Which is better, an apartment or an apartment? Difference between apartments and apartments. Living in the same territory by people of approximately the same level

We are not used to separating the concepts of “apartment” and “apartment”. We believe that the apartment is simply a very advanced, luxurious and modern apartment.

This is far from true. In the language of realtors around the world, apartments are not really housing at all. More precisely, the housing is temporary, comfortable, but standard-uncomfortable, close to a hotel room.

So, what is the difference between an apartment and an apartment?

Part one. Russia

Difference No. 1. In the apartments they do not register

From a legal point of view, this is not housing at all. Documents for the purchase of apartments do not give the right to registration at the place of residence. Even with temporary registration, not everything is simple: it is only possible if the building in which the apartments are located is a hotel or aparthotel.

Difference #2: Social Infrastructure

no one is obliging to build schools, kindergartens, clinics and other social facilities in the vicinity, without which the neighborhood really remains purely a residential area.

Realtors reassure potential clients by saying that apartment complexes usually appear in areas where the infrastructure has long been established. Perhaps, while the pace and volume of development is insignificant, the city is able to dissolve “extra” housing within itself. But Moscow, for example, will soon be unable to do this. In the multifunctional residential complex “Vodny” there are now more than five thousand apartments for sale, in the apart-complex “Tsaritsino-2” - almost a thousand...

Difference No. 3. Apartments are inferior in price to apartments

Here is the first positive difference: apartments are cheaper. It is precisely because of the developer’s lack of social obligations. However, the metropolitan administration is preparing to adopt building standards that will force companies constructing apartments to take care of social services.

Obviously, the introduction of such standards will eliminate the difference in price. For now, the most exhaustively clear answer to the question of how apartments differ from apartments sounds like this: cost. Prices per square meter for comfort class vary by about 10 percent, business class - by 15.

Within “old Moscow”, comfort-class apartments are valued at an average of 123.5 thousand rubles per square meter, similar apartments at 146 thousand. The leaders in terms of minimum price are apartments in “Tsaritsino-2” (113.8 thousand rubles per 1 square meter), in “Flotilla” (125.7 thousand rubles) and in “Vodny” (129.4 thousand).

A square meter of apartments in St. Petersburg () costs approximately 135 thousand rubles.

Difference No. 4. But the rent in apartments is higher

It is believed that prices for housing and communal services in apartments are 18 percent more expensive than in apartments (VAT rate). In fact, tariffs for cold water and sewerage are higher than usual by 9.3 percent, for hot water - by 21.5 percent, and for heating - by 22 percent.

Moreover, in the case when the engineering communications of the apartments are connected to city networks not directly, but through intermediaries, the payment becomes even higher.

Difference #5: And no subsidies!

At the same time, apartment owners who have a monthly income below the standard are deprived of the right to use subsidies for utility bills. Apartment owners are simply not mentioned in the Housing Code! Another disadvantage is the usual one, but with apartments this is usually impossible. Banks do not accredit such objects. You can only count on.

But for the next two to three decades this problem is not relevant, given the lower prices for apartments compared to apartments.

Difference No. 6. The tax rate on apartments may increase

In the near future, legislators promise to increase the marginal rate on non-residential real estate to 0.5 percent of the cadastral value (versus 0.1 percent for residential premises).

However, even if such a change in federal legislation is adopted, apartment owners will not necessarily pay five times more. Regional authorities have the right to reduce the maximum tax rate.

Difference No. 7. Difficulties with the common property of a house with apartments

The Housing Code obliges apartment owners in a high-rise building to share basements, attics and other technical rooms of the building with their neighbors in equal shares. The document says nothing about apartments.

In practice, this results in big financial problems for owners. Since the buyer purchases only square meters of the apartments themselves, the development company remains the owner of the rest of the building and utility networks. It would not be much of a stretch to assume that the company will certainly impose the services of its management company on homeowners, and the latter will try to inflate the tariffs for public utilities as much as possible.

Difference No. 8. Apartment owners cannot create an HOA

Since the building is not legally classified as residential, those living in it are deprived of the right to create homeowners' associations.

