Mass 8th R-3SECTION 310
RESIDENTIAL GROUP R
310.1 Residential Group R. Residential Group R includes, among others, the use of a building or structure, or a portion thereof, for sleeping purposes when not classified as an Institutional
Group I or when not regulated by the International Residential Code in accordance with Section 101.2. Residential occupancies shall include the following:
R-1 Residential occupancies containing sleeping units where the occupants are primarily transient in nature, including:
Boarding houses (transient)
Hotels (transient)
Motels (transient)
Congregate living facilities (transient) with 10 or fewer occupants are permitted to comply with the construction requirements for Group R-3.
R-2 Residential occupancies containing sleeping units or more than two dwelling units where the occupants are primarily permanent in nature, including:
Apartment houses
Boarding houses (nontransient)
Convents
Dormitories
Fraternities and sororities
Hotels (nontransient)
Live/work units
Monasteries
Motels (nontransient)
Vacation timeshare properties
Congregate living facilities with 16 or fewer occupants are permitted to comply with the construction requirements for Group R-3.
Child care facilities which comply with M.G.L. c. 15D, and that provide accommodations for ten or fewer children of any age for less than 24 hours are permitted in dwelling units of
an R-2 building.
R-2 occupancies include facilities regulated by the Department of Mental Health that are in conformance with the occupant safety requirements of 115 CMR 7.00: Standards for All Services
and Supports.
R-3 Residential occupancies where the occupants are primarily permanent in nature and not classified as Group R-1, R-2, R-4 or I, including:
Buildings that do not contain more than two dwelling units.
Adult care facilities that provide accommodations for five or fewer persons of any age for less than 24 hours.
Child care facilities, which comply with M.G.L. c. 15D, which provide accommodations for ten or fewer children of any age for less than 24 hours, in a dwelling unit of a one or two dwelling
unit
building. Such dwelling units for child care facilities are permitted to comply with the 780 CMR One-and Two-Family Dwellings.
Congregate living facilities with 16 or fewer persons.
Adult care and child care facilities and residences within a one family dwelling or units of a two family dwelling are permitted to comply with the 780 CMR One-and Two-Family Dwellings.
Townhouses (three or more attached dwelling units) more than three stories in height. Height and area and fire protection requirements for townhouses shall be restricted to those for
R-2 uses. (Note: Townhouses three stories or less are also classified as R-3 but shall comply with the
780 CMR One-and Two-family Dwellings.)
Residences with five or fewer occupants that are operated or licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services shall comply with the 780 CMR One-and Two-family
Dwellings.
R-3 occupancies include facilities regulated by the Department of Mental Health that are in conformance with the occupant safety requirements of 115 CMR 7.00: Standards for All Services
and Supports.
R-4 Residential occupancies shall include buildings arranged for occupancy as residential care/assisted living facilities including more than five but not more than 16 occupants, excluding
staff. Group R-4 occupancies shall meet the requirements for construction as defined for Group R-3, except as otherwise provided for in this code or shall comply with the International
Residential Code provided the building is protected by an automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with Section
903.2.8.
310.2 Definitions. The following words and terms shall, for the purposes of this section and as used elsewhere in this code, have the meanings shown herein.
BOARDING HOUSE. A building arranged or used for lodging for compensation, with or without meals, and not occupied as a single-family unit.
CONGREGATE LIVING FACILITIES. A building or part thereof that contains sleeping units where residents share bathroom and/or kitchen facilities.
DORMITORY. A space in a building where group sleeping accommodations are provided in one room, or in a series of closely associated rooms, for persons not members of the same family
group, under joint occupancy and single management, as in college dormitories or fraternity houses.
PERSONALCARESERVICE. The care of residents who do not require chronic or convalescent medical or nursing care. Personal care involves responsibility for the safety of the resident while
inside the building.
RESIDENTIAL CARE/ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES. Abuilding or part thereof housing persons, on a 24-hour basis, who because of age, mental disability or other reasons, live in a supervised
residential environment which provides personal care services. The occupants are capable of responding to an emergency situation without physical assistance from staff. This classification
shall include, but not be limited to, the following: residential board and care facilities, assisted living facilities, halfway houses, group homes, congregate care facilities, social
rehabilitation facilities, alcohol and drug abuse centers and convalescent facilities.
TRANSIENT. Occupancy of a dwelling unit or sleeping unit for not more than 30 days.
310.1 R-2 Add these two paragraphs:
Child care facilities which comply with M.G.L. c. 15D, and that provide accommodations for ten or fewer children of any age for less than 24 hours are permitted in dwelling units of
an R-2 building.
R-2 occupancies include facilities regulated by the Department of Mental Health that are in conformance with the occupant safety requirements of 115 CMR 7.00: Standards for All Services
and Supports.
310.2 R-3 Replace as follows:
R-3 Residential occupancies where the occupants are primarily permanent in nature and not
classified as Group R-1, R-2, R-4 or I, including:
Buildings that do not contain more than two dwelling units.
Adult care facilities that provide accommodations for five or fewer persons of any age for less than 24 hours.
Child care facilities, which comply with M.G.L. c. 15D, which provide accommodations for ten or fewer children of any age for less than 24 hours, in a dwelling unit of a one or two dwelling
unit building. Such dwelling units for child care facilities are permitted to comply with the 780 CMR One-and Two-Family Dwellings.
Congregate living facilities with 16 or fewer persons.
Adult care and child care facilities and residences within a one family dwelling or units of a two family dwelling are permitted to comply with the 780 CMR One-and Two-Family Dwellings.
Townhouses (three or more attached dwelling units) more than three stories in height. Height and area and fire protection requirements for townhouses shall be restricted to those for
R-2 uses.
(Note: Townhouses three stories or less are also classified as R-3 but shall comply with the
780 CMR One-and Two-family Dwellings.)
Residences with five or fewer occupants that are operated or licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services shall comply with the 780 CMR One-and Two-family
Dwellings.
R-3 occupancies include facilities regulated by the Department of Mental Health that are in conformance with the occupant safety requirements of 115 CMR 7.00: Standards for All Services
and Supports.
BOARDING HOUSE. A building arranged or used as a “lodging house” as defined in
M.G.L. c. 140, § 22.
CONGREGATE LIVING FACILITIES. A building or part thereof that contains sleeping
units where residents share bathroom and/or kitchen facilities. Such facilities may include
exempted facilities noted in M.G.L. c. 140, § 22.
RESIDENTIAL CARE/ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES. Add this last sentence and Note:
Assisted living facilities shall conform with this code and M.G.L. c. 19D as administered by
the Executive Office of Elder Affairs. For building code purposes portions of assisted living
residences which are used for any use other than R Use shall be classified, designed and
constructed in accordance for their intended use.
Note. This occupancy includes such facilities regulated by the Department of Mental Health
that are in conformance with the occupant safety requirements of 115 CMR 7.00: Standards
for All Services and Supports.
SUMMER CAMPS FOR CHILDREN. Premises with residential facilities operated solely
between April and October for recreational and other purposes. For requirements see section
426.