What are the requirements for a room to be classed as a Bedroom?

[fullylucky]

What are the requirements for a room to be classed as a Bedroom?

Other than it has to have at least 2.4m ceiling height as the lowest part of the house.

Are there any other requirements like how many windows?

If no windows can it have a ceiling fan?

UPDATE: So far users have responded and confirmed the following requirements:

Minimum ceiling height for a habitable room is 2.4m.

Might need an exhaust / extraction fan.


min light and ventilation opening is 7.5% of floor space. you may be able to "borrow" that from another room, but would need to be directly borrowed.

Crossflow ventilation needs to be proved for energy efficiency.

BCA) refers to "habitable" rooms. For a habitable room the height must be 2.4 metres, and there needs to be natural light. 10% of the room size for a window or 3% for a skylight. So if the room was 12sqm, then there would either need to be a window that is 1.2m, or a skylight that is 0.36sqm.

If you've added a room onto another room, like a sun room, you may not have a window facing outside. As long as the room you attached it to, have a window you can use the natural light from there.

 

[Tano]

If the council (other gov body) would even allow it then i think it will need an exhaust / extraction fan

 

[fullylucky]

If the council (other gov body) would even allow it then i think it will need an exhaust / extraction fan

if a room didn't have ANY windows and just 1 door and it did have an exhaust / extraction fan straight through the ceiling to the roof...

then is it automatically classed as a bedroom? like it can be counted as a bedroom or would you need to actively go and organise and tell city council about it so they can approve it for it to be counted as a bedroom?

are there any more requirements?

 

[Mr. Fabulous]

I'll hazard a guess that it probably needs a bed.

 

[Aaron Sice]

some state regs have minimum areas left over from the old BCA, so check that out.

min ceiling height for a habitable room is 2.4m.

min light and ventilation opening is 7.5% of floor space. you may be able to "borrow" that from another room, but would need to be directly borrowed.

crossflow ventilation needs to be proved for energy efficiency.

a wall of internal windows might work, louvered at the top, obscured.....?

 

[Tigerboy]

What are the requirements for a room to be classed as a Bedroom?

Other than it has to have at least 2.4m ceiling height as the lowest part of the house.

Are there any other requirements like how many windows?

If no windows can it have a ceiling fan?

How are you you creating this extra room? It could change what you need. In general the requirements are below.

It doesn't really matter if it's a bedroom or living room, the Ncc (ie BCA) refers to "habitable" rooms. For a habitable room the height must be 2.4 metres, and there needs to be natural light. 10% of the room size for a window or 3% for a skylight. So if the room was 12sqm, then there would either need to be a window that is 1.2m, or a skylight that is 0.36sqm.

If you've added a room onto another room, like a sun room, you may not have a window facing outside. As long as the room you attached it to, have a window you can use the natural light from there.

There is no need for an exhaust fan.

 

[fullylucky]

How are you you creating this extra room? It could change what you need. In general the requirements are below.

It doesn't really matter if it's a bedroom or living room, the Ncc (ie BCA) refers to "habitable" rooms. For a habitable room the height must be 2.4 metres, and there needs to be natural light. 10% of the room size for a window or 3% for a skylight. So if the room was 12sqm, then there would either need to be a window that is 1.2m, or a skylight that is 0.36sqm.

If you've added a room onto another room, like a sun room, you may not have a window facing outside. As long as the room you attached it to, have a window you can use the natural light from there.

There is no need for an exhaust fan.

Thanks for the reply!!

Just wondering some people are saying 7% some are saying 10% or 3% for skylight.

For Brisbane what is it? Where can I see the list of requirements? is there a PDF or website I can check?

The room use to be a bedroom but since the previous owner converted the veranda into an enclosed veranda it got approved but the new floor plans has the room once "Bedroom" now as "Stor" I assume it means storage room. The access to the veranda is via a large glass sliding door (like hotels/appartments). There is some space between the sliding door and the all surround 180 degrees 100% windows enclosed veranda.

What should I do to make it back into a room? What would be my cheapest/best option? to make the room habitable as well as for it to be counted as a bedroom?

Install skylight? Install exhaust fans/extraction fans? or a combination of both. The room is a standard Brisbane room in size.

 

[wylie]

Why not call a private certifier and ask?

Also, are you wanting this window enclosed sunroom to be a bedroom, or wanting to return it back to a sunroom?

If it will be a bedroom, does that mean someone must walk through another bedroom to get to it? That is a bit useless.

 

[devank]

Can a skylight really replace a window? I thought ventilation is the major factor behind the windows requirement.

 

[fullylucky]

Why not call a private certifier and ask?

Also, are you wanting this window enclosed sunroom to be a bedroom, or wanting to return it back to a sunroom?

