How to Count the Number of Occupants in Your Home

When filling out your Fortify Form after purchasing a Fortify Plan, it’s essential to accurately count the number of occupants living in your residence. Knowing the exact number of residents helps ensure that your Fortify Plan’s security recommendations are tailored to your household’s needs. Whether you live in a house, apartment, condo, or townhouse, this guide will walk you through how to count occupants, determine household size, and verify permanent residents to correctly fill out your Fortify Form.

1. How to Count Occupants: Permanent Residents vs. Guests

When determining the number of occupants in your home for the Fortify Form, it’s important to only count individuals who live in the residence permanently. Guests or temporary visitors should not be included in your final count.

Key Definitions:

Permanent residents: Individuals who live in your home full-time and consider it their primary residence.
Guests or visitors: Individuals who stay temporarily and do not live at your residence permanently.

Home Occupancy Rules:

Only count residents who live in your home on a regular basis.
Do not include short-term visitors or guests, even if they stay frequently.

When filling out your Fortify Form, ensure you’re reporting only permanent residents to get the most accurate security recommendations.

2. Resident Count Methods

There are several methods to determine the number of occupants in your home. You can either do a manual count or use tracking tools to verify the number of residents.

Manual Counting:

Make a list of all the people who live in your residence.
Confirm each person’s status as a permanent resident.
Cross-check with household documents or lease agreements to verify their residency.

Resident Tracking Tools:

For larger households or properties, resident tracking tools can help monitor the number of people living in your residence. These tools are useful for ensuring that your resident count is accurate and up to date.

3. Counting Occupants in Different Housing Types

Apartments and Condos

When you count residents in an apartment or condo, the space is typically more confined, so it’s easier to track the number of tenants. Be sure to include:

All individuals who are listed on the lease or deed.
Any family members or roommates who live there full-time.

Tenant Occupancy Calculation:

Review your lease or property records to verify who is legally living in the apartment.
Ensure that each tenant is counted only if they live in the apartment full-time.

Single-Family Homes and Townhouses

In larger homes or townhouses, counting the number of occupants may involve multiple rooms and levels. It’s important to account for all individuals living in each part of the home.

Home Occupancy Estimate:

List all household members and confirm their permanent residency.
Include family members, roommates, or any other individuals who live in the house year-round.

4. Verifying Number of Tenants

It’s essential to verify the number of tenants or residents living in your home, especially if you rent. This not only helps with tracking but ensures you’re following local occupancy laws.

Count Occupants by Law:

Many regions have occupancy laws that limit the number of people who can live in a residence based on its size or the number of bedrooms. These regulations are especially relevant for renters or landlords.

How to Verify the Number of Tenants:

Cross-check lease agreements or property documents to see who is registered as living in the residence.
Ensure that your occupancy count aligns with local laws to avoid any legal issues.

5. Measuring Household Density

Household density refers to the number of residents per square foot in your home. This measurement is particularly important for understanding how crowded your space is and whether your current occupancy aligns with recommended levels for comfort and safety.

Calculate Residents per Square Foot:

Measure the total square footage of your home.
Divide the number of occupants by the total square footage to get the density.

For example, if your house is 2,000 square feet and four people live there, your household density is 1 resident per 500 square feet.

Why This Matters: Measuring household density helps ensure that your home’s space is used efficiently and may also influence security needs based on how many people occupy each room.

6. Determining Occupancy for Renters

If you’re a renter, determining occupancy is crucial to comply with the terms of your lease or rental agreement. You’ll need to ensure that you don’t exceed the maximum number of occupants allowed by your lease or local housing regulations.

Determining Occupancy for Renters: