Glossary of Types of Apartments for Rent in Ottawa
Posted on October 22, 2008
Filed Under Apartment Living | 18 Comments
Looking through the apartment listings can be a pretty confusing experience. Just what are the differences between a junior one-bedroom and an alcove studio? A convertible three-bedroom and a flex two-bedroom? Knowing the layout of each type of apartment and what features each type contains will greatly improve your chances of finding the perfect apartment rental for your needs and lifestyle.
Walk-Up Apartment / Low-Rise Apartment
A walk-up or low-rise apartment is located in a building that does not have an elevator (which means it might be a bit more difficult when you’re moving in). Walk-ups are usually older buildings that are less than five storeys high and may not have a lot of amenities such as laundry rooms, storage lockers or wheelchair accessibility. Generally, monthly rent for a walk-up is less expensive than the monthly rent for a high-rise apartment.
High-Rise Apartment
A high-rise apartment is found in a building that is generally six or more storeys tall. High-rise apartment buildings have elevators and often have onsite laundry facilities, pools, fitness centres, comprehensive fire alarm systems, and security systems to monitor tenant entry and exit. In addition, many high-rise apartment buildings feature onsite management staff to assist you in the event of an emergency.
Bachelor Apartment / Studio Apartment
A great choice for students, a bachelor apartment (also called a studio apartment or an efficiency apartment) is a small one-room apartment with a separate bathroom. The one room serves as a bedroom, dining room and living room and is usually connected to an open kitchen. Bachelor apartments can range from very small (just big enough for a sofabed and a desk) to very large (with enough room for a king-size bed and a separate sitting area and dining area).
An alcove bachelor (also called a convertible bachelor or convertible studio) is usually configured in an L-shape with a distinct area or nook for dining or sleeping.
1-Bedroom Apartments
A one-bedroom apartment consists of a living room, kitchen, bathroom and a separate bedroom equipped with a built in closet. Occupancy may often be limited to two people.
A junior one-bedroom usually implies an extra-large studio apartment that is large enough to section off a separate sleeping area or bedroom.
2-Bedroom Apartments
A full two-bedroom apartment has two separate bedrooms in addition to a living room. It may or may not have a separate kitchen. Bedroom sizes can vary widely, from a baby’s room or small office to an extra-large master bedroom suite.
A convertible two-bedroom apartment (sometimes called a “flex 2”) is actually a one-bedroom apartment, but it is large enough and laid out in such a way that a wall could be put up to create a second bedroom. Similarly, a convertible three-bedroom (or “flex 3”) is a two-bedroom apartment that can be converted into 3 bedrooms.
A wing apartment usually has two bedrooms as well as a small common area such as an eat-in kitchen, but no living room. These apartments are ideal for students or roommates who don’t require much in the way of common living space.
Loft
A loft can be classified as a big, open space with few internal walls. Usually the result from a commercial building having been converted into residential units, lofts generally have very high ceilings, extra-large windows and often have exposed plumbing pipes and columns.
Penthouse Apartment
A penthouse is an apartment on the top floor of an apartment building, usually featuring extra balconies or a rooftop deck. A penthouse is normally considered to be quite luxurious and is an extremely desirable (albeit expensive) place to live.
Basement Apartment
As the name implies, a basement apartment is located in the lowest storey of a building and is partially below ground level. Windows and proper ceiling height are enforced by city codes. This type of apartment can also refer to the basement on a house that has been converted to an apartment. This type of basement apartment may have its own separate entrance and may have its own bathroom, kitchen, laundry room and heating system separate from the rest of the house.
Duplex Apartment
A duplex is an apartment with two levels. This could include a true bi-level apartment with an enclosed upstairs and downstairs, or it could also be an open space with an extra-high ceiling and a loft or mezzanine.
Railroad Apartment
In a railroad apartment, there is no hallway. This type of apartment consists of a series of rooms that are connected to each other in a straight line (just like cars on a train), meaning a tenant will have to walk through each room to get from one end of the apartment to the other.
