EN 13724 CLASSIFICATION

Important for planners, house owners and administrations (as of January 2017).

The “DIN EN 13724” standard specifies the requirements and test methods for opening letter boxes and for delivering letter mail. As a result, the criteria are much more demanding than before. For customers, this means more security when delivering letter mail.

Standard criteria of the EN 13724 classification

  • Classification into 4 different types of insertion openings (exterior, interior, pass-through, door / side wall).
  • Designation of 3 different throw-in sizes (cross-throw with a width of min. 325 mm / max. 400 mm with a throw-in height of min. 30 mm / max. 35 mm or a throw-in height of min. 35 mm / max. 45 mm: longitudinal throw with a width of min. 230 mm / max. 280 mm with throw-in height min. 30 mm / max. 35 mm).
  • Resistance to corrosion according to EN 1670 and against the ingress of water (rain test and determination of the permitted amount of water that has penetrated), provided that all openings are closed.
  • Resistance to burglary caused by stable materials and locks with a division into 3 security levels (the permitted deformation is determined if house mailboxes are loaded with 150 N at level 1 and with 220 N at level 2; high-quality locks with 200 locking differences at levels 1 and 500 at level 2).
  • An envelope in C4 format must be able to be delivered or removed without folding or damaging it (C4 = 229 x 324 mm).
  • The installation height of the lock axis must be between 900 mm and 1300 mm. At least 30% of the locks should be placed at this height. For ergonomic reasons, the lower edge of the lowest opening and the upper edge of the highest opening should be between 700 mm and 1700 mm (measured from the floor level on the insertion side, lying).
  • In order to ensure the safety of the user and because of the risk of injury, components of the opening must not have sharp corners.
  • To ensure confidentiality, house mailboxes must be equipped without a viewing window. If a window is desired, it must
  • be transparent.
  • Defined removal safeguards against unauthorized removal, up to a distance between the box floor and the opening of 680 mm, must be provided.
  • The minimum volume is with a stack height of min. 40 mm postage set in the C4.
  • If the manufacturer declares that its product complies with this standard, the product must be labeled in accordance with its regulation.
  • Assembly instructions must be provided to match the product.
  • The flap must close automatically after the mail is inserted.

National variations of the mailboxes are possible. The procedures for checking the above-mentioned points are described in the standard. This standard is a recommendation, but becomes mandatory when entered in tenders.

It should also be noted that legal disputes are always judged on the basis of the current technical status – i.e. the corresponding standard (see example of court judgments).

 

Valid for the following countries:

In accordance with the CEN-CENELEC rules of procedure, the national standards institutes of the following countries are required to adopt this European standard: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mata, Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic, Turkey, Hungary, United Kingdom and Cyprus.

Your advantages when purchasing a letter box according to DIN EN 13724

  • no crumpled, kinked or otherwise damaged letters and newspapers
  • no long ways to the post office to pick up large undeliverable mail. (The postman is entitled to not deliver in
  • Refuse EN-compliant mailboxes so as not to damage the mail to be delivered. In such cases, he leaves one
  • Information in and on the mailbox.)
  • no wet mail with proper delivery (complete throw-in of letter mail, newspapers and advertising mail)
  • no justified rent reduction possible s. u.
  • Best quality against rust due to specified corrosion-resistant materials
  • Optimal security against vandalism and theft of mail due to defined security standards

Judgments

Smaller letter slot, lower rent!

Cologne (AP): If the slot on the mailbox is not large enough to hold A4 mail, the tenant can reduce the rent by half a percent. The Berlin district court ruled: “If problems arise with the delivery of magazines or A4 envelopes due to the letterbox systems installed by the landlord, a monthly reduction is appropriate.” (Az. 29520/90).

Wet mail, lower rent!

A mailbox is part of the equipment of a rental apartment. If it is difficult to open and the mail in the rain is soaked through, there is a defect that entitles to a reduction of one percent of the rent. (AG Mainz, 8 C 98/96)