Glossary of terms

Assured Short-hold Tenancy (AST)

The most common form of tenancy in the UK. Similar to an Assured tenancy but lasting for a fixed period of at least 6 months. More popular as it makes it easier for the landlord to give notice and end the agreement.

Assured Tenancy

Gives you the right to remain in a property unless the landlord can convince the court there are good reasons to evict you (such as rent arrears, damage etc).

AST

See Assured Short-hold Tenancy

Bedsit

Single room accommodation which serves as a bedroom and living space in one. Generally sharing a bathroom and/or kitchen with others. Abbreviation of 'bed sitting room'. These aren't particularly common today.

Buddy up

Seen a 2 bed+ flat or house you like but can't afford it on your own? Why not club together with friends or like-minded people on SpareRoom and start your own flat or house share? To find out what implications this has in terms of tenancy agreements etc, see our guide to buddying up.

Bungalow

A single storey house.

Buy to let

The term used to describe buying a property with the specific intention of renting it out rather than living in it.

Contents insurance

A policy covering your personal possessions, clothes, furniture etc as opposed to Buildings insurance which covers the structure itself. See also Room Contents insurance.

Conversion

Refers to a house which has been divided to make 2 or more flats.

Cottage

Generally refers to smaller rural properties.

Deposit

A fixed sum taken by landlords/letting agents at the start of a tenancy to cover reasonable losses (rent arrears, damage etc). Check out our guide to deposits and inventories for more info.

Detached

Refers to a house which is completely separate from its neighbours.

Ex-local authority

Refers to a property which was formerly owned by the council. Often, especially in London, this refers to purpose built blocks of flats.

Flat

Generally refers to a property occupying only part of a building, known as an apartment in the US. Blocks of flats can be purpose built or in converted houses.

Flatmate

A term mainly used in the UK and Australia to describe someone who shares the flat or apartment with you. Generally housemate is used when the property is a house, but the two can be interchangeable. Find a flatmate.

Flatshare

Sharing a property with one or more people where each person usually has their own bedroom. Find a flatshare.

Garden flat

Literally a flat with a garden

Granny flat

Smaller self-contained flat at the back or on an upper floor of the main property. Usually with its own front door.

House

Usually refers to a whole property. One house can contain several flats.

Housemate

See flatmate

HMO

House in Multiple Occupation. Refers to certain types of accommodation shared by several people. See our guide to HMOs for more information.

Houseshare

See flatshare

Landlord's insurance

A specific type of insurance offered by certain companies to cover the needs of landlords. Can cover anything from rent losses and damage to re-housing tenants in the case of emergencies.

Live-in landlord

A homeowner who rents out one or more rooms in their property whilst living there themselves.

Live-out landlord

A landlord who rents a property they do not live in themselves

Lodger

A lodger is a tenant who rents a room (or rooms) in another's house, usually from a Live in landlord. Check out our guide to taking in a lodger.

Lodgings

A rented room in a shared flat or house where the owner is present. A person who takes lodgings is a lodger.

Loft apartment

Generally in former industrial premises and often open plan in layout loft apartments usually have high ceilings and lots of natural light.

Maisonette

A flat on two levels with internal stairs and/or its own street-level front door.

Pcm

Per calendar month. This refers to how the rent is calculated and paid.

Purpose-built

Refers to a collection of flats built as such rather than a conversion

Pw

Per week. This refers to how the rent is calculated and paid.

Rent a room scheme

A government scheme, which allows you to earn up to £7,500 a year tax free by taking in a lodger.

Room (or shared) contents insurance

A specific policy to cover those who rent a room within a property.

Roommate

An American term which is now often used internationally. As the name suggests it can either be use to describe someone who shares a room with you, or more typically, who shares a flat or house with you (i.e. they don't have to be in the same room to be described as a roommate!)

Generally Americans use the term 'roommate' and in the UK it's either flatmate or housemate.

Semi or Semi-detached

Refers to two houses joined together.

Sharers

A term usually applied to those living in shared accommodation together.

Speed Flatmating ®

Find a flatmate using the speed dating format.

Studio

Generally a single room for cooking, living and sleeping, with its own bathroom.

Sub-let / Subletting

An arrangement where the existing tenant lets all or part of the property to another. This is a complicated issue, check our subletting article for more information on this subject.

Tenancy agreement

A contract (verbal or written but usually written) between landlord and tenant. The contract outlines the rights both parties have (eg. your right to occupy the property and the landlord's right to receive rent from you). See our guide to tenancy agreements for more info.

Tenancy deposit scheme

A government scheme introduced in 2007 to safeguard deposits taken by landlords.

Tenant

Someone who rents and occupies a property from another

Terraced house

A house in a row of (usually) identical properties connected to each other by shared (or 'party') walls.