Maisonette

[LoopTheLoops]

I live in a gf maisonette, I consider It to be a flat but my mum says it is a maisonette and not a flat, but surely a maisonette is a type of flat ?! Would you call a maisonette a flat?

The literal definition is small house, so in that respect your mum is correct. But most dictionary definitions now refer to it being a multi level flat, although that won't apply to ground floor maisonettes.

Does it matter?

No it doesn’t matter was just curious really!

I thought that the difference was down to having your own front door.

But in saying that, I’ve always assumed that flats were flat so I’m probably wrong about the doors too.

Traditionally, maisonettes have their own private entrance which isn’t accessed through another communal entrance - and insurance companies still retain this distinction because obviously access makes a difference for security and insurance purposes. It’s broadened out in general parlance though and estate agents typically also use it to describe a two-storey unit in a block with other units above and / or below.

I thought a maisonette was a flat with two floors?

I thought the definition was about the front door as well. If door to your property opens onto the street it's a maisonette, if it opens into a communal area and there is then a further door to the street it's a flat. Nothing to do with with number of floors.

@bunburyscucumbersandwich

I thought a maisonette was a flat with two floors?

Nope that is 'duplex'

Own front door/entrance from the street equals a maisonette to me too, flats have their front doors off a communal area or a corridor. I'd say it was a type of flat OP.

But now I’m even more confused as loads of flats have their own front doors which open on to the street but they are all on one level, so that means that’s a maisonette? I’ve only seen maisonette described as having an upstairs and downstairs, but I still think it’s just a flat 😂

Growing up my mum explained it as purpose built flats being flats & houses converted into two homes were maisonettes.

Having said that, apartments were only in the US & duplex wasn't even mentioned.....

A maisonette has two floors with another individual residentence either above or below.

@LoopTheLoops

But now I’m even more confused as loads of flats have their own front doors which open on to the street but they are all on one level, so that means that’s a maisonette? I’ve only seen maisonette described as having an upstairs and downstairs, but I still think it’s just a flat 😂

If the door to the property goes directly to the street it's a maisonette. The floors are irrelevant! It can be all one level and still be a maisonette. And can be multi-level and be a flat.

Official definition relates to having own door onto outside.

Some maisonettes are also on 2 levels, but if they don’t have a private door to outside, they are just a 2 level flat, sometimes known as a duplex.

Maisonettes have a number of advantages....they don’t have communal areas due to private entrances, which means lower or no service charges. They have more privacy due to lack of communal entrance areas and therefore neighbours have less impact on you in terms of leaving stuff in communal hallways or not maintaining them. You have more control over security as there aren’t other people to leave doors open or allow access. They often have private gardens too, with the ground floor flat usually having direct access. They tend to be low level and less are built these days as they are lower density than flats, so sometimes not shiny and modern, but often of a good size with separate kitchen, which many modern flats lack.

Estate agents market properties as maisonettes if they have private entrance. It’s seen as a big selling point. Being in a flat with 2 floors, but with another floor above or below you, if there also isn’t a private entrance isn’t seen as anything particularly beneficial or marketable.

We have a purpose built, Edwardian maisonette - the top half of what looks like a double fronted house. The bottom half is another maisonette, and they each have their own half of the garden.

They have their own front doors on the street, which are adjacent to each other.
There are quite a lot like this in that part of SW London - to me they’re not the same as flats - for a start the ground rent/any other charges are typically a lot less.

A m’ette will typically have its own front door on the street, which is rarely the case with flats.

I thought I knew what a maisonette was and now I'm perplexed!

Or maybe I'm duplexed!

@Seeingadistance

I thought I knew what a maisonette was and now I'm perplexed!

It all comes down to the front door. Where the door to your property opens to is the only consideration!

I thought the definition was about the front door as well. If door to your property opens onto the street it's a maisonette, if it opens into a communal area and there is then a further door to the street it's a flat. Nothing to do with with number of floors.

This ^

A masionette is a flat with an upstairs.

No, that's a two storey flat.
My first property was a maisonette and I didn't have an upstairs.

@Stichintime

A masionette is a flat with an upstairs.

Nope. A flat with an upstairs is a flat with an upstairs. A flat can be multi-level or single as can a maisonette.

It's a flat with its own front door.

DD and DS recently sold their maisonette. It’s a building with a property on the ground floor with its own front door and another separate property on first floor also with own front door. There’s usually a private garden each too - ground floor normally has access to their garden via sitting room and first floor property sometimes owns the front garden or a portion of garden located nearby. We looked at many maisonettes as a preference to flats with hefty service charges.