Rent House vs. Flat - Which is Right for Me?

by iROOMit Team
7 April 2022
5 min read
Updated: 16 November 2023

Advantages And Disadvantages Of House Rentals

There is no one right decision when you’re choosing between renting a house or renting a flat. A lot of people have different circumstances and different shelter needs. Find out if renting a whole house is the right option for you by checking out its pros and cons.

Pros

1. Space

Space is an important thing to consider when you’re trying to find a home. When renting a house, you can expect more spacious rooms and additional functional areas, such as, a living room and parking spaces. Plus, a house is likely to come with a private outdoor space, which means you will get a yard or a garden to use for things like fun backyard activities.

2. Privacy

Living in a house is more enjoyable by some people because of privacy. Although there are still neighbors all around, your houses are separated with a considerable amount of space. Flats would usually be separated by thin walls, which provide little to no privacy at all. Living in a house also provides an opportunity to safely receive packages when you’re not around using parcel boxes on your porch.

3. Leisure

Are your hobbies produce loud noises such as playing an instrument or creating woodworking projects? Do you want to have a pet while living in an area? Because renting a house means that you’re not sharing space with other people, you have more leeway in doing whatever you want.

Cons

1. Distance And Convenience

Most properties are erected in the suburbs, away from the major cities and establishments.  This means that if you’re working in an urban area, you will likely have to drive or commute every day to go to work. You would also have to drive if you want to buy groceries, get entertainment, or visit hospitals and clinics for health concerns.

2. More Maintenance

Although houses provide more space, privacy, and creativity, expect more work from getting all of those additional areas. You will have more rooms to clean, a garden to the lawn (if you opt for one) and even take care of your plumbing problems.

3. Landlord Negotiations

Yep, you might not meet your landlords every once in a while. You won’t even consider having a landlord if he or she is a great person. However, since you’re just renting his or her own house, you might have to negotiate on things and fight for your right as a tenant.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Renting Flat

Renting a flat also comes with its different pros and cons. House rentals are not for everyone, and renting a flat might actually be more beneficial. If you want to know more about renting flats, here are its pros and cons to consider.

Pros

1. Cost

If your current budget is restricted, you might want to consider renting a flat. An flat unit is cheaper to rent than a whole house because you won’t be paying for extra spaces and utilities. In addition, the cooling, heating, water, and electricity bills are included in your monthly rent most of the time. Because flats will only provide you with enough space to keep your activities going, you don’t have to pay extra for additional space heating or cooling.

2. Ease Of Moving Out

Are you constantly on the move because of the nature of your job? Flat units offer flexibility when you’re always on the go. You don’t need to leave anything behind and worry about mortgages. In addition, acquiring a new unit is also an easy task. This is a perfect option for people who are growing their careers or searching for new job opportunities in new places.

3. Convenience

Because of its location, most flats are surrounded by convenient stores, entertainment and shopping centers, restaurants, and fast-food chains. Almost everything that you need would be a 15-minute walk from your flat. In addition, you would also enjoy fewer maintenance jobs because utilities are handled by flat management.

Cons

1. Home Improvement

If you want to exercise your creativity, renting a flat might not be the best option for you. You can’t really make home improvement such as renovating or remodeling your own unit to add more personality to it. If design changes are not forbidden by flat management, it is utterly undoable because of limited space.

2. Limited Space

Do you fancy adding different kinds of furniture or appliances in your home? When you’re moving to a flat, you’re limited to the things that you can bring along. Although this seems like a small thing to some people, you can feel the disadvantage of a small place once you started living on it.

3. Nuisances

Whether its a faulty plumbing line, unclean water, or noisy neighbors, a lot of nuisances are connected to living in a flat. You might have to improvise a clothesline, be creative in parking, fight against infestation, or use noise-canceling headphones if you want to complete drown out the noise from other tenants at night.

Conclusion

House and flat rentals have their own ups and downs. If you like to have more freedom, privacy, space, and a more quiet environment, a house rental might be the best option for you. However, you might need to pay extra for these things. You might also need to be patient on doing more cleaning and maintenance. House rentals are recommended for families. So, if renting a home is your choice, do check Flat rentals tend to be limited in space and freedom of doing some things. However, if you want to save funds or doesn’t mind all nuisances, flat rentals would likely give you a cheaper option.