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

[Hapity]

I've lived alone in my apartment for over 20 years now, I love the location, apartment and have always felt safe, I'm not on the ground floor, quiet neighbours - until recently. About 3 months ago, a very intoxicated resident of the block went around banging and kicking on the 10 or so apartments in the block in the early hours of the morning, police were called and he was taken away. I only learned afterwards he was a resident and renting here about a year. I heard himself and his girlfriend have since broken up and, although she's still here, I haven't seen him around thankfully - however, I'm still extremely nervous when I hear people coming in the main door in the early hours and awake at every little noise, am not sleeping great. I've good neighbours around me, the doors are strong, so realistically I know no one can get in.

I feel a bit silly feeling like this still bit he was roaring and shouting and kicking doors. I'm also angry at someone living here for such a short time causing me - and my neighbours - to feel like this.

If you've lived in a house and an apartment, which did you prefer?

When I lived alone I much preferred a first floor flat. Hearing the comings and goings of other people brought me comfort.
Sadly though, the behaviour of one neighbour (a man who had recently broken up with his girlfriend) meant living there became a nightmare so I left and moved into a house.

Honestly, grew up in a first floor flat

moved to a house and HATED it. You could hear every sound and the fact that someone could just kick the door and be in your home terrified me

it was also a nightmare maintaining the garden 🙄

back in a flat now, in a better area, and feel safer, despite being in London

one offs happen everywhere girl, yanbu at all to be worried but chances are, if it’s been safe for 20 years, it will continue to be so xx

I lived in a lovely flat ~ I had to supply references to rent it and there were strict rules about not sub-letting. Unfortunately another tenant sub-let her flat to her DB who had recently been released from prison and he made everyone's life hell, culminating in one dreadful night when he stabbed the guy in the flat below me.

I'm so glad to be living in my own house now. It's a small terraced house and I occasionally have to put up with noise from neighbours but I feel so much safer than I did in the flat.

I realise that my experience in the flat is thankfully rare (I hope) and I am planning to eventually buy a flat in a retirement complex which will be a totally different scenario to my first experience

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

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

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.

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 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 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 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.

Perfectly happy living alone in a house.

Apartment, definitely.

Yes, this is why I chose an apartment originally, I always felt I'd feel safer in one, and have for 20 years. As you say, it's likely a one off and I've good neighbours immediately surrounding me. I'm sure I'll feel relaxed again in time.

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).

@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 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 😅

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

@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

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.

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 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.

It seems there are pros and cons to either, but I'm trying to think of this as a temporary blip as I've been happy here for so long beforehand

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.

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

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