Apartment VS Service Apartment
In today’s urban lifestyle, living in an apartment in high-rise buildings is the norm. Go to any big city like Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, or even New York, ask someone where they live and the most likely answer you’ll get is a form of an apartment complex. While apartments are commonplace, there is another type of living space that isn’t as widespread but offers much more, and these are serviced apartments.
Since the names are very similar it isn’t unlikely to confuse the two, especially for those who are not familiar with the term. And why not? Both are places where you live, both are mostly found in high-rise buildings and both are popular in big cities.
That being said, there are still differences between the two, and that is what we will be discussing in this article. Here is the difference between an apartment and a serviced apartment.
What Is An Apartment?
To put it simply, an apartment (also known as a flat or a unit) is a self-contained living space or housing unit located within a residential building. Most apartments are usually rented out to individuals or families by their respective owners/landlords, for an extended period of time. A rented apartment does not necessarily come fully furnished and renters are responsible for maintaining and looking after the apartment. Most apartments, being residential units, will have a population density based on units or population per land size. Utilities used are also subject to residential rates.
What Is An Apartment House?
The apartment house is also called the apartment block. The building contains more than one dwelling unit.
What Is An Apartment Building?
Any residential space in two or more dwelling units that occupy the same property is called an apartment building. Each unit has a separate room or a set of such rooms for people to live in. So in simple terms, an apartment building has similar sets of units in one building, which are designed for use as a dwelling.
What Is An Apartment Complex?
A group of buildings that contain more than one or two apartments and are managed by the same company means an apartment complex.
What Is A Serviced Apartment?
A serviced apartment (also known as a service apartment, an extended stay apartment, or a serviced condo) can be defined as a type of fully furnished apartment, which can be used for both short-term and long-term or extended stays. One room or set of rooms provides amenities for daily use such as a pantry, recreation room, fully stocked kitchen, bathroom, Wi-Fi, washing machine, regular housekeeping, and other services. Many compare them to hotel rooms, but more affordable. Most serviced apartments are rented out to tourists, people on business trips, and professors giving presentations and talks. Most serviced apartments are considered to be commercial real estate and are hence subject to commercial rates for utilities like electricity, water, sewage, etc., which are normally much higher than residential rates. Being commercial properties, a serviced apartment’s population density will be based on plot ratio or the total built-up area per land size and this might mean more neighbors.
Apartment VS Serviced Apartment
| Apartment | Serviced Apartment |
| Living spaces in residential buildings | Living spaces in commercial buildings |
| Mostly rented for an extended stay | May be rented for long or short term stay |
| May or may not come fully furnished | Always comes fully furnished |
| Must be maintained by those who live there | Normally maintained by housekeeping service |
| Mostly rented out to individuals and families | Mostly rented out to vacationers and those on business trips |
| Population density based on units or population per land size | Population density based on plot ratio, or the total built-up area per land size (may mean more neighbors) |
| Utilities subject to residential rates | Utilities subject to commercial rates |
FAQ
Is An Apartment A House?
- technically it is considered a house since it is used for human habitation.
What Is A Flat In An Apartment?
- The flat is when British English, Indian English, and South African English people called an apartment.
What Does The Word Apartment Mean?
- Word apartment comes from French Appartement and Italian Appartamento.
Are serviced apartments cheaper?
- Serviced apartments are cheaper than the average room rent for a standard single hotel room. This is because serviced apartments typically come with more space and facilities, such as a kitchen and bathroom.
Knowing all this now, which one would you go for? Whatever your answer is, at least now you can make an informed choice. You can use property search to help you find the right choice.
Liked what you read? Check out this article next: Condominiums Vs Serviced Apartments: 5 Things You Need To Know Before Buying
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