From ChatGPT
New Jersey follows the
International Residential Code (IRC) with state amendments under the
NJ Uniform Construction Code (UCC). Under these rules, a legal bedroom must have:
- Emergency egress
- Either:
- A code-compliant egress window, or
- An exterior door leading directly outside
- Interior doors or hallways do not count for egress.
- Minimum egress window standards (if it’s a window)
- Minimum net clear opening: 5.7 sq ft (5.0 sq ft if at grade)
- Minimum opening height: 24 inches
- Minimum opening width: 20 inches
- Window sill no higher than 44 inches from the floor
- If below grade → must have a window well meeting clearance rules
- Light & ventilation
- Usually satisfied by the same window used for egress
So if there’s no window at all, that room cannot be labeled or permitted as a bedroom in NJ.
Not questioning your assertions, but there may be more to the story. For example,
1) Montana requires adherence to a specific, mandatory statewide building code based on the 2021 International Code Council (ICC) standards, effective as of June 2022. While the state mandates these codes for most commercial and large residential projects, enforcement can be handled by local jurisdictions (cities/counties) or the state.
2)
Exemptions: State building codes generally do not apply to residential structures with fewer than five dwelling units, farm/ranch buildings, or private garages, unless local jurisdictions adopt them.
3) Existing buildings in Montana that do not meet current building codes are generally permitted to remain as "
legal, nonconforming" structures, allowing continued use, provided they do not become less safe. However, renovations, repairs, or changes in occupancy may trigger requirements to bring specific areas into compliance with modern codes.
The last time I worried much about building codes was in about 1993. I was appraising a low-quality cabin on a 20-acre tract out in the hills (FHA loan). The property was greatly overpriced and sat on the market for many months before they found a buyer (from somewhere on the East Coast) who thought the price was great (based on her local market). There were a couple of bedrooms with windows, but none met code requirements for egress (bottom was further from the floor than maximum allowed), and the wood stove was adjacent to the only door into, or out of, the dwelling. I dug deep and got to the part about enforcement being handled by local jurisdictions. Further digging revealed the intent of that was that only incorporated communities had that authority (and then, many small communities were not incorporated...that has been corrected as the money pipelines from the public trough mostly require incorporation), and that still does not apply to that rural property. I explained all that in the report, but didn't adjust for any of it, and for my troubles, got nasty messages from the buyer over not rubberstamping the contract.
Not having appraised in areas where the Gestapo rules, I don't know how everyone else's systems work. Here, if you are found building without a permit (in those few areas that require it) the penalty is to purchase the required permits (or they can shut the project down). If you finish before they find you have no permit, they might wag their finger at you, but there is no penalty or enduring stain on the property. All that to say, what matters in one place may not matter at all in another.
