Some people say flats are very different to apartments, whereas others argue it’s another ‘British thing’ trying to confuse Americans (like calling the bathroom a loo).
Let’s dive in and solve the mystery.
Is there really any difference between an apartment and a flat?
The secret is out: both words are synonyms of each other – i.e. they mean the same thing. Most of the time.
We are talking about one unit that that is part of a larger building.
Why do they both exist if they mean the same?
To answer this we need to go back to see when these words came about:
Apartment
Origin: French
First Used*: 1640
Meaning: Comes from the word ‘appartere’, literally meaning ‘a separated place’.
Apartments were previously rooms in Roman houses (mainly to house servants). The word started to appear in Paris when purpose built apartment blocks were built in the city. These apartments were built from 1800s onwards and had some style to them.
Unfortunately the ‘style’ element did not make its way over to the US. In fact, the first apartments to appear in New York at the time were similar to slums (due to no building regulations). Old floor plans show some flats containing 21 bedrooms (6ft long by 6ft wide), of which 15 had no external windows!
It was only after building control measures came in that apartments began to become more luxurious and the word attracted pride.
Flat
Origin: Scottish
Meaning: Comes from the word ‘flett’, meaning a flat ground.
Flats have been the common word in the UK to describe multiple dwellings in one single building. Similar to in Europe, flats were originally made by subdividing larger homes into smaller ones.
As they became more common in the 1970s onwards, developers started to build high rise buildings dedicated for flats. The similarity with the glamorous type of housing in American cities led to the British calling these apartments instead.
So in short – both words are correct and denote the same object.
Is a condominium the same as an apartment?
A condominium (or condo) is not used in the UK and only applies to US properties.
The word condominium is used to clarify that the property is owned instead of rented. Condos tend to be flats, but there have been more houses that have been sold as condos recently in the US.
In the US the word apartment is only used if the ‘flat’ is rented. If someone is renting a house instead it is called a rental. Confused? We don’t blame you.
For buying any properties in the UK that look like apartments – i.e. a single dwelling as part of a larger building – you will come across the words ‘apartment’ or ‘flat’ but not ‘condo’.
UK Ownership
Unlike houses (where each owner has their individual responsibilities for maintaining theirs) with flats by their very nature there are common areas to maintain. These include things you can see (like stairs, cleaning, lighting) and other hidden costs such as building insurance.
When looking to buy a flat in the UK, it is useful to understand your ownership rights. Some flats can be sold individually through leasehold agreements, which limit the amount of time you own them for.
Other flats are sold in a way that gives the owner a share of the land the building is on, also known as share of freehold.