If you live alone, do you feel safer living in a house or apartment?

I loved my flat in many ways when I had one.

But it wasn’t the best area (or even the worst). Safety was somewhat an issue in that we had a common entrance with no lock and one of the residents blocked it being converted to a door entry system. We did get undesirable people popping in every now and then, poking into the meters cupboard and one occasion someone (presumably drunk) dropping by to do a very runny number two in the common entrance late one night. It was discovered the next morning. The cleaner (understandably) wouldn’t touch it, neither would anyone else and muggins here cleaned it up.

Also … nasty man upstairs dumping his old furniture over the balcony into the common garden. He had to pay for the managing agents to arrange for it to be taken away eventually, but unpleasant in the meantime. The same flat having a burst pipe, naffing about for an hour before getting a plumber in to deal with and leaving me with water damage down the walls to sort out.

I far prefer living in a house. I’m responsible for everything now, but at least I have more control.

I lived alone on a tough council estate for 8 years while a mature student. I had two break ins both over a balcony. I later moved to a rented house where I had 2 masked men kick the door in, beat me up and demand money. So it just goes to show that you can be unsafe in either a house or a flat. I now live in a detached house in a very diverse area where some female neighbours are at home during the day so I feel safer. Ironically I felt safest living on the top floor of a tower block. They have very sturdy doors.

I am currently living alone, in a semi detached house, for the first time in my life (I'm 51) and I have been here for nearly a year.

I have to say that I do feel safe, but I am very security conscious. I have two front doors (porch and main door) and I have a ring doorbell out the front. I do have a back gate, but its a very tall one and I always have it padlocked. The parameter of my garden is either a tall wall or a fence covered in bushes.

I'm also in a cul-de-sac of (mainly) bungalows, which is full of older people - and they have been wonderful to me. I know, in the short amount of time I have been here, two doors I could knock on in the event of help needed.

A house, I got broken into in the night in a flat and I’m still traumatised by the situation, not having another exit point (a back door or a large window) really messed me up, I basically just had to stand there as he kicked the door in as I had nowhere to escape too and wait for the police to arrive

It was a temporary blip - and he didn't break in, just made a big din.
And has now gone.

I live in a house, have lived in flats - just live in the home that suits you best within your budget. Unless you live on a very problematic estate any criminal behaviour is a highly unlikely event in the grand scheme of things.

I quite like living in a terrace - if I fell down the stairs and broke my leg or got trapped in the loft by a collapsed ladder yelling loud enough would alert my lovely neighbours.

I lived alone in a ground floor flat for about 7 years - it was a small block and my flat had patio doors onto grass and then the road and my bedroom window at the back was next to the communal entrance door. I felt generally safe there but did have a couple of unpleasant incidents including a very drunk man outside my bedroom
window trying to get in in the early hours, shouting, kicking the communal door etc which I was scared enough to call the police about, and people knocking on my patio doors at night. Also an awful and LOUD neighbour above which included some harassment. I don’t live alone or in a flat anymore but feel much safer and that I have more privacy in a house.

I live alone in a detached bungalow (well with a disabled, non verbal, totally dependant on others for everything, 5 year old), I can't say the safety thing has ever crossed my mind until I read this post. I have also lived alone in a rural 3 bed house and a ground floor apartment, I have always felt safe at home. In fact, I felt more in danger at home in my first marriage because my ex husband didn't understand the word 'no' when it came to sex. Having a husband and kids in the home didn't keep me safe back then, nor did the fact that we lived in a quiet village surrounded by lovely neighbours.

I lived in a flat for 5 years. I didn't qfeel safe at all because people were coming and going at all hours. I live in a house now and i feel safer.

@lljkk Have you tried your local council? One of my friends has had rodent issues ~ she was advised to phone the council (even though she doesn't live in council accommodation) and they have been very helpful. Three visits (which cost £60) and she no longer has an issue

Hope you are able to get it sorted

It would appear in a flat you feel safer as having people around, but more often than not those people are the ones who make it hell! I feel safer in my house in a quiet residential area than I did in a city flat with people coming and going, parties, people ringing the buzzer all hours.. nightmare

I live in a 2nd floor flat, (6 in the block) I feel safe being at the top.

The way I see it is if someone is going to try and break in they have to go past 4 other flats and the one next door, on the way up and down. I've got lovely neighbours as well.

The downside though is if the roof leaks I'm getting the worst of it 😅

@lljkk when we lived adjacent to a river and had to manage rats from time to time, Rentokil were head and shoulders above other pest control firms.

I live alone in a house.
I have recurring rodent problems.
They are starting to get on my nerves.
Feels like it would be easier to deal with if I had other people trying to get rid of them and not just me trying to figure out how to get rid (and really all the household maintenance, I'm exhausted by too many options).

Apartment, definitely.

Perfectly happy living alone in a house.

I have lived in a ground floor flat and four houses.

My groundfloor flat had its own front door next to the main entrqnce and the policeman who did the security check said it was the safest flat, along with the one the other side of the entrance doors, in the block. Itbwas a nice neighbourhood.

Lots of people said, "oh no, a ground floor flat, that can't be safe". But all gouses have ground floors so I could never see the logic.

I had security grills fitted to the bedroom windows.

I live in a flat at the moment and thankfully it’s a nice quiet block. I have always felt safer in a flat. I am buying a house soon and keep telling people that the places i’ve been happiest have been flats. I think as all were open plan, bright and airy. Need to bear that in mind when buying (do want a house and small garden).

I live in a flat, to be fair it's a house style flat so just one other above me. I far prefer it to being isolated in a house. The comings and goings of upstairs (they are good neighbours) also gives me some comfort. It's sort of like having family but without the hassle!

I have owned a ground floor flat, a first floor flat and a house.

Whether or not I felt safe wasn't the building type (because its not like you can instantly change it if you don't like it), but the area, the neighbours and things like that.

I lived alone for four years in a block of flats and felt very safe even though it was in a fairly dodgy area. The presence of lots of people around me was comforting. Even though at one point one of the flats was squatted by crackheads. I knew I was always going to be able to knock on a neighbour’s door.

It isn't a nice thing to happen and especially if you are used to a peaceful living environment for that long. My own thoughts are that it won't be a regular thing since his girlfriend broke up with him and the police took him in also. He could come back to the girls apartment again but with any luck she won't let him in and he probably won't want to chance the guards getting involved again either. As to which I feel safer in.. I've lived in both a house and an apartment. I think it depends on where they are really, whether it's a good area, whether your back garden is secure etc. In my case both feel as safe as each other thankfully

Flat is much safer. I hate being in houses where the front door is the only thing between me and the “world”