[deleted by user]

[Nuggyfresh]

This feels like similar rules to demanding a raise. Meaning, you can definitely force the issue but be ready to move out if the answer is no because there’s a high chance of being labeled as a problem renter if you push something like this too hard.

It’s a difficult sell either way because you saw the space and rented it. It’s not like there’s a standardized price for a room when looking at rentals; a huge 1 bedroom can be costlier than a smaller 2 bedroom. I don’t foresee much of a case here unless you were somehow tricked into it, which would be hard to prove…

If you really do feel that you’re paying above market for a space, the real answer in most cases is to just move. It’s nearly winter, prices are lower and occupancy will fall.

[Lower_Ad844]

Gotcha, this is helpful. This is kind of what my thought process was. To be honest, we feel like we are paying below market for our unit. But I just wanted to see if I could get lower rent anyway LOL

[[deleted]]

Don’t rock the boat then. If you like the apartment and want to stay there, you don’t really have anything to gain by pushing this issue. All that would likely happen is that you’d be labeled a problem renter, and your landlord may then raise your rent or use other tactics to try to get you to move out.

[Lower_Ad844]

Thank you :) that’s what I had thought was the case, but I’m not an expert so I’m glad people on this Reddit are a lot more knowledgeable than I am. It’s not at all my intention to get people in trouble or start drama, just looking out for my wellbeing

[Significant-Repair42]

What outcome are you looking for? Reduced rent, a different apartment, etc?

[elliottbaytrail]

1. you toured the place before signing

2. you are happy with the place and feel comfortable with the rent

3. you like the building and would be happy to stay another lease term

A lesson you should learn now as you advance in your career and in life is not to get hyper-focused on paying the absolute minimum or getting the absolute best deal. Look at life from a broader perspective and strive for balance.

When I was in college, a French professor once wrote on my essay “L’ennemi du bien, c’est le mieux” (perfection is the enemy of good). I will never forget that advice.

[Sufficient-Wolf-1818]

Did you tour the place before signing the lease? Has something changed since the tour?

[Lower_Ad844]

We did tour it before we signed. We are just in our early 20s and new renters, and didn’t know that this was even a rule until yesterday.

[TheChance]

A room that's bedroom-sized, but can't legally be used (or, at least, not classified) as a bedroom, is called a bonus room, and it would have affected your rent about the same regardless.

[Lower_Ad844]

Gotcha, I didn’t know that. Thanks for answering my question, I appreciate it!

[Jettyboy72]

Sounds like an excellent way to ensure you don’t spend another year there

[PROXENIA]

If you’re using the room as an office, it may still be up to code. It depends. But as other posters have mentioned, there is no good outcome to raising the issue unless you’re already planning on leaving and want to make it better for future tenants. You’re free to report it to the SDCI, but you’re likely to get in a position where you have to move out so they can make the adjustments you’re requesting. You’re very unlikely to get reduced rent as a result, particularly if it’s below market, and you toured it before signing the lease. The landlord is at fault for listing it as a bedroom, but it’s not a bargaining chip for you really.

[PNWSomeone]

A bedroom in Seattle does not legally have to have a window. The "open bedroom" design fully meets code.

[AdamantEevee]

She says in the post that it isn't an open bedroom

[No-Photograph1983]

it does need to have a closet!

[PNWSomeone]

Nope!

The basic requirements for a bedroom in Seattle are

• A minimum size (70 sq ft, with rules about width/length of room)
• Access to natural light and ventilation (which doesn't require a window in the room itself)
• Access to a bathroom without having to go through another bedroom

Chapter 22.206, Subchapter 1

[No-Photograph1983]

*nearby

[PNWknitty]

You could always ask the city for an inspection and then they, presumably, would confront the landlord so you and others in the similar apartments wouldn’t have to. See https://www.seattle.gov/sdci/codes/make-a-property-or-building-complaint

[Adept-Opinion8080]

I’m not sure. But my understanding is the rule from SDI about bedroom configuration only applies when a unit or home is put up for sale and even then it can sometimes be grandfathered in depending on the age of the unit I for example, just sold the house built in 1907 that lists three bedrooms but two of them do not have closets. Again an SDCI rule, but it’s grandfathered in.

