The key characteristic of Group R-1 occupancies that
differentiates it from other Group R occupancies is that
the occupants are considered transient in nature (i.e.,
those whose length of stay is not more than 30 days).
There is an expectation that the occupants are not as
familiar with the building as those residents in nontransient
facilities such as apartment buildings (Group R-2)
and single-family dwellings (Group R-3). If occupants
are unfamiliar with their surroundings, they may not recognize
potential hazards or be able to use the means of
egress effectively.
The most common building types classified in Group
R-1 are hotels and motels. Facilities classified as Group
R-1 occupancies may include dwelling units, sleeping
units or a combination of both. A standard guestroom,
with its associated bathroom, is considered a sleeping
unit. Some hotels offer a style of rooms that can include
spaces similar to a living room and kitchenette. When a
unit is not equipped with a kitchen with full cooking facilities
(i.e., range), it does not meet the definition of a
“dwelling unit” in Section 202. Where this occurs, such
units are treated as sleeping units for the application of
code provisions (see Commentary Figure 310.2). A
recent trend in development is the construction of
“extended-stay hotels”. While these units may have all
of the characteristics of a typical dwelling unit (i.e.,
cooking, living, sleeping, eating, sanitation), the length
of stay is still typically not more than 30 days. As such,
these buildings would still be classified as Group R-1. If
the length of stay is more than 30 days, these buildings
would be classified as Group R-2. If a hotel offers rooms
for short-term housing (i.e., more than 30 days), the
facility must comply with the provisions for both Groups
R-1 and R-2 (see Section 302.1).