What the study found
The engineers looked at 61 office buildings that have stood partly or completely empty for more than two years. In 17 of them, floor depth, window spacing and stairwells would allow flats without major structural work. Together that adds up to roughly 900 homes, most of them with one or two rooms.
Who would pay
Most of the buildings belong to pension funds and insurers. The city cannot order a conversion, but it can speed up permits and waive the parking requirement, which the study names as the biggest cost driver after the facades.
The tenants’ association welcomes the study but asks for a share of rent-controlled flats in every converted building. The owners’ association says that would make most conversions unprofitable.
What happens next
The planning committee will discuss the study in November. Two owners have already asked the city for a meeting about their buildings on Hafenstraße.