However, other forms of self-government organization are also possible! Let's say you can conclude a simple partnership agreement. Or establish a non-profit partnership.

Difference No. 9. In apartments you do not need to seek permission to redevelop the premises

The sword, as you know, has two edges. The fact that apartments are not officially recognized as housing also has a positive side for their owners. It is only residential premises that are allowed to be redesigned after a long and persistent journey through the authorities. Apartment owners can do whatever they want with their space. Within the limits of the Town Planning Code, of course, which prescribes making only those changes that will not affect the structural characteristics of the building and will not threaten its safety.

Part two. Europe

So far we have been talking about the realities of our country. What about abroad? For example, what is the difference between an apartment and an apartment in Spain, where the eyes and money of Russian investors are increasingly directing their attention lately?

Spain: the main difference is the presence of a fenced local area

There are four main types of real estate in Spain:

• Studios that have recently gained popularity in Russia. These are small budget apartments without partitions, where the only room is combined with the kitchen (only the bathroom has separate walls). Russians buy “studios” mainly for vacation holidays, and the rest of the time they rent them out to tourists. The cost ranges from 20 to 60 thousand euros; You can rent from 150 euros per week.
• An atiko, or penthouse, is an apartment on the top floor of a building, usually with a rooftop solarium and sea views. Also more of a resort option, but much more expensive - it costs 200 thousand euros or more.
• Apartments. They are not fundamentally different from ours. Much more modest and cheaper than penthouses. Even in resort areas you can buy for 50 - 60 thousand euros.
• Finally, the apartments. The main difference with apartments is that the residential complex has its own fenced area with a green area common to all residents of the house (that is, lawns, lawns, trees), a children's and/or sports ground, parking, a recreation area and a swimming pool.

Payment of utilities for apartments is slightly higher than for an apartment. But the amount for maintaining a collective territory is not so high - approximately 200 - 700 euros (not per month, but per year!). For comparison: fixed monthly utility costs vary, depending on many factors, from 60 to 120 euros.

You can rent apartments near the sea coast starting from 250 euros per week. Purchase prices are comparable to the cost of an apartment and also depend on many quality characteristics of the property. For example, an apartment right by the sea can cost almost a third more than similar apartments a ten-minute walk from the beach.

In general, during the crisis, prices for residential real estate in Spain decreased by 25–40 percent. In addition, mortgages are much more accessible than in Russia. To purchase, in addition to money, a foreign passport is enough. The transaction is formalized by a notary, after which the acquirer is immediately declared the owner. And in September 2013, the country adopted a law according to which any foreign citizen, having purchased real estate for an amount of at least 500 thousand euros, has the right to obtain a residence permit.

However, the new law only simplifies this procedure somewhat. However, you can still register it after purchasing even an inexpensive studio or simply renting any real estate. True, there is a requirement for the permanent income of an applicant for a residence permit.

Bulgaria: the situation is similar

Another European “resort” country that our compatriots are actively exploring for the purchase of residential property. What is the difference between an apartment and an apartment in Bulgaria?

Bulgarian apartments are a minimum of a two-room apartment with all amenities, compact furniture and built-in appliances. The apartments, fully prepared for the entry of the tenant or owner, are located in a residential hotel complex (apart-hotel), usually built closer to the sea, and offer the following services:

• specialized security,
• reception,
• parking,
• spa center and beauty salon,
• gym, fitness center, swimming pool,
• children's playground and recreation area.

Among the apartments offered for sale you can find modest studios, large premises with two or even three bedrooms, as well as apartments on several levels.

In addition to the range of services that bring apartments closer to a hotel, they differ from apartments in the presence of furniture and equipment. All together leads to a higher price for apartments: an apartment in Bulgaria can be purchased for 500 euros per square meter; the cost of the type of housing in question is 800–1500 euros per square meter.

As you can see, apartments in Russia and in European resorts, as they say, are two big differences. And in terms of comfort, and in terms of prices, and in terms of the cost ratio relative to apartments. Moscow has “outdone” both Bulgaria and even Spain. I wish I could reach the latest level of living standards!..

