The seller removed the radiator because it was it would be in the way of his new sliding door closet. Now he has a closet and a bedroom with no heat. :neutral:
How could you tell?
Was there a hole in the floor or did you see a capped pipe below?
Ok one more question.
Is this Beeeerwiiiin!?
My guess is he could tell from the holes in the wall where the gas used to come in from 
Many of the older homes here have closets and bedrooms with no heat. They usually are about 1,000 SF and have only a wall heater or floor heater in the living room.
The radiator valve was still in the floor. 
Is a bedroom without a heat source a code violation if the building is 100 years old or is grandfathered?
Not to the best of my knowledge. In fact, I don’t think bedrooms need a heat source, although the house itself does. I always note when the bedrooms don’t have a heat source because I’ve lived in a home without heat in the bedrooms and found it very inconvenient, not to mention cold. I suspect a lot of people would in today’s world.
Hi Russel!
My main concern is that there was a radiator that the seller removed. I’m wondering if having one and not replacing it would be the issue.
Not to me as long as the house had a heat source. I find lots of radiators removed in older homes here without being replaced because newlyweds are buying the older homes with the radiators. The radiators get hot, and as soon as they have a baby, the radiator is out of there. They also take up a significant amount of space, and in these smaller homes with everyone wanting their own desk, computer, television, etc., that space can be very valuable.
Thanks. 
2003 IRC - R303.8 - Required Heating - When the winter design temperature in table R301.2(1) (all of the continental US) is below 60°F, every dwelling unit shall be provided with heating facilities capable of maintaining a minimum room temperature of 68°F at a point 3 feet above the floor and 2 feet from exterior walls in all habitable rooms at the design temperature. The installation of one or more portable space heaters shall not be used to achieve compliance with this section.
Note: The IRC states that “design temperatures in the western 1/3 of the country must be based on analysis of local climate and topography.” It could be that some areas such as far southern California may have winter design temperatures above 60°F.
Erol…read 2003 IRC R303.8
Why didn’t you leave your earlier post, Michael? It could result in some good discussion.
Here is what I posted earlier then deleted:
I just didn’t feel like getting into a debate. Seems like that is the norm the last few months around here. Less & less help and more & more confrontation.
It’s certainly not like it was when I became Message Board member #143. But it’s like everything in the world–the more people, the more variety, dissenting opinions, etc. So when we have 143 members and, say, 2 bad members, multiply that by 70 and that produces 10,000 members and 140 bad members. However, that still leaves a lot of gray area between bad and good–sometimes bad, only bad after my sports team loses, only bad when Russel says something about marketing, only bad when a vendor tries to be a home inspector, only bad when one didn’t get any sex last night, only bad when a home inspection got canceled without anyone telling me, only bad when…
Mike,
You got to be like the UPS man. Bring it up to the door and leave it, whatever happens after that he doesn’t stick around to watch or referee the fracas after it breaks out.
Good analogy Doug…I’ll have to keep that one in mind.
Russel and Mike.
Thanks for your assistance. They’re going to reinstall the radiator (if they can find it ) and remove the lame closet door. Floor valve is still there for what should be an easy connect.
Gotta dis-agree Russ.
You live in CAL and this is Chicago, where we have real winters.
There are custom radiators and ways to re pipe.
Erol you never answered my question.
Is this the Berwyn inspection you were talking about the other day.
Hi Bob,
Yes this is the antique store in Berwyn. I rarely get these oldies. They’re very interesting with old steam boilers, very solid construction (where not caving in from trees planted 2’’ from exterior) and just a good old fashion historic aura about them. They’re not my niche though. I prefer the ‘welcome to suburbia’ families who look to me as their inspector an educator. Nice wife 
snotty kids, etc; Especially the families that tell me that their agent tried to shove a one hour wonder down their throats.