{"id":61795,"date":"2023-10-16T03:37:59","date_gmt":"2023-10-16T10:37:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/?p=61795"},"modified":"2026-03-16T01:10:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T08:10:02","slug":"high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/","title":{"rendered":"High-Rise vs. Low-Rise Apartments: Pros and Cons"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019re in the market for a new apartment, but you\u2019re having trouble deciding on the type of place to rent. Besides price, location, and amenities, you\u2019ll also have to decide whether you want to live in a bigger or smaller building.<\/p>\n

To help you with your apartment search<\/a>, we prepared a brief description of the differences between high-rise and low-rise apartments. Plus, we put together the advantages of renting a high-rise or a low-rise unit, as well as the perks<\/a> of living on a higher floor or lower floor.<\/p>\n

What is a high-rise apartment?<\/h2>\n

Before diving into our comparison, let\u2019s define what we mean by \u201chigh-rise apartment\u201d and \u201clow-rise apartment.\u201d In general, a high-rise<\/strong> refers to a residential building that exceeds a certain height or number of stories \u2014 but the exact definition can vary depending on the country or organization.<\/p>\n

For example, in India, a building with 4 or more stories is considered a high-rise. In the U.S., the National Fire Protection Association defines a high-rise as any apartment building with at least 7 stories<\/strong>. Meanwhile, Yardi Matrix, a leading apartment market data provider and our sister company, classifies high-rise communities as those with 10 or more stories<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also worth noting that once a building reaches a certain height \u2014 typically 40 to 50 stories <\/strong>\u2014 it\u2019s no longer just a high-rise, but a skyscraper<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Skyline<\/p>\n

Also according to Yardi Matrix, l<\/strong>ow-rise buildings<\/strong> are apartment complexes that are up to 4 stories tall<\/strong>. In some parts of the country, these are commonly referred to as \u201cgarden-style apartments<\/a>.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

You may also come across the term \u201cmid-rise apartments,\u201d<\/strong> which typically refers to buildings that are between 5 and 10 stories<\/strong> in height, falling between low-rise and high-rise categories.<\/p>\n

High-rise vs. low-rise: Which is better?<\/h2>\n

Now that we have an idea of what high-rise<\/a> and low-rise<\/a> apartments are, let\u2019s see which might be the right choice for you.<\/p>\n

Advantages of high-rise apartments<\/h3>\n

\u2022 They offer the best views: <\/strong>If you want stunning views of, say, the Manhattan skyline, you\u2019re only going to get that in a high-rise apartment<\/a>. They also get more natural light.
\n\u2022 They are located in the city: <\/strong>If you work in the big city or simply love shopping and partying there, living in a high-rise apartment is the easiest way to cut down on your commute.
\n\u2022 They provide a doorman\/security: <\/strong>Having a doorman, security, and other staff will make your life easier and safer. They put the \u2018hi\u2019 in high-rise apartments.
\n\u2022 They have elevators: <\/strong>If the thought of climbing five or more flights of stairs makes you cringe, no need to worry \u2014 high-rise apartments always have elevators, and most buildings offer multiple to reduce wait times.
\n\u2022 They offer more leasing options: <\/strong>If you\u2019re looking for a flexible lease, like a month-to-month<\/a> arrangement, you\u2019re much more likely to find it in a high-rise. Furnished apartments<\/a> are also commonly available in high-rise apartment buildings, making them a convenient choice for short-term or transitional renters.
\n\u2022 They have easier utilities and maintenance: <\/strong>Most high-rise apartments are already wired for cable, internet, and other essential services, making setup quick and hassle-free. Maintenance requests are often faster too, since they usually have an on-site property management office.<\/p>\n