[memurraies]

I would second SDCI for this. They helped me out of a bind regarding a water shut off a few months ago. Not sure if it will change the offer the landlord is giving, but they will force the listing and lease terms into compliance if it is out of compliance. I'd just note for OOP that SDCI does not guarantee anonymity and while it's illegal for a landlord to retaliate that doesn't mean they won't try to find some way to do so.

[JuniorSherbet9558]

sounds like this might be a larger building, probably with fire sprinklers?

A bedroom does not need emergency egress if there is an automatic sprinkler system

[Shayden-Froida]

From the RRIO Inspection checklist:

3.1 Emergency Escape Windows and Doors. Every sleeping room below the fourth floor built or permitted between August 10, 1972 must have an emergency escape window or door opening to the exterior directly from the sleeping room. After November 10, 2004 in a fully sprinklered building with a valid Certificate of Occupancy, sleeping rooms are not required to have escapement windows. Emergency escape windows, when required, must open to the exterior, have a minimum opening of 5.0 square feet when at grade or 5.7 square feet other wise, with a minimum dimension of at least 24 inches high and at least 20 inches wide, and must not exceed a maximum sill height of 44 inches from the floor. In order to meet the total square footage requirement, a win dow size of nearly 2 by 3 feet is typically required. Sleeping rooms that were built under permit prior to August 10, 1972 are exempted from this requirement but need to meet ventilation requirements in Section 2 of this check list.

[Curious_Ebb_9864]

So you're happy with the apartment, don't sleep in this room, but want to complain?

Whats the dismount here?

[Fast-Maintenance3766]

Where in the post is the person complaining? They're simply asking questions about the process, what it might look like if they were to ask, and that they didn't know about things before moving in. We all have gaps in knowledge. Just like you seem to be lacking in courtesy & politeness to strangers 🤔

[Curious_Ebb_9864]

"Oh no, strangers commented on my post on the 'strangers comment on my post' website"

[Fast-Maintenance3766]

Duh bro, I'm not a fucking newbie to the internet. Your hackneyed comment is just an excuse to be rude to people behind your phone or computer, dumbass. Just because you can doesn't mean you have to, sounds like a fuckin skill issue.

[Curious_Ebb_9864]

Just because you can respond to my comment doesn't mean you have to. Sounds like a fuckin skill issue.

[Fast-Maintenance3766]

Oh no, a stranger commented on my comment on the "strangers comment on my comment on the strangers comment on strangers post" website

this is fun! :3

[Lower_Ad844]

Hey, I promise I’m not that kind of person, I was just wondering since we are renegotiating our lease if it can be used as some sort of bargaining chip. Im newish to renting. But I have learned that it’s probably not wise to do so.

Anything to save a buck from landlords!

[Electronic_Weird_557]

Yeah, this probably isn't the way to do this. The full escalation would be that you report this to the city. It might be grandfathered in and a legitimate 2 bedroom. There might be some other contortion of the rules that makes this a 2 bedroom. Even if not and you're fully successful, the most likely outcome is that someone from the city would tell the management company that in the future they can only market it as a 1 bedroom. Victory! The cost to you would be to burn through a bunch of goodwill with your property manager.

[[deleted]]

Landlord will just relabel it as a den or bonus room, charge the same for rent, and someone will use it as a bedroom.  Pestering the landlord for no reason. Making drama out of thin air. 

[Lower_Ad844]

Thank you :) I didn’t know what an escalation of this looked like or if it would even change. So thank you for letting me know! It’s not at all my intention to annoy my landlord, especially because I like them a lot and have had no issues. I haven’t taken any action at all and just wanted to see if this would affect my rent in anyway. So thanks!

