Ursula von der Leyen, the incoming president of the European commission, likes to remind audiences she was “born in Brussels as a European”.

Now it has emerged she plans to live in Brussels in the self-proclaimed heart of Europe – by sleeping at the office.

Von der Leyen will keep her main residence in Hanover but during the working week will live next to her study on the 13th floor of the commission’s Berlaymont headquarters. The former German minister will have a 25 sq m (269 sq ft) living space that already has a sleeping area and running water.

Speaking after the German newspaper Die Welt reported the story, a commission spokesperson said: “We can confirm that the president-elect would like to use an existing personal retreat next to the president’s office to stay overnight during her days in Brussels.” Sources said some slight adaptations may be needed but declined to elaborate.

As Germany’s defence minister, Von der Leyen also lived at her ministry in Berlin, an arrangement that is more common in German politics. But the “office-residence” is less typical in Brussels, where commissioners and travelling MEPs often rent apartments or rooms in the city’s many aparthotels.

Jean-Claude Juncker, who stands down at the end of this month, likes to stress that the commission president does not have an official residence.

In a recent interview with the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, he revealed that he lived in a 50 sq m aparthotel in the working week, suggesting it was not ideal for a president. “I couldn’t invite anyone home. I can’t talk to official visitors sitting on my bed,” he said.

Sources described the president-elect’s living space as modest and said it would cut costs on room rental and security, as the Berlaymont is tightly guarded around the clock. The arrangement will also keep von der Leyen out of the Brussels traffic jams that snarl up main roads during rush hour.

She may run the risk of unwelcome visitors, however: the occasional mouse has been seen scurrying though commission corridors, albeit not on the 13th floor, which has commanding views of the city.

Jack Parrock (@jackeparrock) Filming interview with @eherreracaro earlier in #Berlaymont @EU_Commission we saw a little #mouse and it turns out he made it on cam ↘ pic.twitter.com/buIp2Xy4bT

The EU’s 28 European commissioners and their senior advisers work at the star-shaped Berlaymont headquarters, as does the chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier. The building, which owes its name to the Dames du Berlaymont convent that once stood on the land, has been the venue for Brexit negotiations since talks began in June 2017.

Von der Leyen, who is due to take office on 1 November, is the daughter of one of Europe’s first civil servants. Born in Brussels, she attended the European School in Uccle, although she did not overlap with another notable graduate, Alexander Boris De Pfeffel Johnson. She studied economics, then medicine, building a home and a medical career near Hanover.