Subject: Definition of Bedroom
Effective Date: 5/09 (Revised 1/14, 10/17)
Interpretation: Planning Code Sections 207.6 and 207.7 require a minimum percentage of two- or three- bedroom units in certain new developments. In order to implement these requirements, it is necessary to define a “bedroom.” Section 102 defines a bedroom as “a ‘sleeping room’, as defined in the Building Code.” However, the Building Code does not contain a single definition of “sleeping room.” Rather, it - along with the Housing Code - contains several varied definitions, many of which relate to technical issues traditionally dealt with by the Department of Building Inspection (DBI). Therefore, a bedroom shall be defined as any room that meets all of the criteria for a bedroom or sleeping room in the Building and Housing Codes, except that for the purposes of the Planning Code a bedroom must be fully enclosed from floor to ceiling, and any room using a wall less than full ceiling height (i.e. a “pony wall”) to separate it from other rooms shall not be considered a bedroom.