Today apartments can be found not only in the luxury segment - more and more offers are appearing on the market. The apartments are in demand and have become available to a wide range of buyers. However, the acquisition of such real estate is fraught with a lot of peculiarities.

The first question that arises for the average person is what are apartments? Many people do not know that they are distinguished from apartments by a number of important details. And if previously large studio apartments were considered apartments, now this type of housing is acquiring more precise legal features, and apartments can be found even at 30 square meters. meters. Essentially, this is the same hotel where you can buy a room with a kitchen, and the price of which includes hotel infrastructure. There may already be places for recreation, fitness rooms, restaurants and spas, as well as office space and conference rooms, note specialists from the Azbuka Zhilya company. Apartments are non-residential premises; theoretically, they are commercial real estate. This is why many apartment complexes are converted office buildings. In Moscow, in areas where the development of residential properties is prohibited, it is quite legal to build apartments and sell them as residential premises. It will not be possible to register in such a place, but you can do temporary registration, and even then not everywhere and not always. That is, the main difference between apartments and apartments in Russia is their different legal status.

Tretyakova DariaHead of Consulting and Analytics Department at Azbuka Zhilya“For a family with children, for example, the inability to register in an apartment is a significant disadvantage for life. Accordingly, difficulties will arise with the use of district clinics, kindergartens and schools. It is quite difficult to get a mortgage loan to buy an apartment. And programs aimed at supporting the purchase of housing do not apply to apartments. Unlike an apartment, an apartment can be seized by a creditor from the owner, even if it is his only home.”

However, apartment owners are of little interest in registration, Hospitality Income analysts note. As a rule, such properties are purchased as a second or third home for wealthy people. Typically, expensive apartments are purchased by employees of foreign companies, top managers, and businessmen - location and hotel service are important to them, notes Daria Tretyakova, head of the consulting and analytics department at Azbuka Zhilya. In addition, the status of non-residential premises allows apartment owners to register legal entities, which can be convenient for the company.

Elena Lysenkova CEO of Hospitality Income“This format of residential real estate, veiled as a hotel format, which came to us from the West, is being implemented in many Russian cities and, in general, has become familiar. And the fact that registration in them is impossible does not bother anyone. If we talk about the development of the apartment market in general, then the direction of apartment real estate is currently developing in two formats. In the apart-hotel format, when the hotel complex was originally created to rent out rooms for temporary accommodation of guests, but these rooms have more spacious characteristics compared to classic hotel rooms. And service apartments, which are a complex of apartments that are first sold to the market to end users, who, in turn, can transfer these apartments to the management of a professional centralized management company that will rent out and maintain the apartments.”

The disadvantages include operating costs and increased taxes. Today it is five times more for apartments than for an apartment, and monthly service fees can vary from 15 to 40 thousand per month or more. But the apartments are much cheaper - 15-20% lower than apartments of the same level. This is largely due to the lack of infrastructure - the developer is not obliged to build clinics, kindergartens and schools, as is done in the case of apartments. For example, the center of Moscow is experiencing tension - schools and kindergartens are overcrowded, and the number of apartment complexes is growing. In addition, such facilities may lack parking spaces, which also increases the load on city infrastructure.

Despite minor shortcomings, the apartments have a number of important advantages. And here, as they say, it’s a matter of taste and priorities: your choice should be based on the purpose for which you are purchasing housing. According to Hospitality Income Consulting specialists, the demand for apartments will only grow in the next three years.

Most ordinary citizens, when they hear the word “apartment,” imagine... However, Russian legislation interprets this term completely differently and classifies this type of real estate as non-residential. Therefore, everyone who has decided to buy a home should know what an apartment and an apartment are, what is the difference between these types of premises, the nuances of legal registration and residence.

Read in the article

Apartments - what does it mean?

