Written by the ACC Solutions team from the Ohio Building Code 2024, Chapter 3 (Ohio's adoption of the 2021 International Building Code, read November 12, 2026 on UpCodes) and ORC 5119.34 (effective September 30, 2025). The local building official makes the final classification for any specific building.
The classification table
| Who lives there | Ohio Building Code group | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Five or fewer persons receiving care, in a care facility with an independent exit | R-3 | 310.4.1 |
| Five or fewer persons receiving care, with a shared exit | R-2 | 310.3.1 |
| More than five but not more than 16 persons, excluding staff, who live in a supervised residential environment and receive care | R-4 (Condition 1 or 2) | 310.5, 308.2.2 |
| More than 16 persons, excluding staff, in a supervised environment who receive care and are capable of self-preservation | I-1 (Condition 1 or 2) | 308.2 |
| Nontransient congregate living with 16 or fewer occupants per dwelling unit, each unit with an independent exit, and no care provided | R-3 | 310.4 |
| Nontransient congregate living with more than 16 occupants sharing an exit | R-2 | 310.3 |
The code's own lists for R-4 and I-1 name the same kinds of uses at different sizes: assisted living, congregate care facilities, group homes, halfway houses, residential board and care facilities, social rehabilitation facilities, and alcohol and drug centers. Size and the level of care move a building between groups, not the name on the door.
The two conditions inside R-4 and I-1
- Condition 1: everyone receiving care can respond to an emergency and complete building evacuation without any assistance.
- Condition 2: at least one person receiving care needs limited verbal or physical assistance to evacuate.
The condition matters because the code applies different requirements to each. If residents' needs change after you open, the condition can change with them, and so can what the building has to have.
Why R-3 is the line owners care about
Section 310.4.2 lets a Group R-3 one-, two- or three-family dwelling used only as a care facility for an aggregate of five or fewer persons receiving care follow the construction rules of the Residential Code of Ohio for One-, Two-, or Three-Family Dwellings. Two details in that section are easy to miss:
- If the five or fewer residents are capable of self-preservation, the Residential Code path applies to two- and three-family dwellings used this way.
- If any of them are incapable of self-preservation, the Residential Code path is still allowed for a one-, two- or three-family dwelling, but only if an automatic sprinkler system is installed in all of the dwelling units, under the sections the code lists (903.3.1.1, 903.3.1.2, 903.3.1.3 or Residential Code Section 2904).
Above five residents receiving care, the house is generally out of R-3 and into R-4, which is governed by the Ohio Building Code. The code says that where it gives no R-4 design criteria, the R-3 construction requirements apply, but the R-4 rules it does give, including the fire protection rules in Chapter 9, are applied by the plans examiner. We don't summarize Chapter 9 here; ask the building department or a registered design professional before you set a resident count.
"Care" is the key word
A shared house where unrelated adults simply rent rooms and no care is provided reads as nontransient congregate living: R-3 with 16 or fewer occupants per dwelling unit and an independent exit. Once the operator provides care or supervision, the care-facility rows of the table apply instead. Ohio's licensing law draws a similar line for a different purpose. ORC 5119.34 defines a residential facility by the services provided, for example a Class Two facility gives accommodations, supervision and personal care services to three to 16 unrelated adults, and it defines "personal care services" to include help with activities of daily living and with self-administration of medication. A state license and a building classification are separate questions, and one does not answer the other.
Five questions to settle before you buy or rehab
- How many people will live there, excluding staff, and how many will receive care?
- Will anyone need help to evacuate (Condition 2), or be incapable of self-preservation?
- Is the house a one-, two- or three-family dwelling, and does each unit have an independent exit?
- Is the planned use a change from the current one? A change of use usually means plans and a new certificate of occupancy. See our page on operating a group home in Cleveland.
- Does the operator need a state license or certification for the services planned, apart from the building approval?
Write the answers down and take them to the building department for the city where the house is. The answers set the scope of the rehab: exits, smoke and fire protection, accessibility and, sometimes, sprinklers.
Where ACC Solutions fits
ACC Solutions rehabs and project-manages group-home properties in Cleveland. Our group-home rehab service scopes the work to the occupancy the building department approves, and we are a licensed general contractor (License #CR25025171). We are not a design professional or a building official, and we don't make classification decisions. For a house you own or are about to buy, call (216) 238-5999 or email support@accmgmtsolutions.com. We work asynchronously, so owners and investors in any time zone can reach us by email or the contact form, and we are crypto friendly for buyers who pay in Bitcoin or Ethereum.
Frequently asked questions
What occupancy class is a group home in Ohio?
Under the Ohio Building Code, a care facility for five or fewer persons receiving care is generally Group R-3 (or R-2 with a shared exit). Six to 16 persons receiving care in a supervised residential environment is Group R-4. More than 16 is Group I-1.
Can a group home follow the Residential Code of Ohio?
Section 310.4.2 lets a Group R-3 two- or three-family dwelling used only as a care facility for five or fewer persons receiving care who are capable of self-preservation follow the Residential Code of Ohio. Where those residents are incapable of self-preservation, a one-, two- or three-family dwelling can use that path only with an automatic sprinkler system in all dwelling units.
What is the difference between R-4 Condition 1 and Condition 2?
In Condition 1, everyone receiving care can evacuate without any assistance. In Condition 2, at least one person receiving care needs limited verbal or physical assistance to evacuate.
Is a shared house with no care services an R-4?
Not by that fact alone. Nontransient congregate living with 16 or fewer occupants per dwelling unit and an independent exit is listed under Group R-3. The care-facility rules apply when care is provided. The local building official decides for a specific building.
Does a state license decide my building's occupancy class?
No. Licensing under laws such as ORC 5119.34 and building classification under the Ohio Building Code are separate approvals.
Planning a group-home rehab?
Call (216) 238-5999 or email support@accmgmtsolutions.com.