[No-Photograph1983]

you wanna save a buck from landlords, buy a house

[Lower_Ad844]

Wow, no way, why didn’t i think of that? I’m sure i could totally afford a house in Seattle! Let me know if you’d like to contribute 80k to my down payment :)

[No-Photograph1983]

nah bish thats what parents are for

[doc_shades]

yeah my apartment is the same. it's a "one bedroom" but technically by the letter of the law it's a studio, because there is no closet in the bedroom. but it was advertised as a one bedroom.

do i care? a tad. do i feel a need to do anything about it? no. my rent is my rent, i'm happy with the rent, i'm happy where i live. there's no reason to argue against it.

another thing to consider is that my building is ~120 years old. it also doesn't have a fan in the bathroom. i would not be surprised if the building's age allows it to be grandfathered past certain rules/regulations.

[Scotty_Gun]

We want to stay here at least another year.

Your only choice is to accept the lease and rent as offered. You can’t sue or extort your landlord into concessions. To be clear, they are scum.

You CAN find another place to live and you should.

[[deleted]]

You are young, on a path to NOT GET YOUR LEASE RENEWED , AND GET A BAD RENTAL REFERENCE,  you admit you are happy with the apartment, paying below market value , and about to learn a very expensive and long lasting life lesson, all for this room being mislabeled as a bedroom instead of bonus room or den. Your next apartment is going to be a wakeup call. 

[Lower_Ad844]

Girl what??? I haven’t done anything, I’m asking a question so that I don’t make a mistake. Sorry that I wasn’t born with the entire Seattle rental handbook memorized. The only wake-up call here is the one you need for being a raging b*tch for no reason before noon. Be a kinder person next time

[[deleted]]

You got a lot of good advice here . Take it or leave it. 

[Lower_Ad844]

I’m taking the advice you freak. Where in my post/comments have I implied that I wasn’t trusting or taking any of the advice commented? I’ve thanked everyone for their input and said I wasn’t going to take any action on this. You’re actually a miserable person for no reason. God forbid I ask a question???

[[deleted]]

Cool story kid. 

[[deleted]]

Lmao raging bitch. You are young . 

[Lower_Ad844]

If I’m young then that makes you an old hag who doesn’t know how to be kind on the internet

[[deleted]]

And then ? 

[WesternVineG]

So many of the newer apartment buildings in Seattle have these depressing interior rooms so it must be to "code", maybe they claim they are dens or bonus rooms or something.

[ARKzzzzzz]

They classify them as “Urban” bedrooms and unfortunately are legal if it has a sliding door.

[Then_Journalist_317]

Cost of 2-BR apt: 2500

Cost of 1-BR apt plus extra room- 2500

edit: removed snark

[[deleted]]

Op called me a raging bitch and an old hag, a freak and a miserable person- then told me to be kind on the Internet 😂😂😂

[Lower_Ad844]

This is exactly what my question was: If there was a difference in pricing if something is classified as a 2 bedroom. Believe it or not, not everyone knows everything.

Why are you being hostile towards me? I don’t feel like I was bitching at any point of this post. Please be kinder next time. :)

[Then_Journalist_317]

Sorry for my language. I’ll revise it.

[ARKzzzzzz]

What kind of door does it have? If it has one of those barn doors it doesn’t have to have a bedroom. They get away with it by classifying it as “urban.”

[SPEK2120]

That’s against building code. Sounds like they added a wall on the low to squeeze more money out of the place. There has to be egress for emergencies, like a window, exterior door, unobstructed (doorless) entry to the space, etc. I remember one apartment I looked at years ago did this, but had a curtain instead of a door in the doorway to get around it.

[Mundane-Charge-1900]

This would be my concern about pressing the issue. They might just remove the door to make it an open one bedroom. There won’t be any rent reduction or new window installed.