Appart comes from the French word meaning “private large room.” In Europe, this refers to a premises of one or more rooms for sale or rent. In principle, an apartment is an apartment with an area of ​​40 m2 with two or more luxury rooms for living. They are typical for sanatoriums, boarding houses, hotels, motels, hotels, etc. Some may wonder what are apartments in a residential building? They do not exist in ordinary multi-apartment buildings, since in Russia apartments are not included in the housing stock, living in them is possible only on a temporary basis.

Pros and cons of apartments

As a rule, many people, when deciding to buy real estate, are faced with a choice of what kind of housing to buy -, etc. And such a concept as apartments complicates this procedure. To make the task easier, let's consider the following question: what are the advantages and disadvantages of buying this type of real estate? Let’s also look at: are apartments residential or non-residential premises?

What is the difference between an apartment and an apartment: the legal side of the issue

As already mentioned, apartments are not real estate intended for permanent residence, since they are classified as non-residential premises. Even when the owner has all the documents for ownership, he will not be able to obtain registration at his place of residence. And this is the main difference from ordinary housing that the buyer needs to know about. But what is the legal difference between apartments and apartments?

How do apartments differ from a regular apartment in terms of registration?

At the moment it is impossible to obtain a registration in the apartments, since they do not belong to the housing stock. However, the owner can apply for a temporary registration for a period of five years (must be continuously renewed), which gives the same rights as a permanent one. This is valid for apartments both in office centers and in hotel complexes. This provision applies to both business office centers and hotel-type complexes. Currently, at the legislative level, the question is being raised about the possibility of assigning apartments the status of residential premises and allowing permanent residence in them.

What are apartments in new buildings: requirements for the developer

The construction of apartment buildings is allowed only on plots not intended for residential buildings. For example, if it is strictly prohibited to build residential buildings in the immediate vicinity of a highway, then this will be a special obstacle for the construction of an apartment complex. It is also allowed to build apartment buildings on public and commercial land plots, as well as in former industrial zones.

When constructing buildings with apartments, the developer is not obliged to guarantee the availability of developed infrastructure. When selling such real estate, few companies are willing to act in accordance with Federal Law No. 214 “On Equity Participation,” which, in principle, does not guarantee investors full protection. This means that purchasing apartments in a new building is a riskier transaction than investing in the construction of a residential building.

Apartment or apartment: which is better in terms of paying for utilities?

For most people, buying an apartment is more profitable than an apartment, only from the point of view. This is due to the fact that the cost of their delivery to the consumer in such premises includes value added tax. In most cases, the difference in rent between apartments and apartments is 35% in favor of the latter. Therefore, the benefits of purchasing real estate in apartment buildings must be considered in the long term.

Why are apartments dangerous for receiving subsidies and benefits?

When deciding to purchase an apartment, you need to know one more important point. Owners of non-residential real estate cannot count on receiving, unlike owners of ordinary apartments. The level of income does not have any influence on this decision, since the housing code of the Russian Federation does not mention the category of apartment owners at all.

Differences between apartment and apartment taxes

The affordability of prices and convenient location of the apartments make them attractive for purchase. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Despite their apparent similarity to ordinary housing, apartments are not residential premises with all the ensuing consequences. Therefore, a real estate buyer should know the difference between an apartment and an apartment in terms of taxes.

The amount of taxes on apartments is much higher than on ordinary apartments of the same area and consists of:

• the tax rate on non-residential premises is 0.5-2% of the cadastral value, while for ordinary housing this figure is 0.1%;
• cadastral value of non-residential premises, which, as a rule, is lower, but not more than twice, than apartments of similar value, which, however, does not fully compensate for the difference in rates;
• deductions for tax on apartments or houses (20 m for each owner and 50 m for pensioners - not subject to taxation), which do not apply to real estate from the non-residential fund.

From all of the above, it follows that for apartments you need to pay a higher property tax, almost equal to that assigned to the owners of office premises. However, in the future, if legally similar real estate is transferred to housing stock, then taxes will be the same as for owners of apartments and private houses.

