It is common for one to see or hear the word flat or apartment in daily life in newspapers, news channels, and in classifieds. The words are used interchangeably by common people and, in fact, even by the builders and construction agencies who build these housing units. A flat is a self-contained housing unit in a multilevel high rise building that contains many such units. An apartment is also a self-contained dwelling unit in a series of such units inside the same building structure. Let us find out in this article if the two words refer to the same structure or is there any difference between these two housing units.
Flat
Flat is a word that is commonly encountered in UK and nearly all other commonwealth countries. It is used to refer to a self-contained dwelling unit inside a structure that houses many other such units. With the industrial revolution and large scale migration of people from rural areas to cities in search of employment, it became necessary to build high rise buildings in cities to fulfill the needs of residential units for a large number of people. Large property owners agreed to demolish their bungalows to build such high rise building as they could own a much higher number of dwelling units called flats that fetched rent per month for them.
Apartment
Apartment is a word that is used to refer to a residential unit inside a large structure or building that contains many other such dwelling units. In entire North America, an apartment is believed to be the same as a flat, with flat being the word used in UK for the same residential unit. An apartment is a dwelling unit in a multistory building that has at least 2 or more stories. However, a duplex structure is not referred to as apartments in some places.
What is the difference between Flat and Apartment?
• Flat and apartment are words that are used to refer to self-contained housing units inside buildings and structures that contain many other such units.
• Flat is a word that is used more commonly in UK and the rest of the Commonwealth whereas apartment is preferred in North America.
• In some places like Malaysia, flat is considered down market whereas apartment is considered posh.
• Apartments are classified as 1 BHK, 2 BHK, and so on depending upon the number of bedrooms inside them.
• Apartments are also called studio, bachelor, furnished, or unfurnished.