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Florida Bedroom closet requirement (year needed)

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Djea3

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I have a friend who is selling a house. It was built in the 50's in Hillsborough County.

A home inspector has rejected a bedroom because it has no closet, stating it does not meet the code. I was a real estate agent in the early 2000's and no closet was required and none is required under FHA even today. Apparently, there has been a change in the codes and closets are now required.

Does anyone have the date of the change to this requirement available? All my research gives me a bunch of yahoo real estate agents that know nothing and keep repeating BS.

Thanks
 
#6 ·
TxElectrician said:
Home inspectors have 0% authority
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True, but they can still cast shadows of doubt on a prospective purchase. I've actually made out on work due to their reports, but by and large it's been stuff that wasn't strictly necessary for a home to be livable. For a friend or relative, I'd highly recommend they get the opinion of an experienced and reputable contractor instead.
 
#7 ·
Pounder said:
As far as I know that has always been in the code. 100 sf and a closet are the requirements for a bedroom.
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Actually ... according to the 2018 IRC the minimum size is 70 sf and a closet is not required. I hope you can prove me wrong by pasting a clip that shows otherwise.
 
#9 ·
I don’t believe code requires a closet for a room to be a bedroom. A bedroom must meet a minimum square footage, and egress requirements.

I believe the closet thing is something that they claim because miss information has been passed from person to person that the bedroom requires a closet.

I bet when press they couldn’t produce a code or official document that states a closet is required.
 
#10 ·
SouthonBeach said:
I don’t believe code requires a closet for a room to be a bedroom. A bedroom must meet a minimum square footage, and egress requirements.

I believe the closet thing is something that they claim because miss information has been passed from person to person that the bedroom requires a closet.

I bet when press they couldn’t produce a code or official document that states a closet is required.
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But also remember it would have to have ben required when the house was built, and not now. Many times these inspectors go haywire when something does not meet todays code and the house is 50 years old. I see it all the time when they say more outlets are needed in the kitchen for example.
 
#11 ·
IRC and IBC have nothing to say about it. Individual states and AHJs are the ones putting in the requirement.

Up here, not required by the state, but included in some town's ordinances. Florida is probably the same. Looks like no state level requirements there, so it would be local only.
 
Discussion starter · #13 ·
I know that FNMA has no requirement and no fed or national code requirement for a closet and no lender or insurance requirement at all. All the realtor sites and realtor training sites in FL are saying a closet is required. I did find it in some state document, I believe it was in an unusual place not related to general construction but it did define a BR as having a closet. However, when I had my RE license in 2008ish there was NO such requirement.
So, YES, I believe that there is in FL now, however I need the date that was changed in order to proceed with t
Pounder said:
As far as I know that has always been in the code. 100 sf and a closet are the requirements for a bedroom.
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Not sure where you live but I have never seen a 100 sq ft. It is usually like 70 if designed for one occupant and 120 if designed for 2 occupants, and these are newer codes not older ones. Either way only SOME States or juris have a closet requirement. Originally home were taxed by the NUMBER of ROOMS. A closet was counted as a room. Therefore, people did NOT want closets. When taxation changed this began to change.
 
Discussion starter · #14 ·
480sparky said:
Bingo. Any "violation" they 'find' merely becomes a negotiation point.
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However, when the inspector states a REQUIREMENT exists currently, and failed to point out that it was never a requirement of the property itself (by grandfather) then they are actually interfering with a contract unlawfully and can be sued.
Think of it this way: If they call out a required bedroom closet because 2021 FL BC calls it out, then they MUST call out the minimum elevation above flood plane requirement, the hurricane clip requirement, the foundation strapping requirement etc. In other words they need to tell EVERY difference or none or it is willful interference in a contract. It is ALL beyond the scope of his trade and license to begin with.
 
#17 ·
Djea3 said:
However, when the inspector states a REQUIREMENT exists currently, and failed to point out that it was never a requirement of the property itself (by grandfather) then they are actually interfering with a contract unlawfully and can be sued.
Think of it this way: If they call out a required bedroom closet because 2021 FL BC calls it out, then they MUST call out the minimum elevation above flood plane requirement, the hurricane clip requirement, the foundation strapping requirement etc. In other words they need to tell EVERY difference or none or it is willful interference in a contract. It is ALL beyond the scope of his trade and license to begin with.
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It's still a negotiation point. The HI has no enforcement authority.
 
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#18 ·
Not only that, it's my understanding that HI's are specifically trained NOT to cite code violations as such, since they have no training or certification in code interpretation. They can say something MAY be a violation, but are never supposed to say outright that it IS.

Rather telling that the HI contract almost always refers to the inspection report as opinion.
 
#19 ·
SouthonBeach said:
I don’t believe code requires a closet for a room to be a bedroom. A bedroom must meet a minimum square footage, and egress requirements.

I believe the closet thing is something that they claim because miss information has been passed from person to person that the bedroom requires a closet.

I bet when press they couldn’t produce a code or official document that states a closet is required.
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The county health department will call a bedroom a bedroom even without a closet if they can make you build a bigger septic.
 
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