Knowledge Centre
Find the meaning of various terms related to renting & letting here.
When renting a new home, there's more to consider than simply picking a property and moving in. Especially when you're searching for a rental for the first time, there are several things to keep in mind. If you're new to the world of renting, you'll likely come across terms you're not familiar with, such as delivery condition, rent protection, and the rent tribunal. These are terms you really should know when you're renting a place on your own, as it's likely you'll deal with one or more of these aspects.
Apartment
What does this entail?
Searching for a new home is not the easiest task. It is also a big decision to consider the type of home you want to live in. There are detached houses, terraced houses, corner houses, semi-detached, large villas, studios, student rooms, and apartments. So, there's something for everyone, but what suits you? What type of residence matches your lifestyle, budget, and household composition? Here, you can learn more about living in an apartment.
An apartment?
An apartment is a residence that is part of a (large) residential complex, such as a block of flats or a retirement complex. An apartment is usually part of a floor. So, you have neighbors next to you who also live in an apartment. Often, there are neighbors above or below you, unless your apartment is on the ground floor or the top floor. You also share a staircase and possibly a lift with other residents of the complex. There's often a shared front door that everyone uses the same key for. This door typically leads to the staircase, and of course, the apartment residents have their own front door key to their individual apartment.
Types of apartments
An apartment has its own sanitary facilities, a private kitchen, and a personal mailbox. Everything you need to live is private for you. You don't need to share anything with other residents in the flat. An apartment has more than one room (apart from the bathroom). The kitchen and bedroom are therefore separate. If an apartment only has one room with a separate bathroom, it's considered a 'studio'. If your apartment has more than one floor, with stairs to an upper or lower floor, it's classified as a 'maisonnette'.
Outdoor space
Depending on the type of complex, price, and location, you have limited access to outdoor space. You naturally don't have your own private garden but often have a private balcony. These can vary greatly in size; the apartment you're interested in might have space for a lounge set, but it might also just fit a folding chair. The complex often also has an inner garden. Depending on the owners of the complex, this area can be used for sitting outside and reading a book, accessible to all residents. Sometimes these communal spaces are used for social gatherings or barbecues. It may also be used as bicycle storage.
For whom?
In principle, an apartment is available for everyone. However, you often don't see whole families living there unless it's a large, luxurious apartment. Generally, apartments are home to singles, young couples, or elderly people. Apartments can vary greatly in size. Some are very small and really meant for one person. However, there are also very luxurious apartments where you can live in a child-friendly area with friendly, attentive neighbors. Depending on the type of apartment, you can live there with a (large) family, but generally, you'll find couples or people in their twenties living there.