450.3.2 Resident Rooms

In new construction and additions, the maximum room capacity of each resident room shall be two persons. In double occupancy resident rooms, sleeping areas shall be separated from each other by a wall or partition to increase acoustic and visual privacy. Each person lying in bed shall have direct visual access to an exterior window at all times. Either doors or cubicle curtains to these individual resident sleeping areas shall be provided.

Each resident room shall have a minimum of 100 square feet (9.29 m²) of clear floor area per bed in a double occupancy resident room and 120 square feet (11.15 m²) of clear floor area in a single occupancy resident room, exclusive of the space consumed by the toilet room, closet(s), wardrobe(s), lavatory(ies), alcove(s), and either the space for the door swing(s) into the room or the space for entrance vestibule, whichever is greater. For the purpose of determining the minimum clear floor area, the entrance vestibule is defined as that floor area located between the room entrance door and the room floor area containing the resident bed(s).

Where renovation work is undertaken that alters the room configuration, every effort shall be made to meet these minimum space standards. When this is not possible due to existing physical conditions or constraints, and with the approval of the Agency, a resident room shall have no less than 80 square feet (7.43 m²) of clear floor area per bed in a double occupancy resident room and 100 square feet (9.29 m²) of clear floor area in a single occupancy resident room.

The design for privacy shall not restrict resident access at any time to the room entrance, resident armchair, toilet or bathroom, wardrobe, exterior window or closet.

Each new resident room, and each individual resident sleeping area, as described in Section 450.3.2.1, shall have an exterior window(s) to the outside that is physically accessible to each resident at all times and visible from the resident's bed. The window shall be sized with a clear opening of 8 percent of the gross square footage of the resident sleeping room or individual resident sleeping area as described in Section 450.3.2.1. The clear opening of the resident room window width and height shall have a minimum of 20 feet (6.10 m) unobstructed vista to any permanent structure, or equipment, and 15 feet (4.57 m) unobstructed vista to any vehicular parking areas or property line measured horizontally from the plane of the window.