Accessibility

exdub

Depending upon many variables, I am in hopes of moving home to Dublin from the US. Therefore, I regularly visit several Dublin Estate Agents/Property sites, to watch apartment sales/costs.

Of serious concern to me, however, is the question of disabled access: due to mobility problems, I cannot use stairs and have to have a lift available for anything above the ground floor. Hence, my question:

Although discouragingly few apartment listings even mention lifts, would it be safe to assume that an apartment block built after 1992 is accessible [per Part M of the Building Regulations Act 2002] ... or is it still very much the luck of the draw?

TIA

Victor

Generally they would be accessible if built after 1992, with a few exceptions.

(a) buildings that had planning permission to build before then.
(b) buildings with no more than 6-8 apartments.
(c) apartments with their own (not shared with any other apartment) access at ground level.
(d) "cowboy" builders (cowboys being the bad guys)

You best bet is to look for a non-duplex (two-storey) apartment in a larger building.

Expect bathroom access to be medicore in all but the newest buildings.

exdub

Thanks, so much, Victor - for the info and for taking the time to respond; I truly appreciate it! God bless.