A maisonette is a self-contained flat, typically arranged over two floors and often with its own entrance. In UK property terminology, an apartment is generally another word for a flat. This means a maisonette is not the opposite of an apartment. It is a particular type of flat or apartment.
When property listings compare a maisonette with an apartment, they are usually comparing a split-level home with more independent access against a conventional flat on one floor, often reached through a communal entrance. The words alone do not tell you what you will own, what you will pay or which spaces you can use. Always check the floorplan, title and lease.
The Office for National Statistics describes an apartment as another word for a flat and a maisonette as a two-storey flat. The RICS Find a Surveyor glossary uses a broader description: a home within a larger building, typically on two storeys, with a separate entrance. Property descriptions do vary, which is why the details of the individual home matter more than its label.
The definitions apply broadly across the UK. The legal, planning and Shared Ownership guidance later in this article is for buyers in England. Different rules and ownership systems apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
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What is a maisonette?
The easiest way to picture a maisonette is as a small house within a larger building. You may have your own front door, then an internal staircase connecting your living space on one floor with bedrooms on another. Another home may sit above, below or beside yours, so the building is still divided into separate properties.
A maisonette may be:
- purpose-built as part of a low-rise development;
- created by converting a larger house into separate homes;
- arranged above a shop or another commercial space;
- on the ground and first floors of a larger block; or
- an upper home reached by its own external entrance or staircase.
Some estate agents also use “maisonette” for a single-level home with its own door. Others use “duplex” for a flat over two floors. There is no substitute for looking at the floorplan and asking exactly how the home is accessed.
A maisonette does not automatically come with a garden, parking space or freehold. Nor is it necessarily larger, cheaper or more expensive than another flat. Those details depend on the property, location, title and lease.
What is an apartment or flat?
In the UK, “apartment” and “flat” usually mean the same thing: a self-contained home that forms part of a larger building. “Apartment” is often used in the marketing of newer developments, but it does not create a different form of ownership.
A typical apartment has its rooms on one floor and is reached through a shared lobby, hallway, staircase or lift. Some developments also have communal gardens, cycle stores, workspaces, a concierge or a residents’ lounge. These can be useful, but they are features of that development rather than features of every apartment. They may also contribute to the service charge.
What does living in a maisonette feel like?
Imagine arriving home with shopping. In a ground-floor maisonette, you may be able to walk through your own front door without crossing a communal lobby. Once inside, the stairs can create a natural division: cooking and relaxing downstairs, sleeping and working upstairs.
That separation can be useful when more than one person is at home. The trade-off is that you will use those stairs every day, sometimes while carrying laundry, a pushchair or furniture. A maisonette can still share walls, floors, a roof and drainage with neighbouring homes. An independent entrance can feel private, but it does not make the property a detached house.
Maisonette or apartment: which one might suit you?
There is no universal winner. Start with your ordinary Tuesday rather than the most impressive photograph in the listing.
A maisonette may appeal if you:
- value having a front door that is separate from an internal communal hallway;
- want a visible divide between daytime and sleeping space;
- are comfortable using stairs every day;
- have confirmed that any garden, parking or storage rights meet your needs; and
- understand the repair and insurance arrangements for the whole building.
A conventional apartment may appeal if you:
- prefer a one-level layout or need step-free access;
- want a lift or managed communal facilities;
- are comfortable using shared entrances and corridors;
- have budgeted for the full service charge; and
- are satisfied with the building’s management, fire-safety information and planned work.
Managed facilities such as a secure lobby, parcel storage, cycle room or communal garden can make daily life easier. For a leasehold apartment, the associated costs are usually recovered through the service charge as set out in the lease. Sound insulation, parking, storage and management standards vary widely, so do not assume that a newer apartment will perform better in every respect.
The best choice may still be the home with the better light, quieter bedroom, more useful storage, better-maintained building and clearer lease. Compare the actual properties, not two idealised labels.
Are maisonettes leasehold or freehold?
The word “maisonette” describes the home’s layout and access, not its tenure. Most flats in England are leasehold, and this commonly includes maisonettes. Some leasehold flats are sold with a share of the building’s freehold, but the flat normally remains held under an individual lease. You should never infer the tenure from an estate-agent description.
With a leasehold home, you own the right to occupy the property for the remaining term of the lease and must follow its conditions. The lease also explains your rights and responsibilities, including repair costs, service charges and whether you need permission for alterations or pets.
Official guidance on GOV.UK about buying a leasehold home recommends checking the years remaining, current and historic charges, planned major works, restrictions, insurance and management arrangements before committing. The lease term does not restart when the property is sold. A short remaining term can affect mortgage options, resale and the cost of extending it.
Service charges and ground rent
A maisonette is not automatically free from service charges. A small building may have fewer communal services, but money can still be needed for the roof, structure, insurance, shared drainage, gardens or external decoration. A larger apartment block may also need lifts, door-entry systems, cleaning and on-site management.
Ask for the current service-charge budget, at least two years of accounts for a resale home, details of the reserve or sinking fund and information about planned major work. Do not compare the headline charge alone. A low charge with no reserve for a roof replacement can be less reassuring than a well-explained charge backed by sensible planning.
