Apartments - legal status and purpose. A big difference. How are apartments different from apartments Apartments pros and cons

Last update: 10/10/2017

I'm going to buy a house in Moscow. In addition to regular apartments, they also offer another type of housing - apartments. What is the difference between an apartment and an apartment? What is better and more profitable for living?

If you answer briefly and generally, then for the permanent residence of the average family it is better to buy an ordinary apartment. It is more profitable to purchase apartments as an investment property - to invest free funds and receive a small stable income.

But this is general. In fact, everything is a little more complicated. For those who want to delve deeper, let's look at the issue in more detail.

What is better to choose for purchase – an apartment or an apartment – ​​depends on the goals and capabilities of the Buyer. The key differences between these two housing formats are their price and legal status. The price of apartments, as a rule, is noticeably lower than that of an apartment of similar size in the same area (unless we are talking about luxury apartments as part of an office building). hotel complexes). And the legal status of apartments does not classify them as residential premises at all. Legally, apartments are commercial real estate. And it is this status that changes a lot from the point of view of purchase, compared to traditional residential real estate (more on this below).

First, you need to explain what the difference is between an apartment and an apartment in the legal sense, and how they differ technically.

What are apartments? How are they different from a regular apartment?

Externally, both of them are urban housing. That is, premises physically intended for people to live in. Physically, but not legally! Visually, it can be difficult to distinguish a regular residential building with apartments from a building with apartments. This is where their similarities end and their differences begin.

Apartments as a type of living space are typical only for major cities, in which active construction is already underway. In such cities, as a rule, the development of territories is quite dense (especially closer to the center), and building new ones there residential areas not always possible. The shortage of land and urban planning restrictions do not allow the construction of multi-apartment residential buildings in these areas. And clearing, for example, a former urban industrial zone for housing (demolition of permanent buildings, relocation of communications, changing the status of a land plot) is too expensive.

But the Developers found a way out. They began to build non-residential complexes on these plots and sell them as residential ones. Or repurpose existing administrative and industrial buildings and make them suitable for living. That is, legally (according to documents) the building belongs to commercial (non-residential) real estate, but in fact the premises in it are intended for living. And the law allows such a combination.

The concept of an apartment is defined by law as a premises that meets all construction, sanitary and fire standards for permanent residence.

The concept of apartments is not clearly defined in the law. It is only mentioned that they must have an area of ​​at least 40 sq.m., consist of at least two rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom (which is not always true).

Such premises are sold in buildings that have the legal status of a hotel, office center or multifunctional complex.

The popularity of apartments as a type of housing is explained by their relatively low cost. Regarding the same class of apartments. Why are apartments cheaper than apartments? This can be explained simply - their construction is much cheaper for the Developer himself. Why?

How to choose a Developer when buying an apartment in a new building? Qualitative and quantitative characteristics - see this note.

Because housing construction standards do NOT apply to commercial real estate (including apartments). This means that you may not comply with modern requirements for housing, for example, for sound insulation, thermal insulation, ventilation, fire safety, insolation (level of natural light), distance from highways and industrial facilities, etc. Moreover, the Developer is NOT obliged to provide buildings with apartments with associated housing social infrastructure. That is, he does not need to build schools, kindergartens, clinics, he does not have to worry about street lighting, parking spaces, playgrounds, landscaping, etc. There is no need to change the type of permitted use of the land plot - for the purpose of housing construction.

All this greatly reduces the Developer’s costs for implementing a project with apartments, and therefore gives him the opportunity to sell them much cheaper than apartments.

Despite this unusual housing format, for many buyers the determining factor is the price. A specifications(sound and heat insulation, ventilation, etc.) may suit them completely as is. Social objects may also not be of decisive importance. And the individual advantages of apartments (more about them below) may outweigh their “non-residential status.”

In Moscow, for example, the share of apartments is about a quarter of total housing sales (statistics for 2016 are here). A large number of premises of this format are concentrated in the Moscow City International Business Center and in a number of office, business and hotel complexes throughout the capital.

