BIC TIP #1302: How Many Bedrooms? Septic Permits and Marketing

It is a sensitive subject, especially for rural listings: how many bedrooms does this house actually have? Stephen Long, your Notorious BIC, explains that when a home is on a septic system, the answer is not just a matter of counting doors. The number of bedrooms a broker can market is based on the septic permit.

The Permit Sets the Count

Brokers should never advertise more bedrooms than the septic system is permitted to accommodate. That means you want to see a copy of the septic permit before you put a bedroom count in MLS.

If it is a three-bedroom septic permit, it is a three-bedroom home. Even if the house has four rooms that look like bedrooms, a three-bedroom permit means you market it as a three-bedroom home. Sellers do not always love hearing that, which is why it pays to have the conversation early.

When the Permit Cannot Be Found

With older homes especially, the health department sometimes cannot locate the permit. In that case, document your due diligence. Show that you reached out to the health department and made a real effort to obtain the permit.

If nothing turns up, get something in writing from the health department stating that no permit is available. That written confirmation is your proof that you did the work.

Disclose, Disclose, Disclose

Once you have that documentation, disclose the missing permit to potential buyers, preferably in the MLS public remarks, so buyers see it before they go under contract. Only after you have done that due diligence and disclosed it in writing can you market the number of bedrooms actually in the home.

In other words: no permit found means the bedroom count is the number of bedrooms in the home, with full and transparent disclosure and documentation that a septic permit could not be located.

The Practical Takeaway

On every septic listing, request the septic permit up front and market the bedroom count it supports. If the permit cannot be found, document your efforts, get the health department’s response in writing, and disclose the situation clearly in MLS before buyers make offers. When in doubt, check with your broker-in-charge.