Cal. Civ. Code § 5:10-22.5
Required ceiling height
Operative Text
(a) Except as otherwise provided in (a)1 and 2 below, no room or space or portion of a room or space shall be considered habitable unless that room or space or portion of a room or space has a clear ceiling height of at least seven feet, zero inches. 1. Rooms, spaces, and portions of rooms and spaces in hotels that are open and operating less than six months of each year, are located in municipalities bordering on the Atlantic Ocean and are used exclusively for transient occupancy, and were so used prior to November 5, 1990 in conformity with any applicable mercantile license requirement, shall be deemed to be habitable regardless of ceiling height unless there is a clear and present danger to the health or safety of the occupants. 2. Dwelling units and portions of dwelling units in multiple dwellings located in municipalities bordering on the Atlantic Ocean shall be deemed to be habitable with a ceiling height of less than seven feet, zero inches provided that the dwelling unit was occupied prior to the effective date of this amendment and is in conformity with any applicable mercantile license requirement prior to May 27, 1991 and: i. The ceiling height is less than seven feet, zero inches but at least six feet, four inches and there is no clear and present danger to the health or safety of the occupants; ii. If the ceiling height is less than six feet, four inches but at least five feet, 10 inches, there is no clear and present danger to the health or safety of the occupants and the volume of the unit, as measured in cubic feet, is at least seven times the minimum square footage required for the number of occupants in the unit; or iii. If the ceiling height is less than five feet, 10 inches, an exception is granted by the Bureau in accordance with N.J.S.A. 55:13A-11 and N.J.A.C. 5:10-1.15. (b) Read in context with the definition of habitable room and the occupancy standards found in this subchapter, this section requires an attic apartment to contain at least 150 square feet of floor space having a ceiling height of seven feet, zero inches, and that every attic room have at least 59 square feet of floor area having a ceiling height of at least seven feet, zero inches. While additional floor area having less than seven feet, zero inches ceiling height is permitted, it cannot be counted for purposes of determining habitability.
N.J.A.C. § 5:10-22.5 establishes that a room or space must have a clear ceiling height of at least seven feet to be considered habitable, with limited exceptions for certain seasonal hotels and dwelling units in shore municipalities that predate the rule. In attic apartments, at least 150 square feet of floor space must meet the seven-foot threshold, and floor area falling below that height cannot count toward habitability requirements. Shore-municipality exceptions allow reduced heights down to five feet, ten inches under specific conditions, and heights below that require a formal Bureau exception.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under N.J.A.C. § 5:10-22.5, compliant operators ensure that all rooms offered as habitable living space meet the seven-foot clear ceiling height standard before renting them out. Attic units require careful measurement, since only floor area with at least seven feet of clearance counts toward the minimum square footage thresholds. Operators with properties in shore municipalities should document whether any pre-existing units qualify for the narrow exceptions and, where ceiling heights fall below five feet, ten inches, obtain a formal Bureau exception before occupancy.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
N.J.A.C. § 5:10-22.5 gives tenants the right to expect that any room classified as habitable meets the seven-foot ceiling height standard, or that a recognized exception legitimately applies to their unit. If a rented space appears to fall short of this standard without a valid exception, tenants may consider raising the issue as a habitability concern with New Jersey's Bureau of Housing Inspection or a local code enforcement office. Tenant-rights organizations can help residents understand whether their specific circumstances fall within the shore-municipality exceptions or whether a formal complaint may be appropriate.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 3, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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