True, Moscow is not a reflection of the situation throughout Russia. Moscow is a financial and administrative center, it is a concentration of capital and the most expensive real estate, it is a hangout of show business stars and the inhabitants of Forbes magazine. Therefore, the demand for real estate in Moscow is specific. We consider the choice between an apartment and an apartment from the position of an ordinary citizen who does not own factories, newspapers and ships.

Where to start buying an apartment? From the first step STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS.

Pros and cons of buying apartments as a type of housing

Since we consider apartments in the context of purchase, as an alternative to purchasing a regular apartment (including in a house under construction), we will list their advantages in turn, and then the disadvantages relative to the traditional type of housing.

Pros (advantages) of buying an apartment:

1. A noticeable gain in the purchase price compared to an apartment of a similar class. The price per square meter for apartments is approximately 15 - 25% lower.
2. Location. Apartments can be sold where there is no new housing at all, and existing apartments are too expensive. For example, in the city center, in historically prestigious places, in business districts and office and hotel complexes. Possible proximity to main job.
3. Free architecture and non-standard layouts. For example, the loft style with characteristic high ceilings, large areas rooms without partitions and huge floor-to-ceiling windows. Up to the exotic - mezzanine floors, second light (double-light hall), terraces with winter gardens and even fireplaces.
4. It is much easier here than in an apartment to coordinate the redevelopment of the premises and make your home even more unique. Unlike traditional housing stock with a lot of prohibitions and restrictions on reconstruction, apartments are ideal site to implement various design solutions. The restrictions apply only to the integrity of the building’s structure - columns and ceilings cannot be touched.
5. Developers often build car parks for residents (including underground ones) and improve the surrounding area of ​​the apartment complex. Although they are not required to do this (according to regulations), for marketing purposes it justifies itself.
6. Included with the apartments you can also receive services typical for a hotel. For example, administration of the complex, reception and waiting area in the lobby, concierges and security, floor maintenance, room cleaning, ironing, etc. Additional service facilities are also possible directly on the territory of the apart-complex: spa centers, cafes and restaurants, shops, pharmacies, fitness rooms, bank branches, beauty salons, etc.;
7. There is a fashion for this format of housing among the business community and creative youth (in Moscow, especially);
8. The owner of the apartment can rent it out through a management company, without worrying about finding a tenant and monitoring his residence. And taking into account the purchase price and rental cost, this is a more profitable investment than a similar operation with an apartment.

For the Buyer, all the positive aspects and advantages of the apartment will be described in the best colors in the advertisement. But they try not to advertise what might bother the Buyer. But the future owner of such “non-residential property” should be prepared for what is hidden.

Deposit or advance payment - what form of advance payment is used in transactions for the purchase and sale of apartments? See the link in the Glossary.

Disadvantages (disadvantages) of buying apartments:

1. When purchasing apartments at the construction stage, the Buyer does NOT enter into an Equity Participation Agreement (EPA), is NOT a shareholder and is NOT subject to the protection of Federal Law No. 214. This means, among other things, that the developer does not insure his liability (if construction stops, you will not get anything), and there is no way to recover from the developer a penalty and compensation for late delivery of the house, and construction defects inside the premises.
2. Impossibility of permanent registration (due to the legal status of “non-residential”). Only temporary registration is possible for apartments (up to 5 years, with the possibility of extension), and then only if this property has the status of a hotel complex.
3. Due to non-compliance with building standards for housing, technical problems with sound and heat insulation of premises, insolation, etc. are possible. Kindergartens, schools and clinics are not built for apartment residents; they will have to rely only on themselves and on paid services around them.
4. Increased utility bills (at rates for non-residential premises, without benefits). Especially for heating and hot water. Plus payments to the management company for additional services.
5. Increased tax rate on real estate ownership. Property tax for apartments ranges from 0.5% to 2% of the cadastral value (versus 0.1% for apartments). True, the cadastral value of non-residential premises itself is usually noticeably lower than that of housing.
6. It is impossible to use maternity capital and other housing subsidies from the state to purchase apartments.
7. Taking out a mortgage to buy an apartment is more difficult than for an apartment. Many banks increase the interest rate for such loans or refuse them altogether.
8. Impossibility of using tax deductions (personal income tax refund) when purchasing apartments.
9. Apartment buildings do not have co-occupancy regulations. If, for example, in a neighboring room someone builds a music studio, a creative office or a gambling club, then the neighbors will have no legal grounds to stop it. After all, formally this is a non-residential premises.
10. It is impossible for apartment owners to create an HOA to jointly manage the building.

