Until a few years ago, people lived in either houses or flats. Now, however, there seems to be a new habitation unit: the "apartment". Our US cousins of course have either houses or apartments, apartment being the US English equivalent of flat. Yet in the UK now there is evidently a difference. Having read all the relevant literature on the subject, it would seem to me that "apartments" are what I was brought up to refer to as "flats", a living space that is not free standing and shares a common entrance from the street with other living spaces.
The general differentation would appear therefore to be fatuous and boils down to the following: "flats" are naff, "apartments" are "in".

Is this the case? Is there no difference between a flat and an apartment? Or is the lifestyle suggested by modern apartments such a distinguishing feature to merit the seperate term?

Both the same thing are'nt they?

An apartment is a flat but i think the use of the word 'apartment' suggests something a little more luxurious.

'Flat' would be more representitve of a council property.

... but i may be wrong.

We own a luxury apartment and i hate it when people say "your flat" :gag:

The difference is simply a PR exercise.

About £300 if Blundells have anything to do with it :hihi:

Originally posted by Unisol

We own a luxury apartment and i hate it when people say "your flat" :gag:

...but it is a flat.

Snobbery

It depends on the way people see the word "flat", i have always used flat rather than apartment, with friends who live in both council and large owned flats.

apartment is the word you use if you want to try and be posh.
But like spyro says, its still a flat...:hihi:

The difference is cosmetic and to do with estate agent superficiality and people's snobbery. A flat is a flat. An apartment is an American version of a flat.

This PR execise began with the naming of the different areas of the city centre.

Cathederal Quarter.
Devonshire Quarter.
Cultural Industries Quarter.
etc (sorry can't think of any others).

These names didn't exist 10 years ago.

They have been made up by a PR company.

This allowed Sheffield S'hity Council to start making all sorts of claims and attaching values where none had been perceived before.

For example: There is a block of Council Flats near campo lane (Hawley Street).

These are now considered by the Council to have an historic value and context according to them because they are within the Cathederal quarter and so Sheffeild s'hity Council can extort more money from the tenants who live there and wish to purchase, make modification to them etc..

Originally posted by bladeslass
apartment is the word you use if you want to try and be posh.
But like spyro says, its still a flat...:hihi:

Where I live was described by the estate agent as an appartment, but I call it a flat. Or sometimes a house.

it is largely explained by the stigma associated with the word 'flat', which (apart from perhaps in central London) is still redolent of the kind of properties provided by Councils up and down the country.

The word 'apartment' may conjure up an image of spacious living quarters occupied by young urban professionals.

Of course, in New York, if you really want to boast, you can say you live in a loft (which is a type of apartment).

Don't though, say you live in a duplex (which is what they call a semi-detached property), although a condo (for condominium) can conjure up a nice positive image in the right location.

An 'apartment' is a word that an estate agent would use to describe a 'flat'.

So now you can say:


I live in a loft appartment in the Catherderal Quarter.


Instead of:


I live darn tarn ina flat.


Which sounds better?

I live in a flat/apartment/whatever but it REALLY annoys me when someone I know insists on calling it a 'bedsit' to wind me up.

Friends of mine in London insist they live in a "mansion flat", although their address is "flat #".
They also say that flats are council flats.

It's a case of snobbery meeting estate agent language.

Originally posted by Twiglet
I live in a flat/apartment/whatever but it REALLY annoys me when someone I know insists on calling it a 'bedsit' to wind me up.

Aah, the bedsit. Now that would be a single room.

Originally posted by fhain29
Aah, the bedsit. Now that would be a single room.

Studio in estate agent language ;) But mine isn't a single room anyway!

Originally posted by spyro2000
...but it is a flat.

It's actually a duplex penthouse, but apartment will do.

Don't want to appear snobby do we?

:D

Originally posted by Twiglet
Studio in estate agent language ;) But mine isn't a single room anyway!

You could always say that you lived in a 'pied de'terre' or a bijoux residence. A 'stately pile' also sounds good - you don't have to specify what the pile consists of.