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Beginning June 8, 2020 the Building Inspection plan review and zoning review counters will be open to the public by appointment only.

For information about scheduling an appointment and other Building Inspection services please see the Building Inspection Coronavirus (COVID-19) page.

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Occupancy Standards

The City of Madison’s Ordinances, and state codes, outline occupancy standards. Occupancy is complex, and this information is only a guide. The following information deals only with zoning regulations. For zoning purposes, "family" refers to a group of related individuals (e.g. parents, children, foster children, grandparents, aunts, etc.).

Visit the assessor’s website to find the zoning district for an address.

Single-family Unit

If the dwelling unit is a	occupancy can be	OR
owner-occupied unit in Madison	a family AND max four (4) unrelated roomers	max five (5) unrelated individuals?
single-family rental unit in Madison	a family	N/A
single-family rental unit in zoning districts: SR-C1, SR-C2, SR-C3, TR-C1, TR-C2, TR-C3, TR-C4, TR-R and TR-P	a family AND one (1) unrelated roomer	max two (2) unrelated individuals
single-family rental unit in all other zoning districts that allow dwelling units	a family AND max four (4) unrelated roomers	max five (5) unrelated individuals?

NOTE: If the dwelling unit is located in a building with more than one unit, it's not a single-family dwelling.

Non-single-family Units

For units that aren't single-family units, the following space requirement also apply:

If the building has	units needs to provide
two or more units	150 sq. ft. for the first occupant 100 sq. ft. for each additional occupant
three or more units	150 sq. ft. for the first occupant 100 sq. ft. for each additional occupant AND 400 cubic feet of sleeping area per adult 200 cubic feet of sleeping area per child A 10 ft. by 10 ft. bedroom, with a standard eight-foot ceiling, accommodates two (2) adults. The same size bedroom could accommodate four (4) children.

If the building has

units needs to provide

two or more units

150 sq. ft. for the first occupant
100 sq. ft. for each additional occupant

three or more units

150 sq. ft. for the first occupant
100 sq. ft. for each additional occupant

AND

400 cubic feet of sleeping area per adult
200 cubic feet of sleeping area per child

A 10 ft. by 10 ft. bedroom, with a standard eight-foot ceiling, accommodates two (2) adults. The same size bedroom could accommodate four (4) children.

To find the occupiable area of a dwelling unit:

Find the total square footage.
Subtract the area of closets, hallways, bathrooms and utility rooms. (Bedrooms, dens, studies, dining rooms, and kitchens count towards the occupiable space.)

Last Updated: 12/01/2020

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