Often, when we search in real estate websites we see different types of units including apartment and flat, so what is the difference?
We’re all looking for the same thing, so it becomes this swirl of similar content that it’s hard to sift through to find things you didn’t already know.
There is only one type of content that can help us break the cycle: content created after careful research from multiple, authoritative sources.
So to help you and increase your knowledge when searching for a property, I have collected this information for you, you will learn something new today my friend.
Apartment vs Flat: Definition, Meaning and Usage
| Apartment | Flat |
| The apartment is mainly used in American English | Flat is mainly used in British English |
| Can have multi floors | Contains one floor |
| Sometimes refers to luxurious and expensive flats | Sometimes refers to low-quality apartments |
What’s a Flat?!
The term flat is used mainly in British English, and a flat usually consists of a group of rooms on one floor only.
All definitions assert that a flat has only one floor, and the term flat can also refer to a free-standing unit that has been converted into an old building.
In some countries, the term flat can refer to lower-quality housing units intended for families with lower incomes.
What’s an Apartment?!
The term apartment is used primarily in American English as a room or group of rooms designed as a dwelling, located in a building occupied by more than one family.
In the UK, the term apartment is more commonly used in professional real estate and architectural circles, the term is sometimes used to refer to luxury apartments.
So tell me, do you live in an apartment or a flat?