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Apartment vs. House — What's the Difference?

By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 16, 2023
An apartment is a self-contained housing unit within a larger building, while a house is a standalone structure typically offering more space and privacy.
Apartment vs. House — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Apartment and House

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Key Differences

An apartment is a unit within a larger residential building that houses multiple such units, often sharing common areas like hallways or staircases. On the other hand, a house is an independent building, usually standing alone, that doesn't share its internal space with other dwellings.
Living in an apartment generally involves dealing with a property management company or a landlord, and sometimes paying monthly fees for maintenance. Owning or renting a house usually means more autonomy in property decisions but also more responsibility for repairs and maintenance.
Typically, an apartment might offer limited space when compared to a house, constraining residents to be more efficient with their use of space. On the flip side, a house often provides more spacious living quarters, a yard, and sometimes additional structures like a garage.
Location often plays a role in the choice between an apartment and a house. Apartments are frequently found in urban settings, providing residents with close proximity to city amenities. A house, while also available in cities, is commonly associated with suburban or rural settings, offering a different kind of environment and lifestyle.
Security considerations may vary between an apartment and a house. Apartments in large complexes often have added security measures like doormen or controlled access. However, a house might offer more privacy but could require the homeowner to implement their own security measures.
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Comparison Chart

Structure

Unit within a larger building
Standalone structure

Ownership/Management

Often involves property management or landlord
Direct ownership or single landlord

Space

Typically more compact
Generally offers more space

Location

Predominantly urban
Can be urban, suburban, or rural

Privacy

Shared walls with neighbors
Independent walls, often more private

Compare with Definitions

Apartment

A residence shared with other similar units in a collective building.
After college, she moved into her first apartment.

House

A building for human habitation.
They bought a house in the suburbs.

Apartment

A self-contained unit within a larger residential building.
She rented an apartment in the city center.

House

A residence usually composed of walls, rooms, and amenities.
The family's house had a beautiful garden.

Apartment

A set of rooms used as a dwelling in a building.
The penthouse apartment had a beautiful view of the skyline.

House

A house is a single-unit residential building, which may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Houses use a range of different roofing systems to keep precipitation such as rain from getting into the dwelling space.

Apartment

A space partitioned off in a larger structure for living purposes.
His apartment was on the third floor of the complex.

House

A building for human habitation, especially one that consists of a ground floor and one or more upper storeys
House prices
A house of Cotswold stone

Apartment

A habitable section within a structure, often leased.
The apartment was small but cozy.

House

A building in which people meet for a particular activity
A house of prayer

Apartment

An apartment (American English), or flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) that occupies only part of a building, generally on a single story. There are many names for these overall buildings, see below.

House

A religious community that occupies a particular building
The Cistercian house at Clairvaux

Apartment

A flat, typically one that is well appointed or used for holidays
Self-catering holiday apartments

House

A legislative or deliberative assembly
The sixty-member National Council, the country's upper house

Apartment

A room or suite of rooms designed as a residence and generally located in a building occupied by more than one household.

House

A style of electronic dance music typically having sparse, repetitive vocals and a fast beat
DJs specializing in techno, garage, and house

Apartment

An apartment building
A row of high-rise apartments.

House

A twelfth division of the celestial sphere, based on the positions of the ascendant and midheaven at a given time and place, and determined by any of a number of methods.

Apartment

A room.

House

Old-fashioned term for bingo

Apartment

Apartments Chiefly British A suite of rooms within a larger building set aside for a particular purpose or person.

House

(of an animal or plant) kept in, frequenting, or infesting buildings.

Apartment

A complete domicile occupying only part of a building, especially one for rent; a flat.
Apartment dwellers

House

Relating to a firm, institution, or society
A house journal

Apartment

(archaic) A suite of rooms within a domicile, designated for a specific person or persons and including a bedroom.

House

Provide with shelter or accommodation
They converted a disused cinema to house twelve employees

Apartment

(obsolete) A division of an enclosure that is separate from others; a compartment

House

Provide space for; contain or accommodate
The museum houses a collection of Roman sculpture

Apartment

A conceptual space used for separation in the threading architecture. Objects in one apartment cannot directly access those in another, but must use a proxy.

House

A structure serving as a dwelling for one or more persons, especially for a family.

Apartment

A room in a building; a division in a house, separated from others by partitions.

House

A household or family.

Apartment

A set or suite of rooms.

House

Something, such as a burrow or shell, that serves as a shelter or habitation for a wild animal.

Apartment

A compartment.

House

A dwelling for a group of people, such as students or members of a religious community, who live together as a unit
A sorority house.