Some of these shortcomings may be eliminated in the near future. In 2017, there were proposals to change the legislation relating to apartments (see here). It is proposed to make apartments a new type of housing and secure them legal status in legislation. In particular, it is proposed to allow permanent registration there.

In addition, the increased costs of maintaining apartments (property taxes and rent) are more than offset by their reduced cost. Even rough calculations show that the money saved on the purchase covers the future “overpayment” for maintenance for decades to come.

As for lending for the purchase of non-residential premises, since 2016 the Agency for Housing Mortgage Lending (AHML) has launched a program for issuing loans for the purchase of apartments (see here).

After registering ownership, the owner of the apartment can subsequently make all the same transactions with it as with a regular apartment (donate, bequeath, sell). Although in the Extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate it will be written “non-residential premises”.

What grounds can there be for declaring an apartment purchase and sale transaction invalid?

Who buys apartments?


In Moscow, for example, apartments are usually bought by those who already have housing with permanent registration. Then they are used as second housing (for “physical presence”) - more convenient in location, comfortable in layout, and prestigious in status (if it is an expensive complex).

The owners of the apartments are both Muscovites themselves and visiting businessmen (including foreign expats), for whom this format is also very convenient. It is also called a “jacket apartment,” thereby emphasizing its business purpose. Such business apartments are not very suitable for the whole family (especially if the family is large and with children), but are perfect for secluded living and for various meetings (business and not so...).

Apartments are also bought by creative people who are accustomed to thinking outside the box and living unusually. They can use these spaces simultaneously as a studio, a meeting and party space, a workshop, a relaxation area, a storage area for their works, a personal representative office, a bedroom, a dressing room and anything else they can think of. Fortunately, the status of “non-residential” allows you to do whatever you want there.

And of course, apartments are taken by those who decide to invest their free money in real estate. They are then rented out at prices comparable to the rental price of the same class of apartments. And since the purchase price was significantly lower, the commercial benefit from investing in apartments was higher than in ordinary apartments.

Rules for preparing a transaction for the purchase and sale of an apartment, see interactive map STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS (will open in a pop-up window).

In the capital's residential real estate market there is a growing demand for new housing of a “non-standard” format – apartments. Due to the limited, until recently, distribution of this term, it is generally accepted that almost any luxury apartment can be called an apartment.

However, this is far from true; in fact, apartments occupy a special segment of the real estate market and have a special legal status with all the attendant advantages and disadvantages. Journalists examined the reasons for the popularity and the main features of this type of real estate, which will be useful for every potential buyer to know.

What are apartments

So, apartments are considered to be housing in multi-storey business complexes, the area of ​​which has everything that is necessary for a comfortable stay. However, current legislation does not consider them as a separate type of real estate; from the point of view of the law, apartments are simply a number of the highest category.

According to the Order of the Ministry of Sports and Tourism of the Russian Federation dated January 25, 2011 No. 35 “On approval of the procedure for classifying tourism industry facilities, including hotels and other accommodation facilities, ski slopes, beaches", an apartment is two or more living rooms (living room/dining room and bedroom (office)) with total area not less than 40 sq. m.

Apartments are a kind of intermediate link between an apartment in a residential building and a hotel room. Their main difference from an apartment is that they have a full service package (cleaning services, security, video surveillance, concierge service), and for utilities, repairs, and operation of the building and local area, it is not the housing cooperative that is responsible, but the one that services the building in which the apartments are located.

Apartments differ from hotel rooms, first of all, in the much lower cost of living, and also in the fact that, within the same building or complex of buildings, residential rooms coexist peacefully with company offices, boutique trading floors and entertainment venues.

Most often, apartments are not the main residence and are intended to emphasize the status of the owner. Therefore, when designing them, non-standard solutions are used - interesting design layout, expensive finishing, and geographically, most of these proposals are concentrated in the center of the capital. Today, living in apartments has become fashionable, and in addition, by choosing this type of housing, the owner or tenant to a certain extent solves the transport problem - there is no need to travel to work and back through the entire metropolis.

