Game Room Garage

Garage Conversions & Permitting. Game Room Garage Ideas.

Turning a Garage into a Game Room

Since the beginning of vacation home rentals in Orlando, owners have found new and unique ways to provide entertainment options to attract renters.
One of the most common is using the garage space that is, in the vast majority of vacation homes – unused by the guests and their rental vehicles.
Owners quickly found that the attraction of additional “game rooms” made for more occupancy and better rates.

From simple additions of ping pong or pool tables to fully converted themed rooms or movie theaters every conceivable idea has been used at some time to make use of the garage space. This does however come with some additional “complications” that buyers / owners should be aware of and that comes in the form of code violations.

Permitting and Code Violations

Simply put, most work conducted on property in Florida has to be approved by the county in which it was built. This may include the addition of walls, mini-split AC units, electrical wiring, plumbing and anything that is not a wall poster or free-standing object. Limited dry wall without electrical may be acceptable, this should be checked.
The purpose of “pulling a permit” to do work is to ensure that the work carried out is of sufficient standard to pass the county inspection and hence make the changes safe for the public.
Generally, it is as simple as having the vendor who is doing the work “pull the permit” and then close the permit after completion. Any licensed contractor “should” do this as part of the process. Part of getting a state license is understanding the permitting process.

Unfortunately, many owners are not aware of the permitting process and hire vendors to do work that is not permitted. In our experience the majority of work done in garages may have partial or no permitting done at all. County building and permitting records are public records and can be easily researched: Polk for example is HERE and Osceola is HERE. Your Realtor should during the buying process review and advise of the status of a garage conversion should one be in the home.

The Big No-No

We have found that the county can be particularly “sensitive” if the garage has been converted into a bedroom with only one exit and no windows. (Known in real estate terms as “Egress”.)

Community Covenants

Some communities also restrict the use of garage space as games rooms. Resorts with limited parking space may insist garage space is left available for guest vehicles. Request and read the community covenants to find out.

What is Permissible

If the garage is still seen as a garage, the garage doors still operate and it has unattached games such as pool or ping pong tables, posters on the walls – that is acceptable in many cases. Ask your community HOA for more specific rules pertaining to your community.

What needs to be researched

If the garage has an AC mini-split or any electrical work such as outlets, then those need to be permitted. The community ARB may also need to approve.

Garage Conversions.

When you walk into a garage and it no longer resembles a garage, is fully enclosed or perhaps has risers for a theater – this should all be permitted.

What to do if you own a property you suspect is not permitted.

You should make it a priority to get the home up to code ASAP. It is generally an easy process to have the county visit the property and advise on the current status of the work and how to get the home “up to code”.

What to do if you are buying a property, you suspect may not be permitted.

Have your Realtor check the county records. Request the seller’s agent query the seller on the status (some sellers may have purchased the property as it is and never knew).

1. You may ask the seller to rectify the non-permitted work – or remove it but there is probably little chance the seller will do that.
2. You can request an amount back from the seller to do this yourself. It may be hard to gauge but in general terms it’s probably not a lot in cost. The seller may of course refuse that also.
3. You can purchase the property and do it yourself at a later date.
4. You can do nothing. Not advisable.

If you get caught with unpermitted work.
You could be fined, and the county may ask you to resolve or remove.

If you flick through the rental websites, you will see hundreds, maybe even thousands of garages that have been converted to many different degrees.
It’s very possible a majority have not been permitted and it’s likely they will stay that way. It’s something that is well known by everyone but almost impossible to enforce on a county level. You should be a responsible owner and make sure you do your part for your investment and your guests’ safety.

Talk to your Realtor about permitting and potential code violations.
It is important to be educated on this subject.