When you are seeking the perfect apartment to deem it as your home, there are many terms you will come across. The most common ones are ‘apartment’ and ‘flat’. It can be a tad bit tough to know the distinction between the two. This article will help you enlighten regarding the same.
Apartment versus flat: distinction by locale
The terms ‘apartment’ and ‘flat’ are used so much these days that it is hard to distinguish between the two and what these terms actually mean. To add more to its complication, the terms differ on the basis of the region. Flat is the term that is most commonly used in the UK, so when it is used in the US, it can make some American renters confused. In British English, a flat is what an American would perceive as an apartment. British renters will most likely refer to any single residence in a building with other such spaces as a flat. And when it comes to the British renter, a flat can have any amount of rooms. But when the American renters use the word flat, it means something different. Albeit it is rare, in the US, an apartment has many suitors that share communal spaces which is sometimes referred to as a flat.
Apartment versus flat: distinction by luxury
There is also some distinction between an apartment and a flat on the basis of the level of luxury of each. In the UK, the term apartment is used to describe a posh and an upscale flat, they are often luxury, efficiency type second apartments or serve as a pied-a-terre which is a secondary or temporary kind of housing. Similarly, the American renters might have a different view of a unit which is called ‘flat’. Usually, if a residence is called a flat in the US, it can be referred to as an apartment that is upscale or more luxurious, like Parkwood Apartments.
Finding an apartment or flat
Finding a unit to deem it home is hard but the whole process is complicated with the ambiguity of these terms. In the US, you can use the word flat when you are seeking a multiple suite based apartment. This is uncommon with the college campuses. There are many student focused apartments having mini apartments that all share common living and cooking spaces. Many of these have separate bathrooms and may have one or two sharing bathrooms. You can also use the word flat as an American renter to specify that you are seeking single floor rentals. Some may have a second floor or a loft, and some have climbing stairs which are inaccessible. Hence using the word flat can be proven advantageous.
