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Hello XXXXXXXXXXXXX, and thank you for your question.

The IBC and IRC 2003/2006 codes do not dictate a minimum size for an efficiency apartment, though they do specify that no dimension of any habitable room be less than 7'-0" (for this purpose, a bathroom is not considered a habitable room.)
But, for many types of residential projects the Fair Housing Act dimensional requirements apply, and these tend to be somewhat larger than the minimums allowed by IBC and IRC - habitable spaces would generally need to have at least one dimension no less than 10'-0" in each room.
For Fair Housing Act purposes, an efficiency apartment can be no less than 220 square feet.

Most municipal zoning rules do have minimum square footages for efficiency apartments. In various cities' zoning manuals with which I'm familiar these minimums range from 160 square feet to over 300 square feet, so it is very important to check with your particular local zoning on this matter.

As for the closet: again this is a local matter, but in most cases a closet is not required by any code or zoning, as long as it can be shown that the room is large enough and configured such that some freestanding furniture solution (such as an armoire) could satisfy storage needs.


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Edited by MJ on 10/12/2009 at 3:22 AM

Expert:	MJ
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Answered:	10/12/2009

Architect

Licensed Architect, LEED® AP, NCARB Certified, M.Arch degree, 10+ years experience