What is a Maisonette?

The definition of maisonette depends on where you are in the world: in the UK, a maisonette is a flat that has its own entrance to the outside, and it will usually have two floors or more. In Scotland, a maisonette may just be a two-storey flat in a large block of flats without its own entrance. In the US, you might even hear the penthouse apartment on the top floor called a ‘maisonette!’

A maisonette is a flat, but a flat isn’t always a maisonette. In England and Wales, a maisonette will never have a communal hallway, so you won’t have to share space with your neighbours. Because maisonettes are usually two floors or more, you’ll have more space than in a typical single-storey flat. In general, maisonettes give homeowners more privacy, security and space than they would have in the average flat. Many maisonettes will even have access to a garden or loft space, depending if they’re on the ground floor or first floor.

You’ll often see maisonettes in converted terraced houses, but because a maisonette is a type of flat, they’re typically smaller than a terraced house, and you may share the building itself with neighbours. Similarly, if a maisonette has a garden, it may be shared between neighbours. While a maisonette may not be as large or private as a house, it offers many of the same advantages at a lower price and can be an excellent step up on the property ladder for a small family.