BE IT ORDAINED by the Board of Supervisors of Chesterfield County:

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2 Appendix A AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CODE OF THE COUNTY OF CHESTERFIELD, 1997, AS AMENDED, BY AMENDING AND RE-ENACTING SECTION OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE RELATING TO RESIDENTIAL OCCUPANCY LIMITS BE IT ORDAINED by the Board of Supervisors of Chesterfield County: (1) That Section of the Code of the County of Chesterfield, 1997, as amended, is amended and re-enacted to read as follows: Sec Residential Occupancy Limits A single-family dwelling shall be occupied by a family as defined in section The maximum occupancy of a single-family dwelling shall be subject to the following: Residential Occupancy Limits Finished Area of a Single-family Dwelling (in square feet) Maximum Number of Adult Occupants* 901 to 1,200 4 adult occupants 1,201 to 1,750 5 related adult occupants 1,751 to 2,400 6 related adult occupants 2,401 to 3,150 7 related adult occupants 3,151 to 4,000 8 related adult occupants 4,001 to 4,500 9 related adult occupants 4,501 to 5, related adult occupants * Adult occupant means any individual 22 years of age or older, living or sleeping in a single-family dwelling, or having possession of space within a single-family dwelling. If the limitations in the table cannot be met occupancy may be adjusted by a development standards waiver. (2) That this ordinance shall become effective immediately upon adoption

3 Appendix B Page 1 Chesterfield County Occupancy Limits Why are there regulations concerning how many people live in your home? As the population grows, the demand for housing increases and many people search for affordable housing options. During the past several years, the county has received an increasing number of complaints from citizens regarding overcrowding in single-family dwellings. Overcrowding may result in a threat to public safety and the welfare of the occupants of the homes, as well as to the neighborhoods. To protect against these dangers, the County is proposing regulations limiting the number of occupants in a residence. These regulations are intended to ensure the safety of county citizens, a good living environment in residential neighborhoods, and to prevent vehicle congestion, excessive noise, and overwhelming of public utilities. What determines the number of people who can live in your home? The County follows the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) and is proposing an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to ensure the safe occupancy of dwelling units.1 In general, the limitations are based on the size of the house, the size and number of bedrooms, the relationships of the residents, and fire safety standards. A. Occupancy Standards Based on the Size of the Residence The County is proposing to limit the number of adult occupants based upon the size of the entire dwelling unit. The following table outlines these limits for single-family dwellings. Finished Area of Dwelling Unit (in square feet) Maximum Number of Adult Occupants* 901 to 1,200 4 Adult Occupants 1,201 to 1,750 5 Related Adult Occupants 1,751 to 2,400 6 Related Adult Occupants 2,401 to 3,150 7 Related Adult Occupants 3,151 to 4,000 8 Related Adult Occupants 4,001 to 4,500 9 Related Adult occupants 4,501 to 5, Related Adult Occupants * Adult occupant means any individual 22 years of age or older, living or sleeping in a building, or having possession of space within a building. 1 Standards taken from the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, B. Occupancy Standards for Bedrooms: Required Bedroom Area Bedroom Size (square feet) Maximum Number of Occupants per Room* * Number of occupants includes adults and children.

4 Appendix B Page 2 Bedrooms: Must contain at least 70 square feet of floor area plus an additional 50 square feet per individual if occupied by more than one person. Bedrooms must not be the only access to other bedrooms or habitable space and must not constitute the only exit from other habitable space. Every bedroom must have access to a bathroom without having to pass through another bedroom. Kitchens and other non-habitable space must not be used for sleeping purposes. Bedrooms must provide light, ventilation, room area, ceiling height and room width in conformity with the code, and must be in conformity with fire safety requirements. Source: Uniform Statewide Building Code/International Property Maintenance Code C. Relationship of Occupants Single-family dwellings may be occupied by a family as defined in of the Zoning Ordinance as: 1) An individual. 2) Two or more persons related by blood, marriage, adoption or guardianship plus any domestic servants, foster children and not more than two roomers, living together as a single nonprofit housekeeping unit. 3) A group of not more than four persons not related by blood, marriage, adoption or guardianship living together as a single nonprofit housekeeping unit. D. Fire Safety Requirements for Bedrooms 1) Two means of exit must be available from a bedroom, with one being a door or window leading directly to the exterior. 2) A window exit must have a width of at least 20 inches, a height of at least 24 inches, and a clear opening at least 5.7 square feet in area. A windowsill may be a maximum of 44 inches above the floor. 3) An exit must not lead through another sleeping area or a bathroom. 4) Sleeping rooms built after 1996 must have an electrically-powered smoke detector, interconnected with smoke detectors in other sleeping rooms.

5 Appendix B Page 3 An Example - Applying the Standards in a Single Family Dwelling Suppose you live in a single-family dwelling with a finished area of 1,325 square feet and three bedrooms measuring 85, 108, and 156 square feet. To figure out the number of people who can live in your home, calculate how many people are allowed based on the tables in Sections A and B and then confirm the relationships allowed in Section C. The standards in Section A (based on the size of the residence) permit five related adult occupants plus all related children. The occupancy standards in Section B (bedroom size) allow six related persons (1 in the 85 sq. ft. bedroom, 2 in the 108 sq. ft. bedroom, and 3 in the 156 sq. ft. bedroom). The maximum number of people permitted in the residence must conform to the limits of both standards. Thus, this dwelling could house six persons, but not more than five adults may live there. Please note the maximum occupancy for unrelated persons in a residence is four (Section C). Chesterfield County applies occupancy requirements to all residents regardless of their race, color, creed, sex, national origin, age, or religion.

6 Appendix C Sec Definitions. o o o Family: (1) An individual. (2) Two or more persons related by blood, marriage, adoption or guardianship plus any domestic servants, and foster children and not more than two roomers, living together as a single nonprofit housekeeping unit in a dwelling or dwelling unit. (3) A group of not more than four persons not related by blood, marriage, adoption or guardianship living together as a single nonprofit housekeeping unit in a dwelling or dwelling unit.