I was wondering what the legality of having a windowless room considered a “bedroom” is? Over the years, I’ve seen countless “bedrooms” (套房 apartments) and hotel rooms available for not even that much of a discount that had no windows. Sometimes, they were even in the B2 or B3 levels.
I know that the Taiwanese could not care less about second exits/fire escapes (or they wouldn’t put bars on their windows), but I’m wondering to what extent all that is just ignoring Taiwanese law? In the US there are clear building codes for what constitutes a bedroom – min 7 feet wide, a window, access to the bathroom w/o passing through another bedroom, not the only second form of egress for another bedroom, at least half the floor above ground, etc.
Does Taiwan have similar laws? If so, how do so many hotels get away with renting out windowless rooms? (I’m not going to bother asking about landlords) If not, WTF?
Each guest room shall have a window that opens outwards, and shall have an exclusive toilet and bathroom with a total net floor area of 3.5 square meters or more. However, tourist hotels located adjacent to airports, or that meet the construction code definition of high-rise buildings, may have outward-facing windows for natural light, but are not subject to the requirement for each guest room to have a window that opens outwards.
That looks like all rooms must have windows but that they don’t necessarily need to open outwards. Clearly this is chabuduoism at its best. I saw “government-approved” quarantine hotels w/o windows.
tourist hotels located adjacent to airports, or that meet the construction code definition of high-rise buildings, may have outward-facing windows for natural light, but are not subject to the requirement for each guest room to have a window that opens outwards.
I think you’re interpreting this differently than I am. I see “not subject to the requirement…to have a window that opens outwards” as needing a window but not one that needs to open outwards. You’re saying that “may have outward-facing windows for natural light” means it’s not required.
If you look at the whole section (17.3), I don’t think so
Each guest room shall have a window that opens outwards… However, tourist hotels located adjacent to airports, or that meet the construction code definition of high-rise buildings, may have outward-facing windows for natural light, but are not subject to the requirement that each guest room have a window that opens outwards.
I think they mentioned the “may …” part just to emphasize its desirability. The Chinese text means something like “may at discretion have”.
Laws in Taiwan apparently don’t make it illegal for hotel rooms to have windows. What more could one wish for
I would really be happy if hotels at least would need to inform about the lack of windows before booking. But judging from many booking.com listings, many hotels just state that “some rooms have windows” or even not mentioning windows at all, there really seems to be no good way to book a hotel room with a window unless staying in a hotel where all rooms have windows…
Should I assume that if hotels are probably not required to have windows, bedrooms are the same? That all those listings on 591 for apartments in lower basements are legal?
Taiwan code 0.01
Everything is intentionally grey so you can go away until ther is a problem and it’s the courts problem with massive lawyer costs as to avoid too many people trying.
Sound legal advice all students of law learn on day 1. Then are not allowed to repeat these words going forward.
@nz the way you quoted that means basically the former got cancelled by the later. And thus, there is no concrete law then…
Love me some ambiguity. I’ll just add “hiring a really good lawyer to go after really unsafe ways of housing people in TW” to the list of “things to do if I ever end up with 100 million USD” and move on with my life then.
I would love to love you some ambiguity your place or mine?
Otherwise read that quote you have and tell me that it doesnt immediately cancel itself out and leave thing vague. That is on the house, but i accept free drinks now and then
your place or mine?