This isn't a debatable topic in relation to the AP program in terms of "whether" it's OK. It's clearcut and unambiguous that this is not a legal bedroom. OP's relations would be opening themselves up to major violations of housing codes as well as would be acting in immoral and illegal ways if they treated their basement room as a bedroom.

This site has been full of grey area back and forths recently about what is right or not right/fair or not fair to do with and for an AP. This topic is not one of those. It would not be right for a child, for a grandparent, or for an AP to be in that room as a sleeping room.

The end.

When we finished our basement we debated this - whether it was going to be used as a guest room or an au pair room (it has been both) we decided to have an egress window put in. We're glad we did - it's nice to be able to show them how to get out in case of emergency when they arrive, and they like the sunlight. Our basement is NOT walk out though.

Anonymous wrote:That is so incredibly dangerous.

Wouldn't the bedroom door exit to outside house be considered egress?

Anonymous wrote:APs must have their own bedroom. Bedrooms only qualify as bedrooms if they have two egresses - one that leads directly to the outside (exterior door or egress window and not one of those small basement windows, but an actual egress window).

NP, +1.
My HF had to have windows of a certain size installed in the kids' basement bedrooms due to fire regulations.
http://www.bobvila.com/articles/333-know-the-rules-for-finished-basements/

I don't even know why we are discussing topics like this.
Would you feel safe putting your child in a basement room witout a window? Would you want to explain to your AP's parents why, so sorry, their child died in a house fire because they couldn't escape from their windowless basement bedroom that you gave her to live in (doesn't matter if they had a choice, some APs are simply to scared to tell their HF no - heck, there is an AP in a social media group I am in that is too scared to tell her HF that she is constantly cold because the AC in her bedroom is coming on every hour and she is freezing, she thinks she will be kicked out if she fusses about the temperature... you may find that ridiculous but for her it's a real problem)? If your AP died in a house fire she couldn't escape from because you let her sleep in a basement bedroom without sensible emergency escape and rescue openings and her parents sued you do you really think they'd not win the case?
If that's the only place an AP could live in... HM and HD are free to move in their for privacy. If you don't want to? Your AP shouldn't have to.

Anonymous wrote:I know someone with a current au pair (I believe through CC) who has their au pair in a basement room with no window. It's also not a walk out basement. Au pair seems fine with it. Not sure what happened with inspection.

Completely illegal, but why should CC care about that?

I know someone with a current au pair (I believe through CC) who has their au pair in a basement room with no window. It's also not a walk out basement. Au pair seems fine with it. Not sure what happened with inspection.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not a legal requirement, period. You don't know what you are talking about.

HM here. It is a legal requirement. APs must have their own bedroom. Bedrooms only qualify as bedrooms if they have two egresses - one that leads directly to the outside (exterior door or egress window and not one of those small basement windows, but an actual egress window).

Pp talking about 'teenagers and their risky choices'. We are in our sixth year as a HF and our youngest AP was 25.

Not the actual regs (i read regs all day long and unwilling to read them with my wine in my couch) but here is a good summary. http://aupairmom.com/your-au-pairs-bedroom-minumum-standards/2012/09/22/celiaharquail/

Anonymous wrote:It is not a legal requirement, period. You don't know what you are talking about.

HM here. It is a legal requirement. APs must have their own bedroom. Bedrooms only qualify as bedrooms if they have two egresses - one that leads directly to the outside (exterior door or egress window and not one of those small basement windows, but an actual egress window).

Pp talking about 'teenagers and their risky choices'. We are in our sixth year as a HF and our youngest AP was 25.

The state department regs control and this is not a requirement. Go look. A lock on the door is a requirement.

The room is not being rented out, so the laws re third party rentals does not apply.

Anonymous wrote:It is not a legal requirement, period. You don't know what you are talking about.

Who knows what you're talking about.

It is not a legal requirement, period. You don't know what you are talking about.