You cannot count a room a bedroom just because you have a bed in it. While you might find it helpful as a guest room, there are legal definitions of bedrooms when it comes to adding a home to a real estate listing. If you have a unique room and are not sure if it legally counts as a bedroom, keep reading. You can also contact Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices at (310) 373-0021 for professional assistance.
There Are Stringent Requirements in California
Some states have few rules at all – you can call a room a bedroom if it has a window and a closet. In California, there are quite a few more requirements that a room must meet in order to be legally considered a bedroom. They include:
- It must have a closet, indention, alcove, or wing wall, which creates an area that is at least one foot in depth
- The minimum size is 70 square feet and no dimension can be less than seven feet
- There must be a natural light source that covers at least 8% of the floor area
- There must be natural ventilation with an opening that is at least 4% of the floor area
- It must have at least a window or door that opens to the outside for rescue or escape purchases
- The ceiling must be at least 7’6”
- Heating must be provided to keep the room at 68F three feet above the floor
- A smoke detector must be installed
- Outlets must be installed every 12 feet along a wall line, must be installed within six feet of a break in the wall, and any wall space of two feet or more requires an outlet
- An arc-fault circuit interrupter is required on all electrical outlets
- One wall switch must control the light fixture
- There can be no gas appliances in a bedroom (except specific types of direct vent units)
- There cannot be a room or opening directly into the garage
As you can see, this is quite a few requirements a room must meet in order to be described as a bedroom. Your real estate broker or agent can help you determine if a room in question will qualify as a room or not.
What to Do if a Room Does Not Qualify as a Bedroom
Just because a room you use as a bedroom does not technically qualify does not mean that you are out of options. You can stage it as a home office, a game room, a home theater, or any number of other fun functions. If you need more ideas on how to position your home, contact Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices at (310) 373-0021 for help.