rentalblind
Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
PA
I have 3 spare bedrooms in my house, I called township and spoke to code enforcement officer. In one breath he said I couldnt rent out my rooms because I live in a single family zone. I said you mean to tell me I can't rent out a room to a friend or two and he said I could but if there were problems and someone called on me they would find out.
I did some basic research on the towns codes and want to legally do things the right way but he recommended I not request that my area be re-zoned and that it would cost 1500. I also searched craigslist and saw about 100 of my neighbors doing the same thing soooooo....
From what I gather a single family residence is defined as by "family"
From the town's code defining family
One or more persons related by blood, marriage or adoption and, in addition, any domestic servants or gratuitous guests thereof, occupying a dwelling and living as a single housekeeping unit with single culinary facilities with no more than one boarder, roomer or lodger.
I am recently divorced and can handle the house on my own but I won't be able to eat or have any fun etc..... so what's the point. I can't sell at this time either....
I guess the town is concerned with me turning the house into a boarding or rooming house but when I searched the definition of that it states:
ROOMER, BOARDER, OR LODGER
A person occupying any room or group of rooms forming a single habitable unit used or intended to be used for living and sleeping, but not for cooking or eating purposes, and paying compensation for lodging or board and lodging by prearrangement for a week or more at a time to an owner or operator. Any person occupying such a room or rooms and paying such compensation without prearrangement for less than a week at a time shall be classified for purposes of this chapter not as a roomer, boarder, or lodger but as a guest of a commercial lodging establishment (motel, hotel, tourist home).
ROOMING, BOARDING, OR LODGING HOUSE
A building or part of a building (other than an institutional building) occupied or intended to be occupied by two or more roomers, boarders, or lodgers.
My roomates will have full access to house including eating and cooking etc.. BAsed on the defintion it sounds like a roomer or boarder only has access to one room for living and sleeping. Laws are made to be interpreted broadly so how should I interpret this? thanks
PA
I have 3 spare bedrooms in my house, I called township and spoke to code enforcement officer. In one breath he said I couldnt rent out my rooms because I live in a single family zone. I said you mean to tell me I can't rent out a room to a friend or two and he said I could but if there were problems and someone called on me they would find out.
I did some basic research on the towns codes and want to legally do things the right way but he recommended I not request that my area be re-zoned and that it would cost 1500. I also searched craigslist and saw about 100 of my neighbors doing the same thing soooooo....
From what I gather a single family residence is defined as by "family"
From the town's code defining family
One or more persons related by blood, marriage or adoption and, in addition, any domestic servants or gratuitous guests thereof, occupying a dwelling and living as a single housekeeping unit with single culinary facilities with no more than one boarder, roomer or lodger.
I am recently divorced and can handle the house on my own but I won't be able to eat or have any fun etc..... so what's the point. I can't sell at this time either....
I guess the town is concerned with me turning the house into a boarding or rooming house but when I searched the definition of that it states:
ROOMER, BOARDER, OR LODGER
A person occupying any room or group of rooms forming a single habitable unit used or intended to be used for living and sleeping, but not for cooking or eating purposes, and paying compensation for lodging or board and lodging by prearrangement for a week or more at a time to an owner or operator. Any person occupying such a room or rooms and paying such compensation without prearrangement for less than a week at a time shall be classified for purposes of this chapter not as a roomer, boarder, or lodger but as a guest of a commercial lodging establishment (motel, hotel, tourist home).
ROOMING, BOARDING, OR LODGING HOUSE
A building or part of a building (other than an institutional building) occupied or intended to be occupied by two or more roomers, boarders, or lodgers.
My roomates will have full access to house including eating and cooking etc.. BAsed on the defintion it sounds like a roomer or boarder only has access to one room for living and sleeping. Laws are made to be interpreted broadly so how should I interpret this? thanks