Registration, registration, property rights

One of the main differences between apartments and, for example, luxury apartments in new buildings is their legal status: apartments are not considered residential real estate. From the point of view of the law, they are not intended for permanent residence, although in practice all such premises are equipped and used precisely for this purpose.

Consequently, issues of registration (permanent registration at the place of residence) cannot be resolved with the help of apartments. However, their owner or tenant can register with a residence permit - such a document is issued for a period of up to five years and can be extended. And on its basis it is already possible to establish communication with social structures - register with a clinic, register a child for school, kindergarten, etc.

In addition, not only individuals, but also legal entities can be registered in the apartments, which allows the company to organize a representative office. And if an ordinary apartment, as a residential property, cannot act in this capacity, then the owner of the apartment can use his premises both for living and for organizing an office, exhibition, or store.

The implementation of property rights to apartments does not distinguish the latter from the main types of residential real estate. Apartments can be purchased individually or collectively, incl. on a mortgage; housing can also be bequeathed or donated.

Infrastructure of Moscow residential complexes with apartments

Among the shortcomings that are inherent to one degree or another in apartments, one can highlight the lack of necessary local infrastructure. It is quite possible that potential buyers will be faced with a lack of playgrounds and places for relaxing holiday on fresh air, sports grounds. There may be insufficient landscaping, as well as a high density of vehicles in the parking lot, which, of course, creates certain inconveniences.

On the other hand, all these are costs arising from the high level of business activity within the well-located complex. A buyer who planned to solve transport problems by settling not far from his place of work, most often willingly puts up with such inconveniences.

Apartment cost

An important difference between apartments and ordinary apartments high class is their lower cost. The difference can reach 20 percent or more for objects with similar parameters.

The apartments are located in buildings erected on plots not intended for the construction of residential real estate. The lack of “residential” status for the property prevents the developer from obtaining the appropriate permits; the same applies to some building codes, compliance with which is not necessary in the case of non-residential development. Therefore, the developer has the opportunity to save significantly, while erecting buildings that, in essence, are used in the same way as any type of residential real estate.

The compact size of the apartments and fairly high population density also determine the lower price of housing in business complexes. In addition, by offering apartments, the developer can expand the range of offers for the property, thereby expanding the audience of potential clients.

Purpose and operation of apartments

Today, apartments are particularly attractive to investors who want to buy new housing as a tool for generating rental income. In this case, apartments located in business complexes have a number of advantages over apartments offered in new elite and business class buildings.

Firstly, the cost of apartments is significantly lower than the cost of luxury apartments at the same rental price, and secondly, business centers where apartment rentals are offered have a higher level of transport accessibility.

Residential complexes, which offer luxury apartments no less comfortable than apartments, are located in areas convenient for living, but somewhat remote from the business part of the city. Apartments are offered in business complexes, which are built primarily for business purposes, which determines the choice of location for construction.

Also, purchasing apartments is an ideal solution for representatives of business structures and political circles. Here you can organize a representative office, headquarters or a place to live for company employees who come to the city at regular intervals. At the same time, the funds invested in the purchase of real estate of this kind are very easy to return back - the demand for apartments is very high.

• Here's what the main groups of potential apartment residents look like:
• Businessmen whose periodic presence in the city is associated with business interests;
• Representatives of the “golden youth”, striving for a high standard of living;
• Wealthy citizens rent apartments in order to emphasize their status.

So, apartments are, first of all, temporary housing that can provide the necessary comfort and emphasize the status of the resident or owner. Apartments are not very suitable as a place for permanent residence with a family, since the rhythm of life in the business center does not go well with family comfort. If there are children in the family, living in an apartment becomes even less convenient - the lack of necessary social infrastructure affects it.

New apartment complexes in Moscow and market trends

As a good example of new (under construction) complexes where apartments are currently being sold, we can cite two objects from. This is the multifunctional complex Fili-Grad (Beregovoy Proezd) and the Vodny mixed-use complex on Golovinskoye Highway.