If it will be a bedroom, does that mean someone must walk through another bedroom to get to it? That is a bit useless.

I'm not trying to make the veranda into a bedroom... just the storage room back into a bedroom.

I'll draw a picture and post it... hold on.

(This is all upstairs floor layout). like the stairs are coming up from ground floor.)


Sorry for the bad drawing but you can see the storage room that was once a bedroom and the enclosed veranda now.

Also I suck at drawing so the rooms on the left are bigger and there is another bedroom near the bathroom but I can't be bothered to draw it in. It shouldn't affect the storage room but the other bedroom at the bottom is like that so maybe that affects "cross flow"? (it is drawn accurately).

So what do you think?

 

[devank]

Is this (see attached) a possibility? It may cost more but much better design in my opinion.

 

[fullylucky]

Is this (see attached) a possibility? It may cost more but much better design in my opinion.

you can't just simply move bathrooms around...

there is already another bedroom next to the bathroom that i failed to draw in. I suck at drawing

 

[Angel]

From my experience the sliding glass door out onto the verandah would double as a window. I don't know Brisbane building standards (I live in Moreton), but I have certainly seen this work.

I like Devank's idea to turn the bathroom into a larger room by removing the wall adjoining the small hall. Seems like a waste of space unless you need it to get into the other bedroom.

Would you like to have another go at drawing the floorplan so we can play with more ideas for you?

You don't suck at drawing, it looks pretty readable to me.

 

[fullylucky]

From my experience the sliding glass door out onto the verandah would double as a window. I don't know Brisbane building standards (I live in Moreton), but I have certainly seen this work.

I like Devank's idea to turn the bathroom into a larger room by removing the wall adjoining the small hall. Seems like a waste of space unless you need it to get into the other bedroom.

Would you like to have another go at drawing the floorplan so we can play with more ideas for you?

You don't suck at drawing, it looks pretty readable to me.

Attempt No. 2 at drawing:

I haven’t bought the house yet since it is still 1 day from unconditional…

This is just going off my memory. I know I got the bottom right of the floor plan wrong somehow. coz I think the separate toilet was next to the bathroom.

All I want is to confirm is that the storage room is salvageable and definitely can be changed back into a bedroom and be counted as a bedroom? How much will it cost? At most $1000?

 

[Angel]

Thank you for the second drawing. It is very well done.
The floor plan looks fine to me as is. But like I said, I am no expert on current Brisbane Council regulations. Please call a Building Certifier and ask them.

 

[wylie]

Many queenslanders have "internal" bedrooms that once opened to an open verandah. When these verandas were enclosed with windows the bedrooms often"lose" a french door or window to the outside but are still able to be called a bedroom AFAIK.

 

[Perp]

You can use the room as a bedroom without there being any special requirements.

If, however, the room doesn't meet the Building Code of Australia (BCA) requirements for a "habitable room", then you can't market it as anything but storage/utility, and can't count it in the bedroom or living room (etc.) count when describing the dwelling for sale or rent.

As the name suggests, the BCA is uniform across the whole country, so it's not state- or Council-specific (though they may have additional requirements). The BCA has a range of performance requirements for prevention of water ingress, ventilation, light, protection from extremes of temperature, etc.

Just wondering some people are saying 7% some are saying 10% or 3% for skylight.

For Brisbane what is it? Where can I see the list of requirements? is there a PDF or website I can check?

It's a performance requirement, with solutions that are "deemed to satisfy" the performance requirement, but it's not that hard and fast. If you were under a large roof overhang, for example, you may require a larger window; it's all about meeting the performance requirement, i.e. the result, not how you get it.

You can view the BCA at most Councils. The Australian Building Codes Board lists places where it's available to the public on their website.

As others have highlighted, this is the bread and butter of private certifiers, and probably if you ring a local certifier they'll be happy to give you some advice if they think you'll pay them for your certification when done.

Can a skylight really replace a window? I thought ventilation is the major factor behind the windows requirement.

You can get ventilated skylights. I have had a ventilated skylight accepted as an alternative solution to the ventilation requirement.

 

[Sheryn]

Is there a built in cupboard?

My REA said if room big enough to put a bed in it and the room had a built in cupboard then a bedroom and display as such. If no built in cupboard then study, nursery or computer nook etc.


Sheryn

 

[Perp]

My REA said if room big enough to put a bed in it and the room had a built in cupboard then a bedroom and display as such. If no built in cupboard then study, nursery or computer nook etc.

I hope his other advice is better than this.

 

[westminster]

Note also that when it comes to Valuation the storeroom/bedroom will not be counted as a bedroom until it meets BCA and you might fail to meet valuation as your dwelling will be compared against 3 bedroom properties.