Balcony / Terrace
The terms balcony and terrace are often used interchangeably to indicate a railed platform extending from the outside of the apartment. It can be small enough to accommodate one or two people standing or large enough for a picnic table, lounge chairs and plants.
Watch the video related to studio apartment living
living in a box surrounded by lots of other box dwellers
Help answer the question about studio apartment living
i will be living in a small studio apartment very soon. should i get a roommate?i have some close guy friends that could be my roommmate. obviously, i'd have to pick only one.
do you think i should have a roommate? the apartment is small. it has a small living room, kitchen, one big bathroom, and a small bedroom.
what do you recommend and i will have a big king bed in my room sooo would it be weird if we both slept on the bed or what should i do?
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18 Responses to “Glossary of Types of Apartments for Rent in Ottawa”
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nice———we have a frog fo the kit.
400sq ft is pretty good for a single person its bigger than most r.v.s. amd doen’t roll. you can do alot with the space if you know how,
Rent in most big cities can be really expensive. If you're single, then a studio is the cheapest way to live.
Yes, it's uncomfortable, but that's the price to pay for the luxury of living in the city.
I live in Toronto, and rents are sky-high in the downtown area. I live in a small one-bedroom. It's really small (not a studio though), but I wouldn't give up the size if it meant giving up my location. I love my neighborhood, and if I had to choose a studio to be able to live here I would.
There is no standard percentage. Some floor plans are much more efficient than others- lack hallways and such. Besides there are a lot of people that want a huge part of the square footage in the kitchen and bath.
From experience:
-Rent is cheaper
-Furnishing is easier
-Utilities are less
BUT, you must be willing to live in a space that requires absolute organization. With all living space combined, you need to maintain order..i.e. don't leave out leftover pizza all night, or it will be an unpleasant wakeup call!
nice man. u livin that GOOOOD life. lol
You want a smaller breed that is low-energy. And one that doesn't bark a lot (because that will annoy your neighbors). A lot of apartments have weight or size restrictions on dogs too, so I'd find out what the rules are at the apartment before getting one.
Some smallish low energy breeds are:
French Bulldogs
English Bulldogs
Italian Greyhounds
Other breeds that could be good are:
Pugs (not high energy and don't bark a lot)
Some types of Spaniels like Cocker Spaniels or Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Chihuahua
Papillion
Whippet
Just stay away from any type of "terrier" dog since they bark a whole lot. That includes Beagles.
Animal Planet has a "dog breed selector" tool where you can answer questions and they'll tell you what type of dog is best for you:
http://animal.discovery.com/breedselector/dogselector.do
That is a GREAT deal, in Sydney a $240 studio gets you an old run down studio with a shitty 1940’s kitchen and old floorboards. One like yours here would be round $300, and that would be in a hald decent area
Yo! UR crib is nIcE!
wow, very nice!!
Ikea.
That looks amazin. im trying to get a studio here in Sydney but there really pricey and tiny, how much do you per week there in the states?
If your only fear is the dark, you can keep nightlights going, and you'd be fine. But if your fear is really more about being alone, then I'd strongly suggest you get an apartment share.
Why torture yourself? You can get your own room in an apartment shared with other people, have a bit of privacy, but still have the security of the others being around you.
Thanks! I’ll message you.
$80 electric
$20 water if it is not included in rent
$25 telephone
$25 cable tv
$10 dial-up internet; $40 cable internet
$200 groceries (after you have done your initial shopping trip to get bags of sugar and flour and rice)
$20 gas if your apartment offers gas utilities
$50 gas for your car
no roommate. it would be a bit arkward to share such a small space with a friend.
were i live you can get one for $160-$205 i don’t pay for heat either since i have a space heater. so utilities is just water and electricity. so about an extra $60 a month
It depends on how much you eat and what you buy. What about utilities or a phone? Be sure you allow yourself enough money to live on and go places and buy those things you want and need. Good luck. . .And remember prices are going up and going up fast.