• is a classic symbiosis of a business zone, residential apartments and shopping and entertainment centers. This project is distinguished by its advantageous location - Fili-Grad is located near major transport routes, which determine almost ideal transport accessibility.
• MFC Vodny can be characterized as a project with a well-thought-out social infrastructure, located in an environmentally favorable area (near the Khimki reservoir). The described projects include comfort-class apartments; housing construction in this segment is gaining momentum every year, developing due to a decrease in the pace of construction of economy-class facilities.

Just a few years ago, Moscow apartments were presented exclusively in the business and premium class segments, however, due to the rapid development of this market segment, we can expect an imminent boom in multifunctional complexes with comfort class apartments. This is due to higher profitability compared to sales of economy-class real estate and higher demand relative to real estate in high-budget segments.

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So, apartments are a special type of real estate that can provide both profitability of investments and a high standard of living. Taking into account the growing demand and trends in the primary market, apartments can be called a promising acquisition, both directly for your own needs and for renting out.

With the increase in the number of offers due to the active construction of various mixed-use complexes, as well as the development of the comfort-class apartment segment, the price range of apartment offers may decrease slightly over the coming years. However, the popularity of apartments will continue to grow, which in turn will push prices in the opposite direction.

The main differences between apartments and apartments, the pros and cons of such housing.

The concept of apartments appeared on the domestic market quite recently and this is not luxury housing at all. Now these can be quite simple apartments intended for student accommodation. In this article we will look at the main differences.

What are apartments in real estate?

An apartment is a living space with more than two rooms and a bathroom. These can be either luxurious penthouses or small cozy studios. There are several classes of apartments. The higher the class, the more luxurious the housing. There are luxury apartments, which, in addition to good housing with excellent repairs, have a garage and security.

What is the difference between an apartment and an apartment?

There are actually a lot of differences. The apartments are not initially part of the housing stock and can be built in non-residential premises. Initially, such housing was organized in industrial zones, which is very important for big cities, in which there is not enough space to build a residential building. In fact, apartments can be built in huge luxury complexes and business centers.

To exaggerate, you can live in a business center on the top floor. This entire floor will consist of apartments. Offices will be located on the lower floors. But in fact, this is not always the case, because such housing can be provided in mini-hotels and separate residential complexes. But there is a huge difference in legal differences and more.

Apartments and apartments - which is better, more profitable: pros and cons

Now the apartment market is quite popular due to the low cost of housing. Low price due to the fact that the developer has to spend much less money and time on obtaining a building permit. At the same time, much fewer infrastructure-related requirements are imposed on this level of housing.

Advantages of the apartments:

• Low price
• Convenient location in the city center
• Availability of additional benefits (security, parking)

Disadvantages of the apartments:

• Inability to register
• Lack of schools and kindergartens nearby
• Impossibility of obtaining a free place in school or preschool institutions due to lack of registration
• High prices for utilities and premises maintenance

What is the difference between apartments and apartments in new buildings when purchasing?

You must understand that not all apartments are marked for residence in the documents. If the documents clearly indicate that this is a hotel or inn, then you can obtain temporary registration for up to 5 years. If there is no note about the hotel or inn, then, unfortunately, you will not receive the right to register.

Accordingly, you will not be able to enroll your child in the nearest kindergarten or school for free, or get a job or free medical care. The price for such housing is much lower than for apartments, but the quality is much higher. This is a convenient layout and possible additional amenities such as parking, security.

Apartment and apartment: what is the legal difference?

In fact, this is not residential real estate, but commercial. Actually this is the main drawback. There are also a lot of legal subtleties. The main disadvantage is the lack of permanent registration. At the same time, not all apartments offer temporary registration. Also, the developer is not obliged to build schools, gardens and those buildings nearby that need to be erected next to the housing stock.

How to distinguish apartments from apartments when purchasing?

Initially, the developer warns that the sale is of apartments, not housing stock. But still, some sellers try to hide this fact. But the documents always indicate that the premises do not belong to the housing stock. Some developers promise to convert some apartments into residential housing, but this is quite difficult to do.

After all, it is initially necessary that it meets all the requirements for residential premises. That is, there should be kindergartens and schools nearby. Please note that prices for housing and communal services and housing taxes will be higher than for a regular apartment. On average, prices for housing and communal services per 1 square meter vary between 5-10 dollars.

