Regulations Keep Millions of Bedrooms Empty During a Housing Crisis
The U.S. is facing a housing affordability crisis, and new data from Realtor.com highlight an often missed contributing factor: millions of empty bedrooms. Census data reveal 31.8 million “excess” bedrooms in American homes—compared to just 4 million in 1970. Overregulation, particularly in zoning and local occupancy laws, is among the culprits.
Realtor.com tries to put a positive spin on the bad news. We have, as they put it, a record number of potential “guest bedrooms.” However, there are local barriers across the country that make that option difficult and sometimes illegal—as well as regulations that actually encourage the empty bedroom phenomenon.Â
To some extent, the “excess” is the result of broad social trends. Household size has been in a long-term decline, from 3.1 persons per household in 1970 to 2.5 in 2023. As Americans have become wealthier, they can afford bigger houses—and stay put even when their children move out.
But even if homeowners would like to make use of those “guest” rooms, they can run afoul of local laws. Research I conducted for the American Enterprise Institute found that in 23 of the 30 largest U.S. cities, there are laws that limit occupants deemed “unrelated,” defining a “family” only as a group whose members are related by blood, marriage, or adoption. In St. Louis, no more than three unrelated persons may live together. In Sugar Land, Texas, the limit is four. Private
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