{"id":61689,"date":"2018-10-09T07:11:33","date_gmt":"2018-10-09T14:11:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/?p=61689"},"modified":"2026-04-22T00:38:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T07:38:16","slug":"what-is-a-pied-a-terre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/what-is-a-pied-a-terre\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a Pied-\u00e0-Terre and Why Would You Want to Live in One?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve been browsing the property listings of a major city, like New York, you\u2019re bound to come across the term pied-\u00e0-terre<\/em>. It\u2019s certainly a fancy-sounding word, and you\u2019re pretty sure you want one, whatever it is.<\/p>\n

But what is a pied-\u00e0-terre?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s start with a pied-\u00e0-terre definition. Many believe it\u2019s simply the French word for \u2018small apartment,\u2019 however, the literal pied-\u00e0-terre translation would sound something like \u201dfoot to the earth.\u201d<\/em> \u2018A foot on the ground\u00b4makes more sense, though… In practice, a pied-\u00e0-terre is a second home, one that\u2019s used on a temporary basis, giving you a partial presence (or foot on the ground) in another city. But their size, location, and how they\u2019re used is typically a little different than a vacation home.<\/p>\n

Now that we\u2019ve had a chance to define pied-\u00e0-terre, let\u2019s have a quick word about \u2013 erm \u2013 the word. The correct spelling is of course pied-\u00e0-terre, though both pied-a-terre<\/em> and pied a terre<\/em> are used in the U.S. It\u2019s worth noting that its correct plural form is pieds-\u00e0-terre<\/em> \u2013as opposed to the much too frequently seen pied-\u00e0-terres. It\u2019s an easy word to misspell, having inspired countless typos such as pied de terre<\/em> or pied-e-terre<\/em>, but we\u2019ve also come across pieta terre\u00a0<\/em>and even\u00a0pierre de terre<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Why should you consider a pied-\u00e0-terre?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There are plenty of reasons to buy a pied-\u00e0-terre, ranging from leisure to business. The wealthy use them for regular jaunts into New York<\/a>, San Francisco<\/a>, London or Paris \u2013 whether for shopping, dining, or partying. Business travelers usually own a pied-\u00e0-terre in cities they frequently travel to. There are foreign buyers who want a part-time residence in one of the world\u2019s premier cities. Other pied-\u00e0-terre owners have family in the city, like a college-aged child that they regularly visit. Some people even own one to cut down on lengthy commute times between their primary home and their workplace.<\/p>\n

\"pied-a-terre\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In all of these cases, it\u2019s more convenient and possibly even cheaper to buy one than to constantly pay for hotel rooms. Owners avoid the hassle of bookings, check-ins and packing, while gaining the comfort and amenities of a home away from home, like a kitchen that cuts down on the cost and necessity of eating out.<\/p>\n

In short, if you\u2026<\/p>\n