brudgers said:
Here's the thing with your logic. If they put in cooking facilities, the case for classifying them as R3 would be stronger and the hazard would be higher.
Exactly. R1 definition describes building with multiple "sleeping units", not "a sleeping unit". In a cabin with no cooking facilities, there's no concern for occupants finding their way out of sleeping units into corridors, down staircases, etc., in a fire. Why not treat it under the IRC, which doesn't differentiate between transiency or permanency and expects rental use? Additionally, the code provides for transient congregate living facilities with fewer than 10 persons to be R-3, see 2009 IRC (below). You are't talking about anything near as intensely occupied and/or hazardous as a congregate living facility.
SECTION 310 RESIDENTIAL GROUP R
310.1 Residential Group R. Residential Group R includes, among others, the use of a building or structure, or a portion thereof, for sleeping purposes when not classified as an Institutional Group I or when not regulated by the International Residential Code in accordance with Section 101.2. Residential occupancies shall include the following:
R-1 Residential occupancies containing sleeping units where the occupants are primarily transient in nature, including:
Boarding houses (transient)
Hotels (transient)
Motels (transient)
Congregate living facilities (transient) with 10 or fewer occupants are permitted to comply with the construction requirements for Group R-3.