Illegal Boarding House vs Roommates

[Onur Ozdemir]

Would it be legal to add roommates on the lease so I avoid calling my house as "Illegal Boarding House"? Hi guys- You will probably find my question silly or weurd but it is my first post on BiggerPockets and you guys are awesome! I'm sure someone would advise me on it.

We are 4 friends that we know each other since we were kids. The West new York, NJ town, building department recently told me that I can't rent out my rooms to anybody even if I own the house and I can't make individual leases for rooms as well. My question is how can I make it legal and live together with the people I want?

1) Can I prepare a lease on my own house and add each one of them on the lease?
2) I have 5 rooms. Does it mean I can have 5 beds in each room? What makes a room legally a bedroom to sleep? 70 squarefeet per person?
3) If I don't take money from my friends, would it still be considered as rooming house?

People live in same house for years and town doesn't make problem. Why would it be an issue to live with the friends?

[Robert Biggerstaff]

The less they know the better off you are