Turning a Duplex into a Triplex in Portland Or

[Trevor Emmett]

Hello Everyone!  I am a real estate agent in Portland Or and I am representing an investor that is interested in a duplex that is currently being used as a triplex.  As a Triplex, the numbers work for him. The big sticking point is that after a little due diligence I discovered that triplexes in Portland are under commercial code and that they require sprinklers, acoustic batting, fire barriers, stricter egress and a list on other requirements that make the deal a no go.  I advised my client to back off and he did, but the house is still on the market and he is still interested.  Does anyone have any experience with permitting triplexes, workarounds or any thoughts? I doubt we are going to move forward, just thought this was an interesting problem that someone may have faced and may have a solution.