02/01/2025
Does a room need a closet to be a bedroom?
Have you asked yourself, “Does a bedroom have to have a closet?” Well, according to legal bedroom requirements, a bedroom does not need a closet (or a walk-in) to be considered official (forget the en suite bathroom). Your significant other might disagree, but legally, at least in most states, it does not.
What Is the Definition of a Bedroom? Make Sure You Know the Legal Bedroom Requirements
By Cathie Ericson (Realtor.com)
Feb 14, 2023
Welcome to the nuances of real estate speak, where not everything is as it seems. You can’t simply place a bed in any size average space and call it a master bedroom.
There are, in fact, a number of legal bedroom requirements—and both home buyers and sellers had best know them to avoid misunderstandings related to size and square footage. So what makes a bedroom a bedroom?
Six legal bedroom requirements
Legal bedroom requirements vary by state, but here are six ways you can tell if your room is a bedroom rather than just an average “room”:
1. Minimum bedroom size: Yup—size and the number of square feet you have matter and not only because you want to fit in a bed, nightstand, and other furniture. This is the top issue, says Shaun Anders of Douglas Elliman. Although sizes can vary from state to state, 70 to 80 square feet in size is generally the acceptable minimum. “Sellers in urban markets such as New York City and Chicago would love rooms of 5 by 7 square feet to qualify as a bedroom, but no go,” says Anders.
2. Minimum horizontal footage: The minimum square footage doesn’t tell the whole tale. A bedroom must also measure at least 7 feet in any horizontal direction. That is why you can’t call a 10-foot hallway a bedroom (you’d never fit a bed, mattress, dresser, or other furniture)!
3. Two means of egress: There have to be two ways out of a bedroom. Traditionally, these would be a door and a window. Ekroth adds that, in most markets, a skylight would also qualify as that means of egress. You’ll have to leap from your bed to this upper exit, but that’s another discussion.
4. Minimum ceiling height: There are more size dimensions to worry about here: At least half of the bedroom ceiling has to be at least 7 feet tall. So you can put a bed in a loft area with less than a 7-foot ceiling if the other section has a higher clearance.
5. Minimum window size: The window opening must be a minimum size, usually 5.7 square feet.
6. A heating and cooling element: Your “master bedroom” needs these amenities, including a heater (a space heater won’t qualify) as well as a way to cool it down, whether that’s by opening a window or good old AC.
If you’re still not sure what makes a bedroom a bedroom, I am available, so let’s talk before putting your home on the market.
