So we're starting to look at houses, and this place has three bedrooms - two regular bedrooms, and one that's on the smaller side and has a skylight as its only window. It didn't seem completely dark and awful to me, but I've never lived in a room with no Windows and having a child living in one sends a bit odd to me. Has anyone else seen this? Does it sound like a really bad idea, or livable?
The house does have a few other things going for it, or I wouldn't even be wondering...
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
My sister's room was like that in the first house we lived in! I don't think we thought anything of it. Windows to me are to let in sunlight... I don't really look out of them all that much haha!
pomelo / 5129 posts
I'm not sure a skylight makes it a "legal" bedroom...I think the widow has to be accessible in case of emergency to be used as an exit.
I know people who have lived in basements and it's worked for them...so really it's a TETO thing.
pomegranate / 3113 posts
I agree with @MaryM, I don't think that room can be marketed as a bedroom. If the owner chooses to use it as one after buying the house, that's their business -- but in any code I've ever seen, a legal bedroom must have an egress window. I'd point it out to the realtor. Keep in mind that if you buy the house and later decide to resell it, you'd likely have to market it as a 2-bedroom unless there's some exception that applies in your state/city -- that would obviously affect resale value. As far as livability, I think it just depends on whether it bothers the people living there or not!
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
I agree with the others - it doesn't sound like it's technically a bedroom. I don't think I'd feel comfortable having a child be in a bedroom that didn't have that extra escape route.
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
Chiming in to agree that if its not a window you could escape from, it's not a bedroom. I think it would make me too nervous, because I'm weirdly paranoid. Plus it would have to be sold as a two bed, not three.
pomegranate / 3127 posts
@snowjewelz: interesting! So maybe it's not do bad just for having enough light!
@MaryM: @PurplePeony: @Adira: @Foodnerd81: I've been wondering the same thing... I'm trying to figure out if there's an exception, but wading through NYC building code is getting me nowhere. In any case, it's definitely an escape concern and I'm pretty paranoid about that.
Although... our current apartment is harder to escape from in a fire than a room with no window, as I found out the hard way once - the only exit is the door, and in a bad fire smoke comes in through the stairwell and the windows. And this is still legal, maybe because the building has massively fireproof walls, as I found out from another fire two years before. Yeah... I want to live a bit closer to the ground if we move.
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
@Mama Bird: yeah. i mean i totally get the escaping part but currently i don't even know how we'd jump out our windows!
pomelo / 5129 posts
Are you looking to buy or rent?
If you're looking to buy, ask your realtor about the legality of the room. They should be able to help. and if it's not that big of a deal, and it's not a legal bedroom, they should be able to help you negotiate a price that's comparable to homes with the same number of LEGAL bedrooms.
persimmon / 1483 posts
@Mama Bird: the code in NYC is crazy. But to be a legal bedroom, you need a window, but that's not necessarily because it offers a means of egress. You're right that whether the building is fireproofed factors into how many means of egress you need.
pomegranate / 3809 posts
In MA, no window can definitely not be called a bedroom. Even basement "bedrooms" with a window cannot be called a bedroom unless the window meets a certain size requirements. I agree with PP, if you're looking to buy the place, make sure you don't pay a premium for that "bedroom"!
pomegranate / 3127 posts
@MaryM: @purplepumps: I'm looking to buy, so I'll definitely ask the realtor. Maybe he can tell me where in nyc code it says this is a bedroom, otherwise that's a good reason to make a lower offer! And if it gets to the point of an appraisal, I'll make sure the appraiser looks into this. If we do buy the place, we have a couple of backup plans that don't involve anyone sleeping there, but it still factors into the price.
@Madison43: I don't think this building is fireproof, at least not the way big apartment buildings are. It's got a wood frame that's exposed in the attic. So egress may be an issue. I've also found out that if a building was built in the 1990s it may have used an older code... not even sure if I should be researching if it's valid under the old code or the current one 
persimmon / 1483 posts
@Mama Bird: Your broker is a good place to start, but please don't rely on your their opinion. They're not required to know what constitutes a bedroom or not and they sure as hell cant interpret the Code. The difference in codes doesn't matter when figuring out whether something is a bedroom - if there's no window (and it can't be a lot line window) it's not a bedroom.
pomegranate / 3127 posts
@Madison43: thanks!!! I'm not too hopeful the broker will know the difference, but I think he's also in construction so it's possible...
pomelo / 5129 posts
Even if the realtor doesn't know personally, most likely he works regularly with inspectors who would know the code and he could ask them.
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