capacity of only 30A to 40A, and several rooms often share the same 1.6mm or 2.0mm circuit. In the modern standard safety configuration, kitchen electrical cabinets, bathroom equipment, and air-conditioning and heating machines must all be equipped with 5.5mm² dedicated circuits (single circuit and single socket). It is recommended that the main switch box be upgraded to a busbar (Busbar) integrated distribution board, and the total amperage is increased to 75A or 100A (a qualified electrical appliance contractor needs to be entrusted to Taipower to review the additional power capacity).

Residential electricity self-test and regular inspection checklist

• Appearance and temperature of the socket: Touch the outer cover of the commonly used socket lightly with the back of your hand. If it feels lukewarm or if you find that the plastic socket is yellowed and charred, or the plug is loose and shaking after being plugged in, it means that the internal copper plate clamping force is exhausted or the contact resistance is too high, and you should immediately cut off the power and replace it.
• Regular testing of leakage circuit breakers (ELCB): For leakage circuit breakers in humid places such as balconies, bathrooms, and kitchen sinks, regulations require that the "TEST button" on the switch be pressed once every 1 to 3 months to confirm that it can automatically trip and cut off the power supply instantly.
• Serial connection and overloading of extension cords are strictly prohibited: Extension cords should be purchased with 2.0mm thick wire diameter products that have CNS certification and automatic overload power-off protection. Do not share the same extension cord with high energy-consuming appliances to ensure zero hidden danger to life and property at home.