A bedroom does not need to have a closet to be called a bedroom. There are a lot of other ways to determine if space is just an extra room or a bedroom. Having a closet is not a requirement for a bedroom.
The push for more bedrooms
When valuing a home the most sought-after features are bedrooms and bathrooms. The more of these you have the more expensive the house will be. This causes people to try and squeeze an extra room wherever they can.
The New Silver says, “an extra bedroom can add between $30,000 to $50,000 to the potential resale value of a house, depending on the location and existing property value. it is also possible to increase a home’s value by increasing the size of the master bedroom.“
They then followed this with a very important statement…
“The only catch is that you should try to avoid adding tiny bedrooms that may be undesirable for both adults and children. In other words, there must be adequate space for each room addition.”
This is important because not every room can be called a bedroom. Bedrooms must have certain qualifications.
What qualifies to be a bedroom?
Here is a short list of qualifications that I use to determine a bedroom.
Must have two exits:
This can be the door to the room and a window. If a room has a door that shuts it off from the rest of the house and a window then it could be used as a bedroom.
Must conform to safety codes:
It must have a smoke alarm, be equipped with an ACFI, be of the minimum square feet for an occupant, have the proper ceiling height, and adequate ventilation. A legitimate bedroom meets all safety codes.
In summary, non-conforming bedrooms are rooms that unlawfully serve as bedrooms, as the occupants would lack an easy escape in case of an emergency.
Why use a non-conforming room as a bedroom?
To earn extra money as a landlord. The more renters you can fit into your house the more money you can ask for rent. Landlords will profit by renting out rooms that are not legally bedrooms.
To increase the value of the home. As we talked about earlier, each bedroom can add between $30,000 to $50,000 to the potential resale value of a house.
Lack of knowledge of code requirements. It is easy to assume a room with four walls can be a bedroom. But to actually list it as an extra bedroom when trying to sell your home can be an issue.
Does the FHA require a bedroom to have a closet?
From an Appraisal standpoint, FHA does not have requirements for bedrooms. That being said, If the bedroom meets the lender’s guidelines for a bedroom then it will be valued as a bedroom.