Apartment or apartment: which is better and how the owners share common property

According to Russian housing legislation, property owners in apartment buildings also receive rights to a share in common property and technical premises. In the case of purchasing an apartment, the owner receives ownership only of the premises in which he lives and cannot claim a share in the common property in the building.

Is it possible to create an HOA for apartment owners?

Only the general meeting of the condominium association can appoint or remove a management company, and apartment owners can create a homeowners association (HOA), which will allow more efficient management of the residential building. Owners of apartments cannot create an HOA, but they can unite into simple partnerships and form non-profit partnerships.

Differences in obtaining permits for redevelopment

It will be required, and not all activities may be permitted. For example, you cannot move a toilet or bathtub to a living area. While there are no obstacles to completely re-equipping the apartments, and no permits are required. However, as in the case of apartments, the apartments have load-bearing walls, and all existing openings in them must be reinforced with metal structures.

Can apartments be converted into housing stock?

Many people, purchasing this type of real estate, hope to convert it into housing in the future with all the ensuing benefits. But is this possible? Yes, translation is possible, but you will have to face some difficulties. Usually there are no obstacles to this, unless the apartment was originally designed as a workshop or office.

The main condition for transferring to housing is that the premises have direct access to sunlight for at least two hours a day. Apartments must also comply with SanPin requirements for residential premises. To transfer to housing stock, you will need to collect and submit the following documents:

• relevant application for transfer;
• technical documentation for the premises;
• floor plans of the building;
• redevelopment project, if any;
• consent of neighbors;
• payment of state duty.

Why are apartments cheaper than apartments?

The lower cost of apartments, compared to ordinary housing, is due to several factors that directly affect the price of real estate. First, developers of apartment buildings and complexes incur lower permitting costs. Secondly, such projects usually do not have the same infrastructure requirements as in the case of residential real estate. And thirdly, thanks to existing lighting standards, the developer can provide a larger number of premises, which will significantly increase the likely profit.

How are apartments different from studios?

There is a large selection of different types of real estate on the modern market, and, continuing to consider this topic, it is worth mentioning their difference from apartments, townhouses, etc. Many people are interested in what is the difference between a studio and an apartment? In essence, this is a room in which there are practically no partitions and only the bathroom is completely isolated. Like the apartment, the studio has an open plan, is also suitable for families without children and costs approximately 30% less than traditional multi-room housing. The only difference is that the apartments are not included in the housing stock.

How is a living space different from an apartment?

In the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, Article 16 “Types of residential premises” it is stated that these include residential buildings, their parts, apartments and rooms. Article 15 explains this term in detail as an isolated property suitable for comfortable living. Also, this premises must comply with the requirements of SNiP and housing legislation. Therefore, answering the question, what is the difference in the status of a residential premises and an apartment, we can say one thing - practically none.

Is it worth buying an apartment, from an expert’s point of view?

Purchasing an apartment is a good option for solving the housing problem on a limited budget. But buying this property can only be profitable in the following cases:

• there is already an apartment in which you can register;
• it is planned to rent out the premises;
• for combining home and office;
• limited budget for purchasing housing.

How much does it cost to rent an apartment?

In Europe, the practice of renting out apartments is widely developed. Gradually, it began to take root in Russia and brings quite legally good income in the form of 10% of the initial investment. To build a business for renting out premises, it is recommended to buy several apartments that are located in the same building and create a mini-hotel with comfortable living conditions.

One-room apartments can be rented monthly. At a rental cost of 35,000-40,000 rubles per month, excluding utilities, which will be paid by the tenant, you can fully return the money spent on their purchase within 10 years.

A few words in conclusion

We looked at what apartments are, their pros and cons, what is the difference between residential premises and an apartment, the nuances of design and the benefits of purchasing such real estate. As you can see, this is an excellent option for those who have limited funds, especially since there is a high probability of transferring them to housing stock and receiving all the ensuing benefits. We hope this article will help you when you decide to purchase real estate for yourself.

Several years ago, such special objects as apartments appeared on the real estate market. Everyone is accustomed to associating with this concept some kind of elite housing with panoramic glazing or luxury rooms in foreign hotels. In part, this was once the case, but today everything has changed dramatically, and it is not so easy to understand what the difference is between an ordinary apartment and an apartment in 2019.