Despite the good quality of housing and low prices, the apartments have many disadvantages compared to ordinary apartments. This must be taken into account when purchasing.

VIDEO: Differences between apartments and apartments

Several years ago, apartments appeared on the residential real estate market. These objects differ significantly from apartments, and their purchase and further residence have their own nuances.

According to Russian legislation, apartments are hotel rooms of a higher category of comfort with a total area of ​​at least 40 square meters.

They consist of an equipped bathroom, a dedicated kitchen area, and two or more living rooms.

The first apartments were built in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. In essence, these are home-type mini-hotels.

In Russia, such real estate first appeared in Moscow in the early 2000s. (business center Moscow City). Currently, apartments are being built in huge quantities. There are several reasons for this:

• The apartments are in demand among buyers. The cost of a meter compared to the price per square meter in apartments located in a similar market segment is significantly lower;
• It is easier to coordinate the construction of an apartment complex than conventional residential buildings: the requirements for the plot of land on which the building will be erected are much smaller;
• The construction of apartments will be cheaper: they are not subject to a huge number of requirements for residential premises.

How is it different from apartments?

Apartments are not synonymous with apartments. The key difference is that, despite their suitability for habitation, they are not documented to be classified as residential housing.

A number of other differences can be noted:

The real estate market offers different types of economy and elite class apartments:

• Attics and lofts;
• Single-level objects;
• Two-level, including a mezzanine floor, a separate entrance.

Pros and cons of living in apartments

Typically apartments appear where:

• For a number of reasons, residential housing construction is impossible;
• The construction of commercial space is envisaged, but the developer considers it too costly and impractical to give the entire building to shops and offices.

Speaking about the positive aspects of buying and living in an apartment, the following can be noted:

• Accommodation in new housing located in the city center;
• IN major cities construction of new residential complexes V central regions is practically not carried out. Apartments are being built in a targeted manner, where future new residents can choose the most attractive property;
• Moving to as soon as possible after the building is put into operation. Since the apartments are rented completely ready to move in, the owners of the premises can move into them immediately after receiving the keys;
• No additional costs for premises. Unlike apartments, apartments initially have finishing work done, and sometimes furniture is installed, which allows for significant savings on repairs;
• The market is so diverse that you can choose an apartment closer to work;
• Residents can take advantage of a variety of additional services right on the territory of the apartment complexes: spas, restaurants, shops, fitness rooms, beauty salons and cafes;
• Often apartments are serviced by their own service companies. At any time of the day, residents have the opportunity to order all the services provided in high-level hotels: cleaning, laundry, grocery delivery;
• Apartment owners and their households can count on medical care, places in schools and kindergartens on the same basis as citizens living in apartments;
• Having changed his mind about living in an apartment, the owner of the premises can rent it out through a management company and not have to worry about finding tenants on his own.

Among the disadvantages are:

• Absence ;
• High, including due to the availability of various additional services, which cannot always be refused;
• Lack of comfortable living conditions for families with small children;
• Developers of apart-hotels have no obligation to provide the building with parking spaces.

Differences in the cost of buying and renting residential real estate and apartments

The share of apartments in the real estate market is growing.

Compared to apartments located in the same market segment, the price per square meter in apartments is approximately 20-25% lower.

The difference in cost is due to the fact that:

• Documentedly, apartments do not belong to residential real estate;
• Their maintenance will cost a little more than a regular apartment;
• Apartment complexes may not have a children's playground and parking spaces, which are mandatory for residential buildings.

For example, the cost of apartments in Moscow starts from 7 million rubles (LOFTPOST complex), in the Moscow region - from 3 million rubles (Start-Format complex in Tsaritsyno), in Sochi - from 4.5 million rubles, in Bulgaria - from 25 thousand Euro.

Purchasing such real estate is one of the ways to invest.

Owners often rent it out long-term or daily. An apartment owner can earn 10-15% more on rent than an apartment owner:

• The apartments have a more “interesting” location. For example, in business center cities they will definitely be in demand among visiting businessmen;
• A guest in an apartment can receive a whole complex additional services at any time;
• People are more likely to give preference to an apartment in a new building rather than one located in an old one housing stock apartment.

