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Types of Apartments

Foram Mehta
There are many different types of apartments. They are meant to fit into the diverse needs of individuals depending on the number of occupants, purpose, budget, location and need.
An apartment is defined as a suite of rooms on one floor of an apartment house, also known as a 'flat' in British English. There are many types of apartments which are distinguished on the basis of the difference in their size, capacity, location, amenities and facilities. Here is a short description talking about the features of each type of apartment.

Apartment Hotel

An apartment hotel is a rented apartment having a hotel type booking system. It is not based on fixed contracts or tenants. The occupants can 'check in' and 'check out' whenever they wish. It is a replacement for a hotel room and is cheaper than a good hotel.

Basement Apartment

A basement apartment is an apartment that is located underground and usually has a structure constructed over it. These apartments are available at a cheaper rate than others because of the disturbances and a few issues with living underground.
The owners normally live in the apartment above the basement apartment and they supervise the tenants underground. Though it is mostly used as a storeroom, in many places, living in a basement apartment is considered illegal.

Garage Apartment

A garage apartment is an apartment which is built using the same walls of a garage or above a garage. The garage usually has a separate entry and may or may not connect with the main house. This is a type of an 'Accessory Dwelling Unit' (ADU).

Penthouse Apartment

A penthouse is a building that is located on the top floor of a building. It is considered as a luxurious place to live in because of the added amenities like balconies, roof top deck, etc.

Serviced Apartment

A serviced apartment is an apartment that is fully furnished and is equipped with all the amenities required by a tenant. It is normally used for a short term stay or sometimes for even a long term stay.
The cost of these apartments works out to be equal to a stay in a hotel but it is preferred over a hotel because, it has more space and is more convenient for a family to live in as one can cook their own meals there, as if it were their own house.

Studio Apartment

A studio apartment or flat is a small apartment with a kitchen, a living room and a bedroom in just one room. It is compact to live, with rooms/sections visible from the other sections and close to each other. You can customize it beautifully if you want.

Railroad Apartment

Railroad apartments are apartments in which a series of rooms are connected to each other, not directly but through a hallway. It is known as a railroad apartment because, the rooms are lined up like the compartments of a train. This model was initially developed in New York City for the purpose of solving the problem of overcrowding in the urban areas.

Corporate Housing

A corporate housing is a business apartment which is allocated to or given to military employees or corporates as an option against the traditional hotel stay or for an extended stay.

Cold Water Flat

A cold water flat is an apartment in which hot running water is not facilitated. These apartments normally don't have showers in-built in them and the tenant has to heat the water on the stove for usage. It is considered illegal in many places, but is still operative in a few places.

Condominium

A condominium is an apartment house, which is owned by a few people but the legal right lies in the hands of a particular individual. It is an apartment that is owned by the resident and is not rented, although, its rooms are let out on rent to individuals as paying guests.

Loft

It is a floor having open space at the top of a house just below the roof; often for storage or residential use. It is normally an open space that has been converted into a shelter for commercial or even residential use.

One, Two and Three Bedroom Apartment

These are apartments with one, two and three bedrooms, respectively. The number rooms can go up to 6 as well. These apartments have one, two, and three rooms; with each room facilitated with a bathroom and the apartment has a living room attached with a kitchen.

Maisonette

A maisonette is a ground floor apartment with two entrance doors. One entry is a private street entry and the other is to the lobby of the apartment. It's a full service apartment and is preferred for its privacy.

Alcove

An Alcove is nothing but a 'L' shaped studio flat which normally is straight in formation. It is more spacious than a normal studio apartment and offers a bay for sleeping or dining.

Bachelor Apartment

A bachelor apartment, just like a studio flat, is but smaller in size. It is known as a bachelor apartment because it is apt for a bachelor lifestyle and also it can only fit in one person comfortably.

High Rise Apartment

A high rise apartment is known as an Apartment Block or an Apartment Tower which is a tall structure used for residential or commercial purposes. It has elevators, and are like skyscrapers. They are referred to as 'Multiple Dwelling Units' (MDU).

Low Rise Apartment

This is not a very tall apartment, defined as "a 115 feet tall structure" by Emporis and also, as a building which rises from 1 story to 4 stories, by Toronto. They are private and less luxurious than high-rise apartment towers.
These are types of apartments, ranging from cheap to luxurious ones, and you can select the one to live in as per your suitability (if you are on the lookout for one).
You also have an option to customize a rental apartment. You can buy your own apartment or even rent one, by choosing any of these types that fit your budget.