Rule 5122-31-12 | Sleeping and living space.
(A) Each recovery housing residence is to have a minimum of seventy square feet per resident for a single occupancy bedroom and a minimum of fifty square feet per resident for a multiple occupancy bedroom. Regardless of the availability of the square footage, no more than four residents may share a bedroom in a recovery housing residence.
(B) Each resident of a recovery housing residence is to be provided with a bed that has springs or other means of support and a mattress in good and sanitary condition. Rollaway beds, hide-a-beds, inflatable beds, or cots are not to be used. Waterproof mattress covers are to be provided for residents needing them. In a residence with at least one child or adolescent household member, bunk beds may be used but are to be equipped with safety rails on the upper tier for household members under ten years of age or for any resident whose condition indicates the need for such protection. No beds are to be bunked higher than two tiers.
(C) Bedrooms for residents are not to be in areas such as cellars, basements, hallways, dining rooms, porches, or attics, except that a finished basement bedroom is permitted with appropriate egress. Each bedroom is to be adequately ventilated and have at least one screened window to the outside. Bedroom window exceptions may only be granted by local building code officials or certified fire authorities.
(D) Bedrooms for non-ambulatory individuals are to be on a floor that exits directly to the ground level.
(E) The entrance to a resident's bedroom is not to be through another bedroom or bathroom. Each resident's bedroom should have a standard door that can be securely closed. The bedroom is to have sufficient space to accommodate the unobstructed passage of wheelchairs and walkers between beds and other items of furniture.
(F) Residents may only share a bedroom with other residents; they are not to share a bedroom with staff of a recovery housing residence. Dependent children or adolescents of a resident may only share a bedroom with the resident who is their parent or guardian.
(G) Locks on bedroom doors are to meet both of the following criteria:
(1) Be capable of being opened from the inside without the use of a key, such as by pushing a panic bar, releasing a deadbolt, or using similar means. The lock is also to be capable of being opened from the outside. The residence is to provide each resident with a key to his or her bedroom if it has a keyed lock; and
(2) Have duplicate keys or a master key available and accessible to staff members on duty at all times for use in emergency situations.
(H) Adequate drawer and closet space is to be provided for each resident to store his or her own clothes and personal belongings. Residences where children or adolescents reside or visit are to have some storage space in bedrooms and may have storage in other areas of the residence that are monitored by staff.
Each recovery housing residence is to develop a policy regarding the residence's access to the resident's locked storage space and inform the resident of this policy before the lease is signed.
(I) Each bedroom is to be furnished in a manner comparable to other bedrooms in the recovery housing residence. Residents are to be permitted to personalize their bedrooms, as appropriate.
(J) Each recovery housing residence is to have a space large enough to allow all residents to convene simultaneously for gatherings and activities, such as house meetings and social events. The space is to contain enough furnishings so that all residents may have a seat during the gathering or activity.
(K) Each recovery housing residence is to have a living area where residents may engage in social, recreational, and leisure activities on a daily basis. The area is to be well-lit, adequately heated and ventilated, and have at least one working television. The living area is not to be used as a bedroom by any individual.
(L) Each recovery housing residence is to have a dining area where residents can eat meals. The dining area, table, and seating places are to be of sufficient size and number to allow residents to eat comfortably together at one time. All furniture is to be comfortable, safe, and functional.
(M) Each recovery housing residence is to have adequate indoor toilet, lavatory, and bathing areas equipped with hot and cold running water. Hot water is to be between one hundred five and one hundred twenty degrees fahrenheit.
At least one toilet and one lavatory is to be provided for each six household members in the residence. At least one bath tub or one shower is to be provided for each eight household members in the residence. Accessibility to toilets, lavatories, bathtubs, and showers for resident use is not to be through another bedroom or bathroom. Toilet, lavatory, and bathing areas are to provide individual privacy.
(N) Each recovery housing residence is to provide laundry equipment and supplies or laundry services. A residence may provide a washer and dryer or may provide residents with transportation to and from a laundromat. If laundry equipment and supplies are provided on the premises of the residence and the residence has child or adolescent household members, the laundry equipment and supplies are to be in an area of the residence readily observable by staff.
(O) Each recovery housing residence is to have at least one working refrigerator for every five residents. Each refrigerator is to always be unlocked and accessible to residents.
(P) Each recovery housing residence is to be accessible and available to residents at all times consistent with written house rules and policies and procedures concerning the comfort, security, and respect for the rights of all residents. Residents are not to be mandated to vacate the residence for any specified time period, such as when staff or the operator is absent.
Last updated August 12, 2026 at 3:07 PM
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