How to build a business by renting out apartments?

In the understanding of Europeans, apartments are housing intended for sale or rent. Similarly, in Russia, investors often purchase such real estate exclusively for commercial purposes.

The optimal option is to create a small apart-hotel, whose guests can count on home-like living conditions and a full range of services, just like in a regular hotel. This goal can be achieved by purchasing, for example, several apartments located under one roof.

The hotel industry is very competitive. In order for renting apartments to generate income, it is important to master the situation in the rental market and come up with new and innovative ways to attract clients. Renting a conveniently located apartment is much cheaper than a hotel. Therefore, they are in demand among tenants.

If just a few years ago this type of real estate was considered “outside the law”: for example, it was impossible to obtain even temporary registration in apartments, now many legal issues have already been resolved. Developers are building apartment complexes that are in demand among buyers in places where residential housing construction is formally impossible, and the number of proposals is growing steadily.

Last update: 10/10/2017

Question:

I'm going to buy a house in Moscow. In addition to regular apartments, they also offer another type of housing - apartments. What is the difference between an apartment and an apartment? What is better and more profitable for living?

Answer:

If you answer briefly and generally, then for the permanent residence of the average family it is better to buy an ordinary apartment. It is more profitable to purchase apartments as an investment property - to invest free funds and receive a small stable income.

But this is general. In fact, everything is a little more complicated. For those who want to delve deeper, let's look at the issue in more detail.

What is better to choose to buy - apartment or apartment- depends on the goals and capabilities of the Buyer. The key differences between these two housing formats are their price And legal status . The price of apartments, as a rule, is noticeably lower than that of an apartment of similar size in the same area ( unless we are talking about luxury apartments as part of office and hotel complexes). And the legal status of apartments does not classify them as residential premises at all. Legally apartments are commercial real estate. And it is this status that changes a lot from the point of view of purchase, compared to the traditional residential real estate (more about this below).

First you need to explain what the difference is between an apartment and an apartment. in a legal sense , and how they differ technically .

What are apartments? How are they different from a regular apartment?

Externally, both are urban housing. That is, premises physically intended for people to live in. Physically, but not legally! Visually, it can be difficult to distinguish a regular residential building with apartments from a building with apartments. This is where their similarities end, and their differences.

Apartments as a type of living space are typical only for large cities, where active construction is already underway. In such cities, as a rule, the development of territories is quite dense ( especially closer to the center), and it is not always possible to build new residential areas there. Land shortage and urban planning restrictions do not allow the construction of multi-apartment residential buildings in these places. And to clear, for example, a former city industrial zone for housing ( demolition of permanent buildings, relocation of communications, change in the status of a land plot) is too expensive.

After registering ownership, the owner of the apartment can subsequently make all the same transactions with it as with a regular apartment ( donate, bequeath, sell). Although it will be written in it - "non-residential premises" .

Who buys apartments?

In Moscow, for example, apartments are usually bought by those who already have housing with permanent registration. Then they are used as a second home (for "physical presence") - more convenient in location, comfortable in layout, and prestigious in status ( if it's an expensive complex).

The owners of the apartments are both Muscovites themselves and visiting businessmen ( including foreign expats), for whom this format is also very convenient. It is also called "flat for a jacket" , thereby emphasizing its business purpose. Such business apartments are not very suitable for the whole family ( especially if the family is large and has children), but are perfect for solitary living and for various meetings ( business and not so...).

Apartments are bought and creative people , accustomed to thinking outside the box and living unusually. They can use these spaces simultaneously as a studio, a meeting and party space, a workshop, a relaxation area, a storage area for their works, a personal representative office, a bedroom, a dressing room and anything else they can think of. Fortunately, the status of “non-residential” allows you to do whatever you want there.

And of course, apartments are taken by those who decide to invest their free money in real estate. They are then rented out at prices comparable to the rental price of the same class of apartments. And since the purchase price was significantly lower, then commercial benefit from investing in apartments - higher than in ordinary apartments.

See the rules for preparing a transaction for the purchase and sale of an apartment on the interactive map. Opens in a pop-up window."> STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS (will open in a pop-up window).