The High Road: How many brokers count right?

How many rooms do you see?  What would a broker say?

Granted you are more likely to worry about the amount of square footage in a co-op, condo or townhouse than the precise number of rooms when judging the price.  But room count is neither irrelevant nor debatable in the eyes of the New York City Administrative Code.

Nor is it acceptable–legal or ethical–for a broker to misstate the number of rooms–either because of ignorance of the definition of a room or because of a desire to inflate a property’s characteristics.

Generally, a room must have minimum dimensions of

When is a living room not a living room?

Is this a kitchen, dining room or living room? The conscientious broker who listed the place on Manhattan's Upper West Side characterized it as a "great room." Photo below shows the opposite end.

If a room is not a dining space, kitchenette, bathroom, foyer or hallway, then it can be termed a living room, according to the New York City Administrative Code.  However, a bedroom can be marketed as a living room if it also does not function as any of the other rooms listed.

The minimum size of a living room is