Loft Bedroom?

[The Scholar]

Consider an A-frame style house which has an open loft that is used as a bedroom. Is there anything which states that a bedroom must be fully enclosed and that the loft can't be counted as a bedroom if the market reaction to the loft is that it is a bedroom?

 

[Mark K]

Open lofts preclude privacy required to be called a bedroom.

 

[J Grant]

Consider an A-frame style house which has an open loft that is used as a bedroom. Is there anything which states that a bedroom must be fully enclosed and that the loft can't be counted as a bedroom if the market reaction to the loft is that it is a bedroom?

People can use it for a bedroom but that does not make it a bedroom,. there is no wall and door for privacy.

Common sense peer practice, ANSI, research the definitions of a bedroom

if you really see buyers paying as much for an A frame loft area as a full bedroom area, then the market reaction is price per sf, but that loft still is not a bedroom.

 

[Surf Cat]

Mark K beat me to it. Aside from having the typical, required Ingress, egress for safety reasons..... with no closing door for privacy, it won't meet the minimum standards.

 

[The Scholar]

Open lofts preclude privacy required to be called a bedroom.

I would think that the market reaction to the loft as a bedroom needs to be taken into consideration. What if the loft is the only bedroom? Is there anything which specifically states that a bedroom must be a fully enclosed room?

 

[J Grant]

I would think that the market reaction to the loft as a bedroom needs to be taken into consideration. What if the loft is the only bedroom? Is there anything which specifically states that a bedroom must be a fully enclosed room?

The market relative to it is taken "to the loft as a bedroom " is taken into consideration in the valuation portion

Which still does not make an open loft into a bedroom, which needs walls and a door and a window.

Most buyers re not stupid and do not react to it as they do a bedroom. They might pay the same for it in certain properties because it has utility they can use as a bedroom, but they know it is a loft.

 

[The Scholar]

The market relative to it is taken "to the loft as a bedroom " is taken into consideration in the valuation portion

Which still does not make an open loft into a bedroom, which needs walls and a door and a window.

Most buyers re not stupid and do not react to it as they do a bedroom. They might pay the same for it in certain properties because it has utility they can use as a bedroom, but they know it is a loft.

If you're considering the utility of the loft to be a bedroom, then essentially you're stating that it's a bedroom.

 

[Surf Cat]

If you're considering the utility of the loft to be a bedroom, then essentially you're stating that it's a bedroom.

The opinions here are pretty clear. But it's your report. Call it a bedroom and turn it in....

 

[J Grant]

If you're considering the utility of the loft to be a bedroom, then essentially you're stating that it's a bedroom.

Oh boy. Appraisers are not supposed to be misleading. Fudging facts, dancing around things. Do whatever you want, you are not listening to anybody here.

 

[TerryRohrer]

As noted, there are a lot of opinions expressed here, but the OP seems to be asking for something definitive. I often see, in similar venues, statements pertaining to "legal" bedrooms, and you can find all kinds of similar references online, none with any citation of any laws or authorities which provide any justification for "legal" adjectives. No one here has mentioned anything to that effect, either. The nearest thing I have seen to a "legal" definition of a bedroom is in the DEQ circular pertaining to septic systems in Montana. Near as I can recall, their definition is "anything that can be used as a bedroom" is a bedroom in terms of what counts against the permitted septic system, permits being based on the number of bedrooms in the dwelling. So, I generally count lofts as bedrooms. I would be very interested, though, in the sources informing those opinions above as to any legal or other standards which strongly suggest otherwise.

Edit: Easier to find than I thought: '"Bedroom" means any room that is or may be used for sleeping. An unfinished basement is considered an additional bedroom.'

https://deq.mt.gov/files/Water/PWSUB/Subdivisions/ARM17.36.Subchapter1-SubdivisionApplicationandReview.pdf