Anonymous
06/16/2026 22:58
Subject: Are listing agents breaking the rules?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Can a fully finished non-walkout basement with an egress window be counted toward square footage area of the house?
In VA the square footage in the MLS listing is above grade only; whether or not the below ground space is "fully finished" or has "an egress window" is irrelevant.
That said, I see listings that include below grade square footage in the total sq footage number all the time. Not supposed to, but they often do.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that DOESN’T, at least for N Arlington / Bethesda / other close in suburbs. They’re trying to squeeze out every square foot they can for the highest price. Sometimes they even put a disclosure in the description that the square footage may or may not be accurate.
Anonymous
06/16/2026 15:35
Subject: Are listing agents breaking the rules?
Anonymous wrote:Can a fully finished non-walkout basement with an egress window be counted toward square footage area of the house?
In VA the square footage in the MLS listing is above grade only; whether or not the below ground space is "fully finished" or has "an egress window" is irrelevant.
That said, I see listings that include below grade square footage in the total sq footage number all the time. Not supposed to, but they often do.
Anonymous
06/16/2026 14:21
Subject: Are listing agents breaking the rules?
Anonymous wrote:There are rules for bedrooms (must have windows, door). But other things, like AI use, seem like the Wild West--completely unregulated.
I also wish there was some regulation around pushing staging on customers. There are limited uses for it, like if your furniture is torn barcaloungers. Otherwise, agents clearly make $$$ by charging significantly higher commissions in return for spending a few thousand on rental beige furniture.
A regulation about "pushing" staging? Have you heard of the word NO?
Anonymous
06/16/2026 09:10
Subject: Are listing agents breaking the rules?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Think bedroom has to have window and closet. They are not supposed to include basement in square footage but all seem to around here.
Not everywhere. In some jurisdictions, having fire sprinklers in the ceiling will exempt the window requirement. I know this because my kid ended up in an apartment in college without a window (which was obv. not desirable). We tried to break the lease but were told "It's code" and couldn't get out of the lease.
No, you were lied to. It’s the international building code. It requires egress via a window. My spouse is an architect who specializes in residential buildings
Well, no attorney was able to help us break the lease... So tell that to your architect spouse. Like another poster said, jurisdiction matters.
Anonymous
06/16/2026 05:35
Subject: Are listing agents breaking the rules?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Think bedroom has to have window and closet. They are not supposed to include basement in square footage but all seem to around here.
Not everywhere. In some jurisdictions, having fire sprinklers in the ceiling will exempt the window requirement. I know this because my kid ended up in an apartment in college without a window (which was obv. not desirable). We tried to break the lease but were told "It's code" and couldn't get out of the lease.
No, you were lied to. It’s the international building code. It requires egress via a window. My spouse is an architect who specializes in residential buildings
The local authority having jurisdiction matters, not any building codes. Your spouse doesn't understand his job.
Anonymous
06/15/2026 22:46
Subject: Are listing agents breaking the rules?
Can a fully finished non-walkout basement with an egress window be counted toward square footage area of the house?
Anonymous
06/15/2026 21:54
Subject: Are listing agents breaking the rules?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Are there official guidelines for what can be called a bedroom (e.g. at least a certain size and must have a closet). Can you include a basement in square footage if it above ground or partly above ground? What size must a garage be to call it a 2 car garage as opposed to 1 car with storage space?
Bedroom are defined by building code. Garages are not. There can be a bedroom in basement but the window needs to be a certain size. That’s what matters.
I thought there was a difference between bedroom and den and it was based on size and whether there is a closet. Is that not true anymore?
That distinction is not required by any VA law. Many houses in Europe, even modern houses, do not include a bedroom closet.
PP is correct that a basement bedroom must have 2 different ways out in a way compliant with the building code.
I haven’t ever seen a room without a closet called a bedroom. My house was listed by the builder as 4.5 bedrooms since the large office didn’t have a closet.
Anonymous
06/15/2026 21:52
Subject: Are listing agents breaking the rules?
My neighbor and I have identical models. Hers is listed as 4200 sq ft and mine was 3500. Hers included basement I guess. Except my basement is 1500 sq ft so I have no clue what they calculated hers on. I rarely see basement sq ft calculated.
Anonymous
06/15/2026 21:47
Subject: Are listing agents breaking the rules?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Think bedroom has to have window and closet. They are not supposed to include basement in square footage but all seem to around here.
Not everywhere. In some jurisdictions, having fire sprinklers in the ceiling will exempt the window requirement. I know this because my kid ended up in an apartment in college without a window (which was obv. not desirable). We tried to break the lease but were told "It's code" and couldn't get out of the lease.
No, you were lied to. It’s the international building code. It requires egress via a window. My spouse is an architect who specializes in residential buildings
Anonymous
06/15/2026 19:40
Subject: Are listing agents breaking the rules?
A closet in a bedroom is optional. Lots of old houses didn't have closets in bedrooms.
Anonymous
06/15/2026 19:24
Subject: Are listing agents breaking the rules?
You cannot call something a bedroom unless it has an egress window and a certain height from floor to ceiling. This is why many spaces in basements cannot be advertised as bedrooms.
Anonymous
06/15/2026 18:41
Subject: Are listing agents breaking the rules?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Are there official guidelines for what can be called a bedroom (e.g. at least a certain size and must have a closet). Can you include a basement in square footage if it above ground or partly above ground? What size must a garage be to call it a 2 car garage as opposed to 1 car with storage space?
Bedroom are defined by building code. Garages are not. There can be a bedroom in basement but the window needs to be a certain size. That’s what matters.
I thought there was a difference between bedroom and den and it was based on size and whether there is a closet. Is that not true anymore?
That distinction is not required by any VA law. Many houses in Europe, even modern houses, do not include a bedroom closet.
PP is correct that a basement bedroom must have 2 different ways out in a way compliant with the building code.
Anonymous
06/15/2026 09:21
Subject: Are listing agents breaking the rules?
Anonymous wrote:Think bedroom has to have window and closet. They are not supposed to include basement in square footage but all seem to around here.
Not everywhere. In some jurisdictions, having fire sprinklers in the ceiling will exempt the window requirement. I know this because my kid ended up in an apartment in college without a window (which was obv. not desirable). We tried to break the lease but were told "It's code" and couldn't get out of the lease.
Anonymous
06/15/2026 09:15
Subject: Re:Are listing agents breaking the rules?
I'd be curious if the MLS actually enforces any "rules."
Does the real estate industry self-regulate?
I just spit my coffee across the room.