Updated 2026-09-07

Building Code Glossary

Boarding House: Building Code Definition

How the IBC 2009, IFC 2009 define boarding house, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

On this page

Last updated September 7, 2026 · Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.

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Direct answer

Boarding house is a defined term in the International Building Code (IBC) 2009, in Use and Occupancy Classification. The code's own words are: “A building arranged or used for lodging for compensation, with or without meals, and not occupied as a single-family unit.” The IFC 2009 carries the same definition word for word, so the term means the same thing in each. The term is used in 5 chapters of this corpus, most often in Commercial Energy Efficiency (IECC 2009), Definitions (IFC 2009), Use and Occupancy Classification (IBC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted. Record the jurisdiction, the adopted edition, the application date and any local amendment that rewrites the definition before you use it on a live project, because a term redefined by amendment changes every requirement that depends on it.

Content and cited inputs reviewed by Scott Barrington, Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.

What does this term mean?

Boarding House — IBC 2009, Use and Occupancy Classification:

A building arranged or used for lodging for compensation, with or without meals, and not occupied as a single-family unit.

Labeled code-term definition diagram: Boarding House: Building Code Definition — How the IBC 2009, IFC 2009 define boarding house, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

What must be verified before using this guidance?

Two of the I-Codes in this corpus define Boarding House, in identical words.

Code	Where it is defined	Definition
IBC 2009	Use and Occupancy Classification	A building arranged or used for lodging for compensation, with or without meals, and not occupied as a single-family unit.
IFC 2009	Definitions	A building arranged or used for lodging for compensation, with or without meals, and not occupied as a single-family unit.

Where boarding house is used in the code

The term appears in 5 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.

Chapter	Code	Mentions
Commercial Energy Efficiency	IECC 2009	7
Definitions	IFC 2009	7
Use and Occupancy Classification	IBC 2009	5
Definitions	IBC 2009	1
Water Supply and Distribution	IPC 2009	1

The terms boarding house is built out of

The definition above leans on 1 other defined term. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what boarding house covers:

Building — IBC 2009: Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.

Boarding House: what to open, and in what order

Every row is a document this term depends on. The ICC code library and the ICC adoption maps cover the middle rows.

Check	Where	Confirmed
Read the definition in the adopted IBC	Use and Occupancy Classification
Read the definition in the adopted IFC	Definitions
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Commercial Energy Efficiency (IECC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Definitions (IFC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Use and Occupancy Classification (IBC 2009)
Re-check the requirement that uses it	Definitions (IBC 2009)
Confirm the dependent definition	Building
Local amendment to any of the above	Jurisdiction's amendment list

A research aid, not a code determination. The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.

Sources and method

Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The ICC code library publishes the current model text and the ICC adoption maps show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.

Source links

Frequently asked questions

What is the code definition of boarding house?

The International Building Code (IBC) 2009 defines it in Use and Occupancy Classification as: “A building arranged or used for lodging for compensation, with or without meals, and not occupied as a single-family unit.” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.

Which parts of the code depend on boarding house?

In this corpus the term is used across 5 chapters, led by Commercial Energy Efficiency in the IECC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.

What's the difference between a rooming house and a boarding house?

In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IBC 2009 states, in Use and Occupancy Classification: “A building arranged or used for lodging for compensation, with or without meals, and not occupied as a single-family unit.” It is defined in IBC 2009, IFC 2009. Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.

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