What Are The Requirements For A Room
To Be Considered A Bedroom?

Dear Phyllis,
My son has an accepted offer on a condo. He went to a busy open house; there were other offers, and he felt pressured into making a strong offer. The unit was advertised as three bedrooms, but when he was provided with the seller’s disclosures, it was disclosed that tax records noted that it is just two bedrooms. The square footage seems to be accurate. I don’t know if this really matters, and I thought I would check with our local real estate expert. Can you advise what are the requirements
for a room to be considered a bedroom? Thanks for your input.
Mom

Dear Mom,
Bedrooms and bathrooms are some of a home’s most important selling features. Sellers can typically sell for a higher price the more bedrooms a home has. To be considered a bedroom, certain legal requirements must be met. I am not a city planner, but this is my understanding:

• Minimum size: From what I understand, the room must measure at least seventy square feet. It must also measure at least seven feet in any
horizontal direction.
• Two exits: There must be two ways out of a bedroom. Traditionally, there would be a door and a window. The window opening must be a minimum size of at least 5.7 square feet.
• Closet: The room must have a closet. The tax assessor is sometimes wrong. So, if the above criteria are met, it seems that it really qualifies as a third bedroom, and the assessor is simply incorrect. I suggest your son check with his mortgage lender and ask what impact this has on the current value.

These tax records could impact future value when he sells. If your son moves forward, he should contact the Los Angeles County Tax Assessor to request that the data be reviewed and updated.

Best of luck to you both.
Phyllis