18 Types of Apartments (and How to Tell Them Apart)

When you’re hunting for a place to rent, you might find various types of apartments and have no clue what makes one different from another. On top of that, it can feel like every city has its own dictionary for what qualifies as a certain type of apartment. (What do you mean a micro apartment and a studio are two different things?)

To save you some time researching — and possibly save you from signing a lease on an apartment type you wouldn’t like — we’ve laid out 18 types of apartments (all of which can be found on Zillow® platform), what each one is like, and tips on which one is right for you. If you’re not sure which of these apartment types fall into your budget, try Zillow’s Rent Affordability Calculator to find your ideal price range.

1. Studio apartment

A studio is the apartment world’s minimalist icon. It’s essentially one room that serves as your bedroom, living room, and sometimes dining room — plus a separate bathroom. The kitchen may be full-sized or just a kitchenette. Studios and one-bedroom apartments are sort of similar, and Zillow has a guide to help you decide which is better for you.

Best for: People who don’t own too many things, and are okay with a smaller place.

2. Alcove studio

The alcove studio is a cousin of the studio, often shaped like an “L” or a “T.” It’s still one main room, but with a small nook (alcove) where you can set up your sleeping space.

Best for: People who are okay with a smaller space (like a studio), but want their bed to be in a bit more of a private space.

3. Convertible or flex apartment

Convertible apartments are similar to studios in their open layout, but they have a large enough living area that you can partition off part of it into another bedroom or office. Usually this comes in the form of setting up some room dividers to create new rooms.

Best for: People who can live on the minimalist side, and really prefer their privacy.

4. Loft

When thinking of a loft, think high ceilings, big windows, and an open floor plan. Lofts are often in converted warehouses or industrial buildings.

Best for: People who want a lot of open space (this leaves room for activities, hobbies, and having friends over).

5. Micro apartment

Micro apartments are tiny living taken to the max, often under 400 square feet. To make up for the small space, micros will often have built-in and space-saving designs, like hooks on the walls to put up your things. If this option appeals to you (or you really don’t like it) know that you can filter rentals by square footage when browsing on Zillow. Micros are most common in apartment complexes in dense cities like Seattle, New York, and Dallas.

Best for: Minimalists, or people who treat their apartment like a charging dock between travel.

6. Junior one-bedroom

A junior one-bedroom isn’t quite a one-bedroom; it's more like a studio with a partial wall or separate area that offers more privacy than a typical studio, but less than a fully enclosed bedroom.. Note that if there are walls, they often won’t reach all the way up to the ceiling.

Best for: People who want their own private bedroom, but may need a more affordable alternative to the one-bedroom.

7. One-bedroom

The classic upgrade from a studio, and one of the most common types of apartments in the U.S. A one bedroom will have a separate bedroom, separate living space, and a kitchen. A two- and three-bedroom will follow this trend and maybe have more bathrooms. Zillow’s apartment search lets you filter for the number of bedrooms to make things that much simpler.

Best for: People who want dedicated spaces for sleeping or working.

8. Two-bedroom

A two-bedroom apartment is the most common apartment type that people rent in the U.S. The typical renter lives in a two-bed, one-bath apartment between 1,000 and 1,499 square feet, according to Zillow’s 2024 Zillow Consumer Housing Trends Report. They are usually pricier than a one-bedroom since they’re larger.

Best for: People who want a roommate, have children, work from home, or just want an extra space to do whatever you want!

9. Garden-level apartment

Garden apartments are located on the ground floor, often partially below street level, with access to a garden, patio, or backyard.

Best for: People who want a traditional one- or two-bedroom apartment, and would prefer easy access to an outdoor space.

10. Basement-level apartment

Basement apartments are similar to traditional and garden apartments, but they are mostly or completely underground and have very small windows, if any at all. 

Best for: People who want a traditional one- or two-bedroom apartment, and are willing to trade lots of sunlight for a more affordable price.

11. Railroad apartment

Railroad apartments are called this because their rooms are lined up in a row with no hallway, similar to a train car. These apartments are shaped like a long, thin rectangle. That means you’d walk through one room to get to the next. Note that because they’re so long, they may not have windows in their long walls, but rather at the ends, so natural light might be limited.

Best for: Minimalists who are willing to get creative with their home layout, and who don’t mind losing some daylight in some common rooms of their home.

12. Duplex

A duplex is made up of two separate apartments in one building, either one on top of each other, or side by side. This can give the feel of living in a small house. Duplexes average about 900 square feet per unit. Note that duplexes are only two apartments; any more, and you’ve got a different type of home, like a triplex (see below) or a multi-unit apartment building. 

Best for: People who’d prefer to live in a house, but don’t necessarily want to pay rent for a house (in most markets. They may cost even more in some cities).

13. Triplex

A triplex is like a duplex, but with three apartments. A triplex is three separate apartments in one building – not a three-story home, as every unit is private and has its own kitchen, bathroom, living space, and bedroom. 

Best for: People who don’t mind carrying laundry, groceries, and trash up and down a couple flights of stairs – and possibly running into the neighbors throughout the day.

14. Penthouse

A top-floor luxury unit, often on the large side, with great views, upgraded finishes, and a high rent payment.

Best for: People who can afford most any type of apartment, and prefer to have nicer city views and top-notch amenities.

15. Walk-up

A walk-up apartment is in a building without elevators, often in older properties. These types of apartments are usually more affordable than those in buildings with elevators, and your legs will notice. If you’d prefer to skip the stairs, Zillow lets you filter for single-story rentals.

Best for: People who consider groceries “arm day,” and don’t mind climbing multiple flight of stairs on the daily.

16. High-rise

A high-rise apartment is located inside a building with several stories and often includes at least one elevator. These buildings are often more recent builds and may offer amenities like an on-site restaurant or a coworking space.

Best for: People who’d like to have amenities, live in a newer building, and don’t mind having dozens of neighbors, if not more.

17. Co-living space

Co-living spaces are a modern spin on the roommate setup — private bedrooms with shared common areas like the living room and kitchen, and possibly the bathroom. But don’t mistake this as living in a traditional two- or three-bedroom apartment. Whereas those are usually for a family or a small group of roommates, a co-living space may have many more individual bedrooms, sometimes even in a dormitory-style setup.

Best for: Extroverts, people who love to share, and anyone who wants friends built into the rent.

18. Townhouse

Townhouses are slim, multi-story homes that are usually sandwiched between other townhomes or buildings. They’ll often have a basement, main floor, and upper floor. This may sound like a triplex, but townhomes are a single unit where the renter lives on all three floors, as opposed to a triplex where a renter only lives on one floor or unit of a building. Townhomes sit in a row of side-by-side units, sharing one or more walls with neighbors. Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago are good examples of where townhouses are common.

Best for: People who prefer separate spaces on separate levels, and who don’t mind hearing their neighbor’s favorite album through the wall.

When apartment hunting, always ask for the floor plan and a clear definition of any unfamiliar term. Because “cozy” can mean “cute,” or it can mean you can stir a pot on the stove while lying in bed. And that may not be what you’re looking for. 

You can find apartments of any size and style on Zillow. Once you’ve made a list of some spots you’re interested in, you can save yourself some money by applying to rent with Zillow. Fill out your information once, and you can use your application for as many participating rentals as you want for 30 days. So you can go for that studio, the two-bedroom, or the townhouse, and get one step closer to moving into your perfect place.