Australian English

Australian English and New Zealand English traditionally used the term flat (although it also applies to any rental property), and more recently also use the terms unit or apartment. In Australia, a ‘unit’ refers to flats, apartments or even semi-detached

houses. In Australia, the terms “unit”, “flat” and “apartment” are largely used interchangeably. Newer high-rise buildings are more often marketed as “apartments”, as the term “flats” carries colloquial connotations. The term condominium or condo is rarely used in Australia despite attempts by developers to market it.

In Malaysian English, flat often denotes a housing block of two rooms with walk-up, no lift, without facilities, typically five storeys tall, and with outdoor parking space,[7] while apartment is more generic and may also include luxury condominiums.

In Japanese English loanwords (Wasei-eigo), the term apartment (apaato) is used for lower-income housing and mansion (manshon) is used for high-end apartments; but both terms refer to what English-speakers regard as an apartment. This use of the term mansion has a parallel with British English’s mansion block, a term denoting prestigious apartment buildings from the

Victorian and Edwardian, which usually feature an ornate facade and large, high-ceilinged flats with period features. Danchi is the Japanese word for a large cluster of apartment buildings of a particular style and design, typically built as public housing by government authorities. See Housing in Japan.

Types and characteristics