Is It Really an Adult Family Home? How to Read AFH Listings in Washington

Brokers write 'adult family home', 'AFH-ready', 'WABO-approved' and 'potential AFH' into listings for houses that range from a fully licensed, occupied care home to an ordinary four-bedroom with wide hallways. None of those phrases is a legal status. AFH Club labels every listing and closed sale by what the record actually supports rather than by the broker's description.

Operating AFH

Licensed by DSHS and caring for residents today; the address appears in the DSHS locator. The real estate, the business, or both may convey; the buyer still relicenses through Change of Ownership.

Licensed AFH

no residents — Holds a current license but has no census and no income to underwrite. The building has passed inspection; the buyer relicenses and starts from zero.

Former AFH

Operated as a licensed home in the past, no license today. The inspected floor plan may have changed and the checklist has been revised; expect a new inspection before relicensing.

AFH-ready (WABO)

The owner can produce a signed building inspection checklist, but the home has never been licensed. A house built to AFH code, not a care business.

AFH potential

not verified — The listing describes the house as suitable for, or convertible to, an adult family home and nothing in the record supports more. A marketing description; the buyer takes on the entire conversion and licensing.

Key requirements

Resident bedrooms: outside room, 80 sq ft for one resident or 120 for two, smoke alarm, escape window with a sill no higher than 44 inches and a clear opening of at least 5.7 sq ft (24 in high, 20 in wide). Exit door at least 32 in clear width; one-hand hardware. Ramps 1:12 with 3x3 ft landings and handrails both sides. Grab bars both sides of toilets; showers at least 30 by 48 in. Smoke alarms every level and every bedroom, CO alarms each required level. Bedrooms classified Type S, NS1 or NS2 by evacuation route. DSHS licensors also expect 27-inch resident bedroom doorways.

Verify it yourself

Search the address in the DSHS Adult Family Home Locator or AFH Club's licensed-home directory; not listed means not licensed. Then request the current DSHS license, the signed building inspection checklist with its floor plan, permits and finals for AFH work, records of changes since inspection, recent DSHS inspection reports, and written confirmation of what is being sold and at what prices.

Common questions

Does 'WABO-approved' mean the home is a licensed adult family home?

No. WABO co-wrote the checklist with DSHS; the local building official performs the inspection. A passed checklist confirms the building met code at the time of inspection. Only DSHS issues the license, to a specific provider at a specific address.

If I buy an operating adult family home, does the license come with it?

No. The license belongs to the provider and the address together. A buyer applies through the DSHS Change of Ownership process and must be approved before operating. The seller's license ends at closing.

How can I check a listing's claim myself?

Look the address up in the DSHS Adult Family Home Locator or AFH Club's licensed-home directory. If it is not there, it is not currently licensed. Then ask the listing broker for the signed building inspection checklist and the floor plan that went with it.

Why does AFH Club use five labels instead of the broker's description?

Because the broker's description is marketing. Each listing is labelled by what the record supports: operating, licensed with no residents, formerly licensed, passed the building inspection but never licensed, or marketed as a potential AFH with nothing verified.

About the author: David Stein is a Washington State licensed real estate broker (eXp Realty, license #133972) and a Washington State certified residential appraiser (Stein Appraisal, license #1702080), with more than 20 years of experience in both disciplines. More about David.