Apartment vs. Townhouse — What's the Difference?

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.

A townhouse, townhome, town house, or town home, is a type of terraced housing. A modern townhouse is often one with a small footprint on multiple floors.

A flat, typically one that is well appointed or used for holidays

A row house, especially one designed as a single-family residence.

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

A residence in a city, especially in contrast to a residence in the country.

An apartment building

A row house or terraced house.

A room.

A house in an urban setting.

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

(dated) A town hall.

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

A building devoted to the public used of a town; a townhall.

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

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

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.

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

A set or suite of rooms.

A compartment.

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.

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