Elevator Requirements for Apartment Buildings in Turkey: How Many Floors Trigger the Rule?
🇹🇷 This article describes regulations and processes specific to Turkey — requirements differ in other countries.
Elevator requirements don't hinge on a single threshold — they scale in stages with floor count. From 3 floors up, an elevator shaft is required; from 4 floors up, the elevator itself; and past a certain size, a second elevator becomes mandatory.
The answer to "is an elevator mandatory?" changes in stages depending on how many floors a building has — it's not a single threshold, but a logic built around three separate ones.
3 floors: an elevator shaft is mandatory
In a building with 3 floors, the elevator itself isn't yet mandatory, but the architectural plan must reserve an elevator shaft so one can be added later. This is a design decision that's easy to overlook but makes a major difference if the need for an elevator arises down the line.
4 floors and above: the elevator itself is mandatory
In a building with more than 4 floors, including the ground floor, installing an elevator is a legal requirement. This threshold needs to be built into the floor plan from the earliest stage of the architectural project — adding it afterward is both costly and a major intervention that reshapes the plan layout.
10 floors / 20 units: a second elevator is mandatory
Buildings with 10 or more floors, or with more than 20 residential units above the ground floor, require at least two elevators. This is a current regulation that replaces the previous rule, which applied this requirement at the 7-floor threshold — if you're planning a taller project, it's worth factoring this threshold in from the start.
How the elevator decision affects the floor plan
The elevator shaft isn't just a technical requirement — it's a planning decision that needs to be considered together with the stairwell, shared corridor width, and the position of unit entry doors. Trying to add an elevator after the floor plan has already matured usually reduces the efficiency of shared spaces.
Our process at MEEZ Mimarlık
In apartment and residential projects, we factor the elevator requirement into the floor plan as soon as the floor count is set, and optimize shared-space and unit efficiency around that decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
From how many floors is an elevator mandatory?
In buildings with 3 floors, space (a shaft) must be reserved for an elevator; in buildings with more than 3 floors, the elevator itself is mandatory.
Which buildings require 2 elevators?
Buildings with 10 or more floors, or with more than 20 residential units above the ground floor, are required to have at least two elevators — this is a current regulation that replaced the previous 7-floor threshold.
Is a building that reserves an elevator shaft but doesn't install an elevator non-compliant?
No — for a 3-floor building, reserving the shaft is enough; actually installing the elevator isn't required at that threshold. The elevator itself only becomes mandatory from 4 floors up.
