Legal bedroom in NJ?

Question

Hey everyone. Pretty straight forward question here. If I were to put a bedroom closet in the hallway— would the bedroom no longer be considered a ‘legal’ bedroom?

I have a three bedroom unit and the third bedroom is pretty small (about 7'x10'). So, I was considering putting the closet in the hallway, to avoid making the room any smaller, but only if it doesn’t obstruct the legality of the bedroom and my ability to market it as one.

I've always assumed a bedroom needed a window & closet inside, but my architect told me there is no legal definition. Does anyone have any input here or know where I can look to confirm this? Thanks in advance.

Steve

David Thomas · Answer

This question has perplexed many for years and always gets a mix of answers.  And depending on who you ask you will get resounding answers that they are sure are correct (agents, inspectors, appraisers, lawyers, friend of a friend a friend who knows the mayor, etc, etc).  First, local building codes may have their own requirements that are more stringent so that's where you need to go, and that's who you should verify with first. Take five minutes to call the local building dept. and you should get a quick answer.

I can tell you what HUD defines as a bedroom for appraisal purposes, coming directly from the National Association of Realtors and part of the CMA class offered by NJAR (New Jersey Association of Realtors) and when doing a comp analysis, as this:

• 90 square ft minimum
• Window for emergency exit (local codes dictate size, ie: 5.7 sq ft clear opening)
• Natural light and ventilation (ie:window)
• Hallway access (direct or tandem such as a railroad style unit)
• Closet NOT required
• Heat source NOT required (I asked twice, I was shocked!)

Screenshot below from NJAR:

My last thought - what would the average person expect in a bedroom for a comfortable living arrangement?  I would want more than the"legal" definition thats for sure!  Like heat and some form of storage.  It's surprising how many homes or apartment listings call a room a bedroom that the average person would not be comfortable with, but can fall under the legal requirements.

Vaughn Smith · Answer

@Steven Schulman You have received some solid feedback form other responders here, the one thing I would add is to see what the market says, if the average tenant would expect the bedroom to have a closet or if you need the closet to be able to get maximum value for the unit then I'd add a closet, if its not necessary then you can probably proceed without one

Patrick Liska · Answer

Based on building codes, the room has to be at least 70 square feet and at least 7 feet wide, which would make the room at least 7'x10' and 7'-6" ceiling height. an Emergency Egress window and a direct line of exit ( a hallway to an exit or leading to stairs to an exit). there are no requirements for closets.

Dan DiBiase · Answer

You can call anything above ground level a bedroom if you want. Some municipalities have requirements about egress - window has to be a certain square footage, for example. But I had a client who asked me to rent his second floor unit. He had three bedrooms, none of which had a traditional closet (one had a half-closet that was under the stairs to the attic level). I advertised it as a three bedroom anyway - he did actually put wardrobes in 2 of the 3 rooms that had no closets at all. People can make it work if the price is right.

Alexis Franklin · Answer

Based on my understanding, lack of a closet doesn't prevent a room from being a legal bedroom anywhere in NJ. This isnt a state issue though. You would need to refer to the municipal code to verify the requirements. The code is usually available on eCode360 and/or the town's website.

Steve Schulman · Answer

@David Thomas thank you for the thorough response. Good to know! I agree everyone will say this and that-- that's why I figured I'd take this question to BP and see if I can get down to the bottom of this with some facts/backup. Thanks David

Steve Schulman · Answer

@Ibrahim Hughes I like where your head's at, as that was originally the plan but it gives the adjoining room a funky setup. Plus, I’d rather only have one extra small room and not drag the second normal size room down with it (two normal size rooms and a really small one instead of one normal size room and two smaller ones if that makes sense).

Steve Schulman · Answer

@Alexis Franklin appreciate this! I will take a look

Jonathan Soto · Answer

yea i would check local laws, you wouldnt be able to rent as a legal room to government assistant programs.

You should be able to rent out to others.

Robert Webb · Answer

hey! from an advertising/realtor PoV, it needs a closet to be a bedroom. UNLESS The age is old enough where they didnt really have closet, usually very early 1900s or earlier. But in todays market, I would see if there is another way to work the closet into the room

Legal bedroom in NJ?

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