According to HUD recommendations:

* All bedrooms with one person should have at least 70 square feet.

* Shared bedrooms must have at least 50 square feet per person (total 100 square feet.)

* Living area for 2 people must be at least 120 square feet.

* Kitchens and other non-habitable rooms cannot be used as a bedroom or counted towards bedroom size.

Studios are not mentioned ANYWHERE that I can find, except by Pinterest people extolling the virtues of cramming 3 kids, 2 dogs and 2 parents in a tiny home...

Reason I'm running this up there is I'm getting desperate people wanting our tiny studios for single moms with kids, teenagers, couples...I can limit occupancy I know and it's right in my ad ONE PERSON ONLY (I can limit PEOPLE but not ages) but I want my numbers right.

The living/sleeping area in our largest studio is 143 square feet, after removing kitchen, hall, closets and bathroom.

HUD also says to take into account age of children. Infant might not count at all, teenagers do. etc.

Also layout and configuration: top floor with steep stairwell maybe not so great for small children. They leave this for ME to decide?

"I can limit occupancy I know and it's right in my ad ONE PERSON ONLY (I can limit PEOPLE but not ages) but I want my numbers right."

Well if you're so worried about it why are you mentioning it in a public rental ad where you can easily get busted for it? Just deal with this in your pre-screening and if the group of people is too large do not respond anymore. Simple.

W,

Hmmm... I wonder if you can legally state ONE PERSON OCCUPANCY ONLY.

I was taught that each unit can have it’s own criteria as long as it’s in writing, on file in your office, and used consistently for that unit. Example: I have a triplex with large bedroom in one unit and a small bedroom in another unit.

Not sure that limiting the number of persons in advance would be discriminatory unless you are blocking certain people like families.

Having other units that CAN take more persons would help prove your are not discriminating.

I’d inquire at my local Fair Housing office.

I also like to have as much info as possible in the ad to save MY time from lookers that don’t qualify.

I’d claim half the room for “living, dining, cooking, media, knitting...” and only half for bedroom, 70 sf.

Will you take 2 persons in a studio?

I remember your occupancy is also limited by septic systems.

I know you know the tips like swapping out the locking knob on a room so it no longer qualifies as a bedroom.

BRAD

No I will not take 2 people in our studios, never have. They do not have doors at all except to the outside and bathroom. No private spaces. They are the size of small hotel rooms to begin with. Add kitchen area and full bath and the living/sleeping area is only large enough for a bed, a chair, a tv, dinette maybe. People do get creative. But a couple, no matter how much in love, would end up killing each other living there. And would never stop looking for a larger place. We'd just be a place to stay while they looked. Singletons stay, they like their tiny places and they like having their dogs and cats with them.

It's easy to prove we take families in any of our larger spaces, because there are always families living in some of them. Even in our one bedroom cottages: we limit total number of persons, as allowed by health department rules, but not ages. So we've had/have single moms and dads in those.

It looks to me like with HUD standards, you have room for two tenants in that studio.

my small bungalows were best suited for one person. Most times, I had two. I never accepted them but I had families of 3, 4, once even 5 that wanted them. When two would be moving in, I'd always say like you did about the doors. "No doors to slam here when you don't want to look at each other and a good door slam every so often is good for a relationship". They'd smile and be happy.

That's what HUD says, "It depends." Depends on size, layout, age of occupants, etc.

"Occupancy limits apply" works for me!