What are apartments and what type of real estate are they?

In order to understand the question posed, you must first find out what apartments are and how they differ from an apartment. Turning to various sources, you can find out that this term has French or Italian roots, and is translated into Russian simply as “apartment”. Ushakov's dictionary defines an apartment as a large room or rest. However, this does not explain in any way what the legal difference is between apartments and apartments.

If you turn to Russian housing legislation, you can easily find out that residential premises mean:

• residential building or part thereof;
• apartment or part thereof;
• room.

This list is exhaustive and there are no apartments on it. Therefore, according to the law, this type of real estate cannot be classified as residential. However, such premises are used specifically for living and are equipped with all necessary amenities. To come closer to understanding the difference between an apartment and an apartment, you need to understand in which buildings these objects are located and what their functional purpose is.

If we take foreign experience, we can see that abroad property for temporary residence with hotel services is classified as apartments. This is partially true for Russia as well. For example, the order of the Ministry of Culture, which classifies objects of the tourism industry, contains the concept of apartments, which differs markedly from the definition of a hotel room. These include premises with an area of ​​at least 40 square meters, consisting of two or more rooms, equipped with furniture, bathrooms and everything necessary for temporary residence.

Sometimes such residential blocks are located in office buildings or in large business centers. They are intended for accommodation of employees sent from other cities to perform certain temporary functions. Apartments are also available for staff who do not have their own housing.

Today in large cities you can find new buildings consisting entirely of apartments, which differ from apartments in that they have greater commercial value. Wealthy people invest in the construction or purchase of such real estate for subsequent profit.

Thus, the answer to the question of what does it mean to have an apartment rather than an apartment can be formulated as follows. A room intended for temporary residence with a separate entrance, included in an apartment-type hotel complex or located in an administrative building, is usually called apartments. Unlike an apartment, it does not belong to the housing stock.

Pros and cons of apartments

Let's look at the difference between apartments and apartments in practical terms: the pros and cons of purchasing such real estate. As was established earlier, apartments do not belong to the housing stock. It is from this circumstance that the existing shortcomings of these objects arise:

• It is impossible to register with them permanently at your place of residence. True, there are no obstacles to temporary registration at the place of stay if the premises have hotel services. As in any hotel room, you can temporarily register in the apartment for up to 5 years. The absence of at least temporary registration can create problems with enrolling children in school or kindergarten, obtaining a compulsory medical insurance policy for services in medical institutions;
• Housing and communal services tariffs that are used for residential premises are not applicable to commercial real estate. In this regard, you have to pay much more for utilities than in the case of an apartment of the same area. The difference can reach up to 20% in some cities;
• tax legislation is not very friendly towards commercial real estate. Thus, the property tax rate for apartments is 0.5%, in contrast to an apartment, for which only 0.1% of the base is charged, which for commercial real estate, however, is 1.44 times less. Calculation of deductions upon sale is carried out according to the rules for non-residential premises. In this case, a deduction for the purchase is provided, as for an apartment - in the amount of 2 million rubles;
• Where apartments are even worse than apartments is that developers are not obliged to organize social and cultural infrastructure in the places where such objects are being built. For this reason, kindergartens, schools and clinics may be located at a considerable distance from the complexes, and access roads may be completely absent;
• the law does not extend the SANPIN standards provided for residential premises to apartments, which gives developers a free hand. After all, they do not need to comply with the level of illumination, noise insulation and other mandatory parameters;
• In the case of shared-equity construction of apartments, the status of shareholders is radically different from that if the house had apartments. They are simply not recognized as victims according to the parameters of the Ministry of Regional Development in the event of bankruptcy of the developer.

The list of disadvantages is quite impressive, but what is the advantage of apartments over an apartment, that the demand for them is growing every year. Everything is simple here, because the absence of the need to comply with many formalities during construction greatly reduces the cost of such real estate. At the same time, the end buyer needs to pay a much smaller amount for the apartment upon purchase, which compares favorably with purchasing an apartment. This makes it possible not only to purchase relatively cheap housing, but also to make good money by renting it out.

