Texas state legislature passes single-stair bill SB2835
Buildings up to six storeys, up to four units per floor
Text of the bill, via Texas Legislature Online.
Sponsor’s statement of intent:
Single stair buildings are small scale apartments that are built with a small number of apartments per floor, all served by a single stairwell. This building typology is used widely across the globe, but in the United States they have a limited presence due to restrictions imposed by the International Building Code (IBC)—a model design and building code that is used almost exclusively in the U.S. The IBC dictates that for apartments over three stories tall, each unit is required to have access to two stairwells.
To meet the multi-staircase requirement, large apartment complexes are built using double-loaded corridors with apartment units on both sides of a windowless hallway. To offset the loss in rentable space that is taken up by the second stairwell, double-loaded corridor buildings must be large. The single-stair prohibition means that multi-family apartments are only economically feasible at great density.
Conversely, single-stair buildings are smaller and fit on lots that could not accommodate large complexes. They can achieve 95 percent floor plate efficiency and exist more cohesively within existing neighborhoods. They have better cross-ventilation and energy-efficiency and, with access to more light on multiple sides of a unit, can accommodate units with more bedrooms and better accommodate families.
S.B. 2385 would allow cities to adopt standards outside of the IBC to build single stair apartments, clawing back authority to allow for the housing market to respond to the varied needs of Texas families.
Supporters include: Texans for Reasonable Solutions, Habitat for Humanity (Dallas; Austin), Dallas Housing Coalition, AURA, Texans for Housing, and Institute for Justice.
More
Previously: Why single-stair design is important.
Small Single-Stairway Apartment Buildings Have Strong Safety Record. Pew Charitable Trusts, February 2025.
The deceptively simple reform that could unlock more housing. Rachel Cohen, Vox, May 2025.