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Replies (18)
- Vince Curtis, "SoCal Appraiser"
- Contributions:4699
Youll get a lot of good answers, but for appraisers its usually a room with a closet generaly over 100 sq ft in size. . .
- Tom Lynch, "tlynch26"
- Contributions:304
Best to ask the Assessor's Office in the town you are interested in, or an appraiser in that town... but in general, more than 100 sq ft in size, a closet, and a window.
- Masha Senderovich, "MashaSenderovich"
- Contributions:138
Ha! Sounds like you are shopping downtown! A closet and a window. :-)
- Jose Alduende, "Jose Alduende"
- Contributions:55
I've seen rooms in basement with window, closet, and 100sqf. but did not qualify as bedrooms. I agree with Tom Assessor's Office in the town is your best bet.
- JOSE E PEREZ
- Contributions:3
about 100 square feet with a closet..
- Debra (Debbie) Rose, "Livingston NJ"
- Contributions:2734
the window shoul be large enough to offer escape (egress) in the case of an emergency
- Frank Rosati, "Frank Rosati"
- Contributions:23
The room must have a closet and means of egress is the correct answer in MD.
- Helen Edwards, "Helen Edwards"
- Contributions:478
I would add a Door to the qualifications...
- Scott Yanc, "Scott Yanc SFR GRI"
- Contributions:10
must be at least 9' long or wide, 100+sqft, have a window of a certain size (depends on where you are)
- Ed McKee, "OregonMortgage"
- Contributions:17
I agree with Masha
But I think the window has to be of a minimum size for fire egress. Check with your local City or County building department to sure.
- Jeff Piggot, "Jeff Piggot"
- Contributions:1
I think it can vary by state as to what can truly be considered a bedroom. Talk to your local assessor's office and they can tell you their rules. Then talk to a realtor in your local area to find out what they consider to be normal practice of being able to count as a bedroom. For tax purposes it can be different than for real estate lending or appraising purposes.
- Art DePaul, "artdepaul"
- Contributions:4
Your local Board of Health and the Building Inspector enforce the State and local requirements / regulations and would be a quick reliable source for any building regulations.
- Sergio Hernandez, "Sergio Hernandez"
- Contributions:619
Generally, a window, a door, a closet and the ability to walk directly into the room, without having to walk through another.
- Thomas Trifon
- Contributions:49
Having a closet is is not essential to calling a room, a bedroom. In 1700 - first part of the 1900's, people used armoires, etc to store their clothes. Look at some of the early colonial homes, victorians -- they all have rooms that are clearly bedrooms, but do not have closets. The necessity of having a closet to call a room a bedroom is generally for modern construction (post 1970/1980) and this is still dependent on locality. From personal experience in Westchester NY, we had the town building inspector come to the house to ascertain as to whether 2 rooms were BRs or not (neither had a closet). The house was built in 1920 (a central hall colonial). His determination was yes, they were bedrooms.
In Massachusetts I believe the minimum is 70sf; that it must have a door of certain dimensions, window of certain size, egress, and a minimum ceiling height.
It is not so cut-and-dry. As suggested below, always check with the local building inspector.
In Massachusetts I believe the minimum is 70sf; that it must have a door of certain dimensions, window of certain size, egress, and a minimum ceiling height.
It is not so cut-and-dry. As suggested below, always check with the local building inspector.
- Lawrie Lawrence, "LAWRIE LAWRENCE"
- Contributions:413
100 square feet minimum, a closet and an outside window is necessary to qualify .
- Thomas Trifon
- Contributions:49
In Brewster Massachusetts, the Board of Health supplemented Title V (deals with a LOCAL REGULATION TO SUPPLEMENT TITLE 5, STATE ENVIRONMENTAL CODE, to wit
To the extent application of this definition will not result in an interpretation less stringent than the provisions of Title 5, the term "bedroom" shall be defined as follows for the purpose of sizing a subsurface sewage disposal system (proposed and existing):
- (a) Any room that meets the definition of a bedroom under Title 5 or any room or enclosed addition with at least 70 square feet of floor area and a window, other than a kitchen, dining room, living room, bathroom, hallway space.
- (b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, any dwelling with six (6) rooms shall be construed to have at least three (3) bedrooms. Any dwelling with seven (7) rooms shall be construed to have at least four (4) bedrooms. Any dwelling with eight (8) rooms shall be construed to have at least four (4) bedrooms. Any dwelling with nine (9) rooms shall be construed to have at least five (5) bedrooms. Dwellings that have ten (10) rooms or more shall be determined by dividing the total number of rooms excluding bathrooms, hallways, unfinished cellars and unheated storage areas, by two (2) and then rounding down to the next lowest whole number.
- Jonathan Lerner, "Real Living Broker"
- Contributions:35
Here is a better answer, btw I love this question as you can see most agents could deal with a little refresher course...
A defined habitable space per Building Code requirements. The exception to this statement would pertain to obvious future habitable space (such as the unfinished second floor in a "cape" style home) which has the appropriate structural shell but has not been "finished" to meet Building Code standards for habitable space.
Privacy to the occupants.
Full bathroom facilities (containing either a bathtub or shower) which are conveniently located to the bedroom served.
Entry from a common area, not through a room already deemed a bedroom.
- Samantha Ellison, "cafbrealtor"
- Contributions:1
Closet, Full access window (fire code) and a door!
What qualifies a room as a bed room?
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