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Should you buy an apartment instead of an apartment?

Many people wonder what is better: an apartment or an apartment? However, this question is not entirely correct. This is about the same as comparing a therapist and a dentist. It seems like both are doctors, but their tasks are completely different. In practice, it is better to buy an apartment for those who have no other permanent housing. After all, the presence of residential premises guarantees permanent registration and, as a result, free access to the various social needs of the family.

If you already have permanent registration, then the question of whether to choose an apartment or an apartment is no longer so clear-cut. In this case, commercial real estate can be purchased for the following purposes:

• for own residence due to proximity to the place of work or study, or due to more comfortable conditions. At the same time, it is quite possible to rent out a permanent apartment;
• for renting out for commercial profit;
• for organizing hotel business.

It is the commercial component that determines the main reason why apartments are built rather than apartments, especially in Moscow.

Answers to some questions

Taking into account all of the above, we can answer the question, is a studio an apartment or an apartment? It all depends on the legal status, not on the layout. After all, a studio is a living space that does not have partitions, that is, an open layout. It can apply to both residential and commercial real estate. In the first case it is an apartment, and in the second it is an apartment.

Another pressing question is whether it is possible to transfer apartments to apartments in 2019, and what is the price of this procedure. The possibility of converting non-residential premises into residential premises is enshrined in housing legislation. It should be borne in mind that the procedure is quite complicated. The main obstacle is to ensure full compliance with sanitary standards, for example, sunlight must enter each living room of the premises for at least 2 hours a day. Therefore, apartments that are characterized by insufficient insolation cannot be transferred to the status of apartments. In addition, no encumbrances by third parties should be imposed on the property.

If it is possible to comply with all the rules, you can try to make a transfer. To do this, you will need to contact the housing department of your city with an application.. The following documents will have to be attached to it:

• registration certificate for real estate;
• title documents;
• floor plan of the building;
• redevelopment project, if it is planned to be carried out.

In addition, it is necessary to undergo approvals from various services and government agencies, and then submit the relevant certificates. All this may take more than one month, and the money spent will negate the benefits of buying an apartment instead of an apartment. In addition, the success of the event is not guaranteed. Therefore, individual transfer is not economically justified. True, there were cases when owners en masse turned to the developer with a corresponding collective request to transfer apartments to the status of residential premises even at the construction stage before putting the house into operation. At the same time, their issue was resolved positively.

Thus, apartments differ from apartments in the absence of the status of residential premises. They cost less, but it is better to purchase them if you have permanent registration in another place. After all, converting non-residential premises into residential ones is quite difficult, and often completely impossible. At the same time, buying an apartment is a very profitable investment in real estate, since the demand for rental housing is always very high.

Apart-hotel "YES"

The ongoing widespread technological progress of the present century, the emergence of ever new technologies in the field of world science and technology determine the need for the constant development of the social infrastructure of society, including the real estate market, which can fully satisfy the population’s need for housing.

Currently, in the real estate industry, two key objects that are the main focus of both developers and potential buyers are apartments and apartments. These residential properties have both similar features and many fundamental differences. Their presence is explained, among other things, by the difference in the purposes for which they are acquired.

The factors that differentiate apartments from apartments vary greatly depending on which country we are considering - for example, Russia or one of the European ones.

Apartment interior

In the general understanding, apartments differ from apartments in their housing “status” - they are a kind of temporary housing with a standard set of amenities and communications. This type of housing most often provides its residents with a standard level of comfort, being something like a hotel room, but not having the full range of qualities and characteristics necessary for a full-fledged stay, and providing them with the very minimum list of legal guarantees and benefits that the owners have apartments

Having outlined the approximate, general picture of the difference between apartments and apartments, we will consider the criteria for the difference between them in more detail, starting with the real estate market Russia:

1. Legal status and possibility of registration.

From the point of view of legal norms, apartments are not legally full-fledged housing. Registration and registration at the place of residence of citizens living in them is impossible even if they have documentation confirming their ownership of it. There is only the possibility of temporary registration of the owner of the apartments, but only if they are located in a building that is an apart-hotel or hotel.

