Legal English – Peter’s Pills – Lesson 121 – Types of residential properties in the UK

Types of residential properties in the UK

Transcript:

Hello!

Today we look at the different types of residential properties that can be found in the UK. How many of them do you know?

Residential property types in the UK

Dwelling[1]

A very common word used to describe a self-contained building or part of a building used as a home, normally accommodating one household[2]. It may be a house, bungalow, flat, maisonette or converted building.

House[3]

In ordinary UK usage, a building designed or used as a residence, usually occupied as a single household. It is not necessarily detached: it may be detached, semi-detached or terraced.

Flat[4]

The usual UK term for a self-contained residential unit within a larger building. “Apartment” is used in the USA, but flat is generally the more natural UK term.

Penthouse[5]

A high-value flat or apartment on the top floor, or occupying a substantial part of the top floor, of a building. It does not necessarily have a terrace, and it does not need to be in a tall building.

Studio flat[6]

A self-contained flat consisting principally of one main living/sleeping area, usually with a separate bathroom and either a separate kitchen or a kitchen area.

Maisonette[7]

A self-contained residential unit, usually arranged over two or more floors and having its own private entrance. The entrance need not be directly from the outside; it may open onto a communal hallway or staircase.

Detached house[8]

A house standing alone and sharing no party wall with another dwelling.

Semi-detached house[9]

One of a pair of houses joined by a common party wall.

Terraced house[10]

A house forming part of a row of adjoining[11] houses.

End-of-terrace house[12]

A house at either end of a terrace.

Bungalow[13]

A house consisting principally of a single storey.

Ancillary accommodation[14]

Additional accommodation associated with and subordinate to a main dwelling, such as a self-contained annexe, garden annexe or accommodation above a garage. It may be occupied by relatives, guests or other permitted occupiers.

Granny annexe[15]

An informal, non-technical expression for an annexe intended or suitable for occupation by an elderly relative. In formal documents, annexe, residential annexe or ancillary accommodation is usually preferable.

Park home[16]

A prefabricated or factory-built residential unit located on a licensed park and occupied under the statutory park-home regime[17]. It is commonly situated on a pitch[18] rather than a “rented plot[19]”.

Mobile home[20]

A broader term that may include a caravan or other transportable residential unit. “Park home” is normally more precise where the unit is permanently stationed on a residential park.

Cottage

A descriptive, non-technical term generally suggesting a small house, often of traditional appearance and frequently in a rural or village setting[21]. It does not necessarily mean old-fashioned or rural.

Mews house[22]

A house forming part of a mews development, often created from or designed to resemble former stables and carriage houses.

Bedsit[23]

A rented room providing combined living and sleeping accommodation, often with shared kitchen or bathroom facilities. It is not necessarily a self-contained dwelling and often bathrooms are shared.

Lodging accommodation[24]

A room occupied by a lodger in the home of a resident landlord.

Please note that the word “home” is an emotional and personal concept representing where you belong, feel safe, and live and the term can be used for all of the above. Home[25] can also mean a place where elderly people live in an organised structure with special facilities.

Thank you very much and see you next time for more Peter’s Pills to improve your Legal English!

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Note

[1] Dwelling – abitazione / unità abitativa.

[2] Household – nucleo familiare.

[3] House – villa, o casa bifamiliare, o casa a schiera, ma non viene mai usato per appartamento o altro.

[4] Flat – appartamento.

[5] Penthouse – superattico.

[6] Studio flat – monolocale.

[7] Maisonette – appartamento su due o più livelli, con ingresso indipendente. Non esiste un equivalente italiano perfettamente coincidente.

[8] Detached house – casa/villa indipendente.

[9] Semi-detached house – casa bifamiliare.

[10] Terraced house – casa a schiera.

[11] Adjoining – adiacenti.

[12] End-of-terrace house – unità terminale di una schiera di abitazioni.

[13] Bungalow – villa o villino a un solo piano.

[14] Ancillary accommodation – alloggio accessorio; unità abitativa accessoria o annesso abitativo.

[15] Granny annexe – dependance abitativa per un familiare anziano (detto “per la nonna”).

[16] Park home – casa prefabbricata situata in un parco residenziale; non esiste un equivalente italiano perfettamente corrispondente.

[17] Statutory park-home regime – regime previsto dalla legge.

[18] Pitch – piazzola.

[19] Plot – lotto; appezzamento.

[20] Mobile home – casa mobile; roulotte.

[21] Rural or village setting – contesto rurale o di villaggio.

[22] Mews house – abitazione ricavata da antiche scuderie.

[23] Bedsit – camera con zona giorno/notte spesso con bagno condiviso.

[24] Lodging accommodation – alloggio presso il domicilio del locatore oppure camera presso il proprietario residente.

[25] Home – Residenze Sanitarie Assistenziali (RSA), ricovero per anziani.

Read more on how housing is changing in the UK in this report: “Housing in England and Wales” (.PDF) by Office for National Statistics.