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NC apartment egress

M

maox

REGISTERED
Joined
Jan 26, 2018
Messages
10
Location
North Carolina
Hello everyone!
I live in a small second story apartment built in the late 70s/early 80s that only has one doorway exit that opens into an enclosed porch. From there, I have another door that open to an open stairway to the parking lot. Only 2 windows open to the outdoors. The windows were replaced (six years ago) with smaller opening vinyl windows. One is in the bathroom and only 20 inches wide. The other is 4 feet away from the exit doorway (on the same wall) and opens with the stairs beneath. This window's opening is 32 inches wide x 14 inches high. The only other window in the apartment opens into the same enclosed porch as the door. Is this legal?

I live in rural North Carolina and the building inspector/fire marshal are of no help with information.
 
Welcome

Sorry the ones that should help don’t

Especially with simple stuff .

So is this a studio or is there a seperate bedroom??
 
Normally if you have a seperate bedroom, it has to have one openable window.

Size may vary depending on the building code in your area.
 
I was told by the fire marshal that the landlord would simply say the bedroom was a storage room and get around the window requirement.
 
maox said:
I was told by the fire marshal that the landlord would simply say the bedroom was a storage room and get around the window requirement.
Click to expand...


Do you have a written lease??

If so how does it describe the unit??

Studio

One bedroom
 
Thank you for your information and replies. The fact that a wood stove in the basement below me is now solely tended to by an 87 year old man has me concerned about fire safety all of a sudden.:) I was curious as to whether or not the apartment needed a second means of exit besides the door. I know the "bedroom" does not meet code in my area, but the aforementioned workaround would be used if I tried to get a remedy to my concerns. Again, thanks for your time.
 
Have you been inside other units in the building??

If so same set up ?? So called bedroom and no window?
 
cda said:
So what is the goal of your question??

It does not sound like the bedroom meets code.
Click to expand...
My intention is to find another place to live that is a bit safer. But, I didn't want to see the landlord rent to another tenant without improving safety since the wood stove below is being used more regularly by someone that could be careless.
 
There is one smoke alarm in the living area right outside the bedroom door. There is only one other unit and it has no windows in the bedroom either.
 
maox said:
There is one smoke alarm in the living area right outside the bedroom door. There is only one other unit and it has no windows in the bedroom either.
Click to expand...


And these are true apartments??

Not a converted house.

I did not want to say it,

But possibly this set up met code when they were built

Or

They were built in an area that did not have any enforceable Building codes at the time
 
The media is always looking for stories, and you can normally do it with giving a name.
 
True apartments built over a garage/workshop. I'm not sure about the codes when they were built. I know they were constructed somewhere between 1977 and 1984. So they could possibly be grandfathered in with no recourse for other potential tenants?
 
maox said:
True apartments built over a garage/workshop. I'm not sure about the codes when they were built. I know they were constructed somewhere between 1977 and 1984. So they could possibly be grandfathered in with no recourse for other potential tenants?
Click to expand...


Normally if they met code when built, they are allowed to exist as is
 
maox said:
I was told by the fire marshal that the landlord would simply say the bedroom was a storage room and get around the window requirement.
Click to expand...

That might be the most negligent thing I've heard an official say.

Everyone else can call the room whatever they want. If it looks like a bedroom to me, then it is a bedroom and an egress opening must be installed.
 
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