2. Level of development of social infrastructure.

This difference concerns the construction near apart-hotels and complexes of various social facilities that provide comfortable, complete and most convenient accommodation for apartment residents in the area. Such facilities include mainly children's educational and preschool educational institutions, hospitals, etc. Companies involved in the construction of apart-hotels are not subject to obligations to provide apartment owners with social infrastructure of this kind in a given residential area. In other words, there is a risk of purchasing an apartment in an uninhabited area that may remain a residential area, even though developers may make promises of speedy and comprehensive development of infrastructure in this place.

3. Cost of housing.

A significant and quite significant advantage of the apartments is their lower cost compared to apartments, which is explained by the lack of obligations on the part of the developer to develop and expand the social infrastructure in the area where the apart-hotel is being built. However, the state legislative apparatus is currently preparing relevant legal regulations, according to which social obligations will apply to companies involved in the development of such housing.

But until such laws are adopted, the price per square meter in apartments and apartments is very different - the difference in their cost ranges from 10 to 15%, depending on the level of comfort of the housing and, of course, the city and region in which it is located.

Petrovsky Apart House

4. Rent amount.

Based on this criterion, buying an apartment will be a more profitable option than purchasing apartments. The amount of payment for housing and communal services in the latter is much higher than when living in an apartment due to the value added tax. The standard difference is 18%, but if we consider individual tariffs for paying for housing communications in apartments, the difference in the amount of payment compared to apartments will be even higher - this applies to payment for cold and hot water, sewerage, heating and other utilities.

The situation becomes even more complicated in cases where the housing communications of apart-hotels are connected to city networks by intermediary organizations, which, in turn, charge an additional percentage for their own services.

5. Lack of benefits and subsidies for utility bills.

Apartment owners do not have the right to use subsidies or benefits for housing communications if their monthly income is below the established norm. But, due to the lower cost of such housing compared to apartments, this price difference is relatively balanced.

6. Expected increase in the tax value of apartment living space.

The legislative bodies of the Russian Federation in the near future promise to raise the tax rate on non-residential real estate by 0.5%. For apartments it is 0.1%.

7. The situation with the common property of the apart-hotel.

According to the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, owners of apartments in multi-storey buildings bear joint and equal share responsibility for the technical premises located in them. The owners of the apartments are not mentioned in this document.

There is a high probability that the developer of the apart-hotel, taking advantage of his own “monopoly” position, will impose services of this kind on his residents, and this, most often, is fraught with an excessive increase in utility tariffs.

8. Impossibility of creating a homeowners' association.

Due to the fact that apartments do not have the legal status of residential premises, their owners do not have the opportunity to create an HOA to jointly solve common housing problems that arise. However, it is possible to create any other forms of partnership for a similar purpose.

9. Possibility of free redevelopment of housing.

Apartment owners have the right to redevelop their housing without obtaining special permission to do so, which is impossible when living in an apartment. The only condition necessary to comply with in this case is a guarantee that the changes made will not harm the structure of the premises and will not jeopardize the safety of the residents living in the apart-hotel.

Open plan

Having described the differences between apartments and apartments in Russia, you can move on to Europe. Here, many of the distinction criteria are similar to Russian ones - for example, a higher payment for utilities compared to apartments.

If we talk about specific countries, in Spain apartments differ from apartments mainly in the presence of a fenced area with small social infrastructure facilities common to residents.

In a country like Bulgaria, an apartment is an apartment that consists of at least two rooms, and also compactly accommodates furniture and household appliances built into the walls, which is completely optional and uncharacteristic for similar housing in Russia. In addition, apart-hotels in this country provide their residents with a range of additional services - security services, free parking, fitness and spa salons, playgrounds for children, etc. All these factors determine the higher cost of apartments here compared to apartments.