What Qualifies as a Legal Bedroom in NYC?

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What qualifies as a legal bedroom in New York City? We will demystify this topic in the following video, I'm Nick at Hauseit. Visit our website https://www.hauseit.com to save money when buying or selling real estate here in New York City, so let's get started.

For a bedroom to be considered legal in New York City, it must satisfy the following requirements: be a minimum of 80 square feet, have a minimum width of 8 feet in any dimension, have a minimum ceiling height of 8 feet, have at least one window measuring no less than 12 square feet. In addition, there cannot be a need to pass through any other bedroom to access the bedroom. It must have two means of egress including a window and a door that can be opened from the inside.

There are a few exceptions to these requirements which include the following: if the apartment has 3 or more bedrooms, 1/2 of the bedrooms may have a minimum dimension of 7 feet. If the bedroom is in a basement or on the top floor of a converted dwelling such as a brownstone with multiple units, it must have a minimum ceiling height of 7 feet. If the bedroom has a sloped ceiling, there must be a clear ceiling height of 7 feet over at least 1/3 of the room.

The window cannot be a lot line window. The window must open onto a street, yard or court on the same lot. You should also know that a bedroom in New York City is not required to have a closet for it to be considered a legal bedroom. The rules and regulations concerning legal bedrooms in New York City are located in the New York State multiple dwelling law as well as the New York City Administrative Code.

Is a non-windowed bedroom legal in New York City? Well, a windowless bedroom is not considered to be a legal bedroom in New York City. This is a commonly asked question for buyers who are considering loft apartments. Many floors through loft units in New York City have large square footage but very few windows. Now, just because there is ample space to modify the floor plan and add rooms does not mean that you will be able to create legal bedrooms. If you are buying a loft or a lofted apartment, you should leverage the expertise of your buyer's agent and the state attorney to have them confirm the current legal configuration of the apartment you are interested in purchasing.

Does a bedroom in New York City need a closet to be considered legal? No, contrary to what you may have heard, bedrooms in New York City are not legally required to have a closet. However, you should be mindful of whether or not bedrooms and the apartment altogether have sufficient closet space. Having poor closet space can make your life difficult while you live there and make it more difficult for you to sell in the future. If you are considering an apartment with poor closet space, ask yourself the following questions. Does the current floor plan offer an easy way to add more closets? If it's not possible to add closet space, does the building have storage? If so, is there a waitlist and how much does the storage cost?

We hope you found this video helpful, I'm Nick at Hauseit, visit our website https://www.hauseit.com to learn about ways to save money when buying and selling real estate here in New York City and if you like this video do us a favor hit like, subscribe, leave us a comment and we hope to see you on the next one!

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