BIC TIP #1124: Septic Permits Decide Bedrooms, Not Opinions
When a property is on a septic system, there is only one document that controls the legal number of bedrooms: the septic permit.
Not the MLS.
Not the tax card.
Not what the seller “has always called it.”
The county-issued septic permit governs how many bedrooms a property is legally approved to support. Advertising or representing more bedrooms than the permit allows can create serious problems for buyers, lenders, appraisers, and brokers.
This issue most often surfaces late in the transaction, right when inspections, appraisals, or underwriting occur. When the permit does not match the listing, the result can be loan denial, forced contract termination, or post-closing disputes.
That is why listing brokers must verify septic permits early. Best practice is to contact the county health department, confirm the permitted bedroom count, and disclose it accurately in the MLS and marketing materials. If records are unclear or unavailable, that uncertainty must also be disclosed.
Buyers rely on bedroom count for value, financing, and future use. Misstating it, even unintentionally, can rise to the level of misrepresentation.
Septic systems do not care how many closets a room has or how the seller uses the space. The permit is the permit.
Verify it. Document it. Disclose it correctly.
