Pros and Cons of Renting an Apartment vs. Renting a Home

You may be looking to move out of your current residence and into a different rented space. You may also be wondering whether to opt for a rented house or a rented apartment. The question is; which one would serve you better?

Benefits of Renting a House

  1. Parking

Most new apartments provide parking space for one car while older apartment buildings do not offer parking space at all. If you have more than one vehicle, you should opt for a house instead of an apartment since they offer a parking space for at least one or two vehicles. They also come with the option of a garage, which apartments do not offer.

  1. More Space

Houses offer not only indoor, but also outdoor space. Indoor apartments offer more room in bathrooms and bedrooms. This is convenient, especially if you have children, pets or a lot of belongings. Homes are ideal if you entertain many house guests. On the outside, they can come with a yard which you can use a play area for your kids or you can use for entertaining purposes.

  1. Privacy

Homes generally come with more privacy compared to apartment buildings. They give you more privacy because you don’t have neighbors complaining about your movements early in the morning, or how loud you play your music. No one is curious about your day-to-day movements, or trying to listen in through walls.

Disadvantages of Renting a House

  1. Maintenance Costs

Maintaining a house is more expensive than maintaining an apartment because of the additional space you gain. You will definitely have more floors to vacuum, a lawn to mow, a garden to tend and more windows to clean.

  1. Handling Landlords

Houses are majorly owned by individual property owners who may not really know your rights as a tenant despite you knowing them. This could be a source of friction between the two parties.

Benefits of Renting an Apartment

  1. Low Maintenance

Apartments do not come with the additional costs of mowing the lawn, shoveling the walkway or maintaining a garden. Apartment buildings come with all this taken care of depending on your rental agreement. Most apartments are also cheaper compared to houses, which helps you save more on your bottom line.

  1. Ideal City Location

Most apartments are found in the heart of the city on prime locations where you won’t find many houses to rent. For those who work out regularly, apartment buildings are great because they come with complimentary gyms, pools and other recreational facilities. If this is your ideal kind of setting, an apartment is definitely for you. Houses are majorly found in suburban areas, in the outskirts of the city.

  1. Professional Management

Houses are typically rented by individual homeowners, while most apartments are managed by a property management firm or a building supervisor. Thanks to this, you have access to professional and business-minded management aware of your rights as a tenant in an apartment setting. With this kind of management, there are proper channels to be followed in case of a problem which offers both parties complete peace of mind.

Disadvantages of Apartments

  1. Limited Space

The available space within an apartment is not much. Apartments have limited storage areas and closets. They are, therefore, not ideal for individuals who have a lot of belongings, or for those who prefer large living spaces.

  1. Annoying Neighbors

Given that you are not the only one in the apartment building, you may be constantly at loggerheads with your neighbors. If you are looking for peace and quiet, yet your neighbors are the loud type who prefer blaring music all day, this will be a major challenge in such a setting. You are also surrounded by neighbors on all sides whether you like it or not.

  1. Infestation

Pest infestation spreads fast in apartment settings. You could be a generally clean person, but if your neighbor is infested by ants, roaches or bedbugs, the likelihood of you being infested is higher than if you were to opt for a house.

The Lofts of Columbia offers upscale apartments in Columbia, MO.