Austin Considers Allowing Single-Stair Multifamily Development

A multifamily design popular in older East Coast cities could soon be allowed in Austin.

The City Council is set to vote Thursday on whether to allow mid-rise apartments with one stairwell instead of two, a configuration common in cities like New York but banned in Austin for buildings taller than three stories, Austin Business Journal reported.

Supporters say the change would enable developers to build more efficient, design-forward apartments on smaller parcels, especially in urban areas and near commercial corridors where land is scarce and costly.

Architect Chris Gannon, who sits on the city’s building and fire board of appeals, said rules requiring two staircases and interior hallways have led to increasingly bulky buildings with shrinking unit sizes.

The change could enable four larger corner units per floor, more in line with family-sized layouts amid the city’s “building bloat,” he said.

Unlike large apartment complexes that sprawl across a block or more, single-stair buildings can fit on lots as small as 10,000 square feet, potentially opening up new infill opportunities in Austin’s urban core. The structures are typically five stories or fewer, making them more compatible with existing neighborhood scales.

Austin isn’t acting in a vacuum. Proposals in the Texas Legislature — House Bill 5148 and Senate Bill 2835 — could give cities across the state the option to legalize single-stair buildings up to six stories tall. Advocates say the move could unlock development models and invite fresh players into the market.

Austin isn’t the only city rethinking its multifamily building codes. In Los Angeles, the City Council recently voted unanimously to eliminate the two-stair multifamily development requirement.

The Austin proposal caps buildings at five stories, but some local policy experts say that’s only the beginning. If approved, Austin could serve as a template for broader reform across Texas.

The pending rule change follows other local zoning updates aimed at boosting housing supply, including the city’s HOME Initiative, which loosened lot-size requirements and opened the door for more homes per parcel. But the single-stair rule would represent a shift in form on top of density changes.

— Judah Duke