Apartment

A room or suite of rooms in a building comprising a dwelling unit separate from others in the building, and typically having its own separate bath, sanitary, and kitchen facilities. Such apartments are in most cases rented from the owner by those dwelling in them.

House

A building that functions as the primary shelter or location of something
A carriage house.
The lion house at the zoo.

Apartment

A suite of rooms usually on one floor of an apartment house

House

A building devoted to a particular activity
A customs house.
A house of worship.

House

A facility, such as a theater or restaurant, that provides entertainment or food for the public
A movie house.
The specialty of the house.

House

The seating area in such an establishment
Dimmed the lights in the house to signal the start of the show.

House

The audience or patrons of such an establishment
A full house.

House

A commercial firm
A brokerage house.

House

A publishing company
A house that specializes in cookbooks.

House

A gambling casino.

House

(Slang) A house of prostitution.

House

A residential college within a university.

House

Often House A legislative or deliberative assembly.

House

The hall or chamber in which such an assembly meets.

House

A quorum of such an assembly.

House

Often House A family line including ancestors and descendants, especially a royal or noble family
The House of Orange.

House

One of the 12 parts into which the heavens are divided in astrology.

House

The sign of the zodiac indicating the seat or station of a planet in the heavens. Also called mansion.

House

House music.

House

To provide living quarters for; lodge
The cottage housed ten students.

House

To shelter, keep, or store in a house or other structure
A library housing rare books.

House

To fit (something) into a socket or mortise.

House

(Nautical) To secure or stow safely.

House

To reside; dwell.

House

To take shelter.

House

A structure built or serving as an abode of human beings.
This is my house and my family's ancestral home.

House

An apartment building within a public housing estate.

House

(uncountable) Size and quality of residential accommodations.

House

A building intended to contain a single household, as opposed to an apartment or condominium or building containing these.

House

The people who live in a house; a household.

House

A building used for something other than a residence (typically with qualifying word).
The former carriage house had been made over into a guest house.
On arriving at the zoo, we immediately headed for the monkey house.

House

A place of business; a company or organisation, especially a printing press, a publishing company, or a couturier.
A small publishing house would have a contract with an independent fulfillment house.

House

A place of public accommodation or entertainment, especially a public house, an inn, a restaurant, a theatre, or a casino; or the management thereof.
One more, sir, then I'll have to stop serving you – rules of the house, I'm afraid.
The house always wins.

House

(historical) A workhouse.

House

The audience for a live theatrical or similar performance.

House

A theatre.
After her swan-song, there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

House

(politics) A building where a deliberative assembly meets; whence the assembly itself, particularly a component of a legislature.
The petition was so ridiculous that the house rejected it after minimal debate.

House

A dynasty; a family with its ancestors and descendants, especially a royal or noble one.
A curse lay upon the House of Atreus.

House

(metaphorical) A place of rest or repose.

House

A grouping of schoolchildren for the purposes of competition in sports and other activities.
I was a member of Spenser house when I was at school.

House

An animal's shelter or den, or the shell of an animal such as a snail, used for protection.

House

(astrology) One of the twelve divisions of an astrological chart.

House

(cartomancy) The fourth Lenormand card.

House

A square on a chessboard, regarded as the proper place of a piece.

House

(curling) The four concentric circles where points are scored on the ice.

House

Lotto; bingo.

House

(uncountable) A children's game in which the players pretend to be members of a household.
As the babysitter, Emma always acted as the mother whenever the kids demanded to play house.

House

A small stand of trees in a swamp.

House

(sudoku) A set of cells in a Sudoku puzzle which must contain each digit exactly once, such as a row, column, or 3×3 box in classic Sudoku.

House

(music genre) House music.

House

(transitive) To keep within a structure or container.
The car is housed in the garage.

House

(transitive) To admit to residence; to harbor.

House

To take shelter or lodging; to abide; to lodge.

House

To dwell within one of the twelve astrological houses.

House

(transitive) To contain or cover mechanical parts.

House

(transitive) To contain one part of an object for the purpose of locating the whole.
The joists were housed into the side walls, rather than being hung from them.

House

(obsolete) To drive to a shelter.

House

(obsolete) To deposit and cover, as in the grave.

House

(nautical) To stow in a safe place; to take down and make safe.
To house the upper spars

House

To eat.

House

A structure intended or used as a habitation or shelter for animals of any kind; but especially, a building or edifice for the habitation of man; a dwelling place, a mansion.
Houses are built to live in; not to look on.
Bees with smoke and doves with noisome stenchAre from their hives and houses driven away.

House

Household affairs; domestic concerns; particularly in the phrase to keep house. See below.

House

Those who dwell in the same house; a household.
One that feared God with all his house.