Ground rent depends on the lease. Under current government guidance, most qualifying new leases granted on or after 30 June 2022 can only charge a peppercorn ground rent, which has no financial value. An older lease bought after that date can still contain an existing ground-rent obligation. This is separate from the rent a Shared Ownership buyer pays on the share they do not own.
What to check before buying a maisonette or apartment
The viewing tells you how the home feels. Your survey, legal documents and cost information tell you what you are taking on.
- Study the route and floorplan. Check every step from the street or parking space to each room. Look at lighting, security, bin access, internal stairs, storage and whether furniture can reach where you want it.
- Confirm the tenure, lease term and included rights. Ask your conveyancer to verify the registered title and exact years remaining. Check whether the entrance, loft, garden, shed, garage or parking space forms part of the property or carries only a right of use. A title plan shows general boundaries; a fence, current use or estate-agent description does not establish an exclusive legal right.
- Calculate the whole monthly cost. Include the mortgage, service charge, ground rent where applicable, estate charges, contents insurance, any buildings-insurance premium not already included in the service charge and any Shared Ownership rent.
- Check the accounts, repairs and planned work. Review past service-charge accounts, the current budget and reserve fund. Establish responsibility for the roof, windows, external walls, shared pipes, paths and gardens. The lease may provide for the landlord or managing agent to arrange buildings insurance and recover the premium through the service charge. Ask about Section 20 consultations and large expected bills.
- Check restrictions and previous alterations. The lease is the starting point for restrictions on pets, subletting, working from home, hard flooring and alterations, but later consents and deeds of variation may also matter. Ask your conveyancer to confirm the current position. If the layout has changed, check landlord consent, planning records and building-control approval.
- Commission an appropriate survey. A mortgage valuation is for the lender. The survey should consider the home and wider building.
- Ask about building safety where relevant. Your conveyancer should check for historic fire-safety defects, unsafe cladding, remediation plans and potential cost liability. If a lender asks for an EWS1 form, remember that it supports the valuation and lending process and is not a building-safety certificate.
- Listen as well as look. Visit at different times of day, notice sound from neighbouring homes or commercial premises and ask about disputes.
- Think ahead. Consider whether the stairs, lift arrangements, storage and parking will still work if your household or mobility needs change.
The Leasehold Advisory Service has a detailed checklist for buying a leasehold flat. Your own conveyancer should explain the legal documents and raise enquiries about the individual property.
Can you extend or alter a maisonette?
Possibly, but having your own door or garden does not give a flat or maisonette the householder permitted-development rights that apply to many houses.
First check the lease and title. A lease may ban certain alterations or require the landlord’s written consent. The roof, external walls and structure may be retained by the landlord or excluded from the parts leased to you, even where the garden is for your exclusive use.
You must also check planning permission and building regulations. Permitted development rights that apply to many houses do not generally apply to flats and maisonettes. Landlord consent, planning permission and building-control approval are separate matters, and you may need more than one of them.
If a maisonette has already been extended or reconfigured, ask your solicitor to compare the current layout with the lease plan and check that the necessary approvals were obtained.
Maisonettes, apartments and Shared Ownership
Both maisonettes and apartments can be available through Shared Ownership. In England, Shared Ownership homes are leasehold. You buy a share, pay rent on the share you do not own and usually pay a service charge. The property label does not change that basic structure.
When comparing Shared Ownership homes, look at the exact floorplan, lease, service-charge estimate and repair responsibilities for each property. Guinness Homes explains the payments and maintenance arrangements in its guide to how Shared Ownership works. You can also read about choosing a solicitor before you reserve a home.
If you plan to borrow, Guinness Homes also explains what to consider when choosing a Shared Ownership mortgage.
Frequently asked questions
Is a maisonette a flat or a house?
A maisonette is a type of flat, even though its own entrance and split-level layout can make it feel more like a house. Another home normally forms part of the same building.
Is a maisonette always on two floors?
Usually, but not always. ONS uses “two-storey flat” as its definition, while the RICS Find a Surveyor glossary notes that UK usage can include one-level or split-level homes with a separate entrance. Check the floorplan rather than relying on the listing label.
Does a maisonette always have its own front door?
A separate entrance is a typical feature, but it may open directly onto the street, a garden, an external walkway or a private staircase. Ask whether any part of the access route is shared.
Do maisonettes have gardens?
Some do, but a garden is not a defining feature. The registered title, lease wording and lease plan should show whether the garden is part of the property, for your exclusive use, communal or not included. Your solicitor should confirm the legal position rather than relying on a fence or the current owner’s use.
Do you pay a service charge on a maisonette?
You may do. It depends on the lease and the costs of maintaining and insuring the building or estate. A private entrance does not by itself remove any lease obligation to contribute towards shared roofs, walls, grounds or services.
Is a maisonette harder to mortgage or sell?
Not simply because it is called a maisonette. Lenders and future buyers may consider the lease term, construction, condition, service charges, ground-rent terms, building safety and market demand for that particular home. Speak to a mortgage adviser and conveyancer early if anything about the property is unusual.
