1. What changed
It is no longer necessary to submit a separate occupancy permit application for each building covered by a building permit. Since 1 August 2026 one procedure can grant an occupancy permit for several buildings at once.
The technical arrangements of the building register make this possible even where the buildings have different intended uses and are therefore subject to different requirements and conditions. There is thus no need to draw up a separate occupancy permit document for each building.
2. Why it was needed
The justification is purely practical, and it concerned both sides. Several buildings in one procedure reduce the administrative burden.
| Problem | For whom |
|---|---|
| In very large procedures covering dozens of buildings, submitting separate applications was burdensome | for the applicant |
| Issuing permits on the same scale | for the local authority |
| The number of procedures grew linearly with the size of the project | for both |
The substantive check was often the same, although there were dozens of procedures. The change therefore reduces administrative burden without altering what is checked, which is the thread running through this whole reform.
3. What it means where intended uses differ
This is the technically most interesting part. One procedure can cover buildings with different intended uses, subject to different requirements and conditions, without that preventing a joint procedure.
The register can distinguish between them within a single procedure, which was previously the obstacle. The practical consequence is that, for example, dwellings and the structures serving them can be handled together although their requirements differ.
A joint procedure does not mean a joint level of requirements. Each building meets its own requirements and only the procedure is shared, and this has to be spelled out to the client so that they do not expect a lighter check.
4. Whom it affects most
Three situations, of which the third needs separate clarification. They concern how the buildings relate and where they stand.
| Situation | Suitability for a joint procedure |
|---|---|
| Development projects where one permit covers several buildings | direct benefit |
| Plots where the main building is accompanied by outbuildings and structures | direct benefit |
| Phased projects where buildings are completed at different times | needs clarification |
The third situation needs clarification from the local authority, because a joint procedure assumes the buildings are complete at the moment of the procedure. Where buildings are completed at different times, one has to weigh waiting for the last of them against separate procedures, and that choice affects the whole project schedule.
5. What it does not change
Two limits prevent a false expectation. The requirement that what is built conform to the design applies to each building separately. The volume of documentation depends on the number of buildings, not on the number of procedures.
Fewer procedures does not mean fewer documents. A joint procedure for ten buildings requires the same documentation as ten separate procedures; only the paperwork and the submission are consolidated.
Summary and four practical rules
Since 1 August 2026 one procedure can grant an occupancy permit for several buildings at once, including buildings with different intended uses, because the register can distinguish between them within a single procedure. The change reduces administrative burden in large projects, where the number of procedures grew linearly with the size of the project, but it alters neither what is checked nor the volume of documentation.
Four rules: consider a joint procedure as early as the building permit stage, since it affects how the documentation is organised. Check with the local authority whether phased completion is compatible with a joint procedure. Explain to the client that requirements remain building-specific although the procedure is shared. Do not expect the volume of documentation to fall.
This article offers professional orientation as at the date of verification. It does not replace the assessment of the local authority.