House

A family of ancestors, descendants, and kindred; a race of persons from the same stock; a tribe; especially, a noble family or an illustrious race; as, the house of Austria; the house of Hanover; the house of Israel.
The last remaining pillar of their house,The one transmitter of their ancient name.

House

One of the estates of a kingdom or other government assembled in parliament or legislature; a body of men united in a legislative capacity; as, the House of Lords; the House of Commons; the House of Representatives; also, a quorum of such a body. See Congress, and Parliament.

House

A firm, or commercial establishment.

House

A public house; an inn; a hotel.

House

A twelfth part of the heavens, as divided by six circles intersecting at the north and south points of the horizon, used by astrologers in noting the positions of the heavenly bodies, and casting horoscopes or nativities. The houses were regarded as fixed in respect to the horizon, and numbered from the one at the eastern horizon, called the ascendant, first house, or house of life, downward, or in the direction of the earth's revolution, the stars and planets passing through them in the reverse order every twenty-four hours.

House

A square on a chessboard, regarded as the proper place of a piece.

House

An audience; an assembly of hearers, as at a lecture, a theater, etc.; as, a thin or a full house.

House

The body, as the habitation of the soul.
This mortal house I'll ruin,Do Cæsar what he can.

House

The grave.

House

To take or put into a house; to shelter under a roof; to cover from the inclemencies of the weather; to protect by covering; as, to house one's family in a comfortable home; to house farming utensils; to house cattle.
At length have housed me in a humble shed.
House your choicest carnations, or rather set them under a penthouse.

House

To drive to a shelter.

House

To admit to residence; to harbor.
Palladius wished him to house all the Helots.

House

To deposit and cover, as in the grave.

House

To stow in a safe place; to take down and make safe; as, to house the upper spars.

House

To take shelter or lodging; to abide to dwell; to lodge.
You shall not house with me.

House

A dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families;
He has a house on Cape Cod
She felt she had to get out of the house

House

An official assembly having legislative powers;
The legislature has two houses

House

A building in which something is sheltered or located;
They had a large carriage house

House

A social unit living together;
He moved his family to Virginia
It was a good Christian household
I waited until the whole house was asleep
The teacher asked how many people made up his home

House

A building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented;
The house was full

House

Members of a business organization that owns or operates one or more establishments;
He worked for a brokerage house

House

Aristocratic family line;
The House of York

House

The members of a religious community living together

House

The audience gathered together in a theatre or cinema;
The house applauded
He counted the house

House

Play in which children take the roles of father or mother or children and pretend to interact like adults;
The children were playing house

House

(astrology) one of 12 equal areas into which the zodiac is divided

House

The management of a gambling house or casino;
The house gets a percentage of every bet

House

Contain or cover;
This box houses the gears

House

Provide housing for;
The immigrants were housed in a new development outside the town

House

A standalone structure serving as a dwelling for one or more persons.
The old house at the end of the street had a mysterious aura.

House

A shelter or building where people live.
They painted their house a bright shade of blue.

House

A structure typically larger than an apartment, offering private living.
They moved from an apartment to a house when their family grew.

Common Curiosities

What's the primary difference between an apartment and a house?

An apartment is a unit in a larger building, while a house is a standalone structure.

Is an apartment always smaller than a house?

Generally, apartments are more compact, but some can be spacious. Houses usually offer more space.

Can you own an apartment?

Yes, one can own an apartment, often referred to as a condo; while houses are typically bought or rented.

Do apartments always have shared walls?

Most apartments have shared walls with adjacent units, unlike standalone houses.

Are security considerations different for each?

Apartments might have building security, while houses may require individual security measures.

Who manages apartments?

Apartments are often managed by property management companies or landlords, whereas a house might be managed by its owner.

Which offers a more communal living experience?

Apartments might have a more communal feel due to shared spaces, while houses offer more separation.

Are houses typically more expensive than apartments?

Houses often cost more due to space and land, but location and amenities can make apartments similarly priced.

Do apartments come with outdoor space?

Some apartments might have balconies or shared outdoor areas, while houses often have private yards.

Can both be rented or leased?

Yes, both apartments and houses can be rented or leased based on owner preference.

Do all houses come with garages?

Not all houses have garages, just as not all apartments come with parking spots.

Which is more private, an apartment or a house?

Houses typically offer more privacy as they don't have shared internal spaces like apartments.

Is maintenance responsibility different for both?

Apartment residents might pay fees for shared maintenance, whereas house residents handle their own or hire services.

Which is more common in urban settings?

Apartments are more prevalent in urban areas, while houses are common in both urban and suburban settings.

Which is better for a larger family?

Houses generally offer more space, making them more suitable for larger families than apartments.

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Tayyaba Rehman
Tayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.

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