\"Modern<\/p>\n

Advantages of low-rise apartments<\/h3>\n

\u2022 They are closer to the street: <\/strong>If you’re always on the go or living with an elderly or disabled person, you\u2019ll appreciate the easier access that low-rise apartments provide. This convenience can be especially important during emergencies, such as a fire or medical situation.
\n\u2022 They have more amenities and parking: <\/strong>Unless you\u2019re looking at luxury apartments<\/a>, low-rise apartment communities often offer more amenities \u2014 like pools, clubhouses, and extra parking<\/a> \u2014 making everyday living more convenient.
\n\u2022 They provide better access to green spaces: <\/strong>Low-rise apartments are much more likely to feature landscaped grounds, gardens, shade trees, walking paths, and other green features<\/a> that appeal to nature lovers.
\n\u2022 They are located in residential areas: <\/strong>Low-rise apartments are typically found in quieter, outer residential neighborhoods. Though this may add time to your commute if you work downtown, you’ll likely enjoy less foot and vehicle traffic, cleaner air, and a stronger sense of community.
\n\u2022 They offer greater peace and privacy: <\/strong>While some people love the hustle and bustle of city life, others crave a bit of peace and quiet. Thanks to their location and smaller scale, low-rise apartments often offer more privacy and a calmer living environment.
\n\u2022 They may be cheaper and may offer negotiable rent: <\/strong>While low-rise buildings have fewer units, they\u2019re often more affordable due to their location<\/a>, and landlords are generally more open to negotiating rent<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Which floor should you live on?<\/h2>\n

The pros and cons laid out above come with one important caveat: Some of the advantages and disadvantages of a high-rise apartment can change depending on the floor you\u2019re on.<\/p>\n

For instance, living on the first floor of a high-rise provides equal, if not better, access to the street as you\u2019d have on, say, the third floor of a low-rise. On the flip side, that first-floor apartment isn\u2019t going to have the good views normally associated with taller buildings. If you\u2019re on a higher floor, say the 30th, you may actually have more privacy, less noise, and cleaner air than the ground floor in a low-rise.<\/p>\n

The perks of living on a higher floor:\u00a0<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Better views
\n\u2022 More privacy
\n\u2022 More natural light
\n\u2022 Less noise
\n\u2022 Fewer insects
\n\u2022 Better ventilation<\/p>\n

The perks of living on a lower floor:\u00a0<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Easier street access
\n\u2022 Less walking\/waiting
\n\u2022 Lower energy costs<\/a>
\n\u2022\u00a0More green spaces in sight<\/p>\n

Would you rather have a great view or more convenient access to your apartment? That\u2019s something only you can decide. Browse apartments on RentCafe.com<\/a> for a great selection of high-rise and low-rise rental communities in your area that fit your lifestyle and budget.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You\u2019re in the market for a new apartment, but you\u2019re having trouble deciding on the type of place to rent. Besides price, location, and amenities, you\u2019ll also have to decide whether you want to live in a bigger or smaller building. To help you with your apartment search, we prepared a brief description of the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":61796,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3671],"tags":[38976],"class_list":["post-61795","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-renting","tag-types-of-apartments","gallery-content-unit"],"yoast_head":"\nHigh-Rise vs Low-Rise Apartments: Pros and Cons<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"High-Rise vs. Low-Rise Apartments: Pros and Cons\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"You\u2019re in the market for a new apartment, but you\u2019re having trouble deciding on the type of place to rent. Besides price, location, and amenities, you\u2019ll also have to decide whether you want to live in a bigger or smaller building. To help you with your apartment search, we prepared a brief description of the…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"RentCafe rental blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-10-16T10:37:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-16T08:10:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/10\/Highrise-vs-lowrise.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"890\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"417\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Nadia Balint\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Nadia Balint\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/\",\"name\":\"High-Rise vs Low-Rise Apartments: Pros and Cons\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/10\/Highrise-vs-lowrise.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-10-16T10:37:59+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-16T08:10:02+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8e0bb6a7e99360ae20be5feca08232f7\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/10\/Highrise-vs-lowrise.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/10\/Highrise-vs-lowrise.jpg\",\"width\":890,\"height\":417,\"caption\":\"RentCafe Highrise Apartments for Rent\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"High-Rise vs. Low-Rise Apartments: Pros and Cons\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"RentCafe rental blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8e0bb6a7e99360ae20be5feca08232f7\",\"name\":\"Nadia Balint\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8a153557c36033d2e571ba2992ace3c4a2191e9d6ba0ed5d645ceb54084ec111?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8a153557c36033d2e571ba2992ace3c4a2191e9d6ba0ed5d645ceb54084ec111?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Nadia Balint\"},\"description\":\"Nadia Balint is a senior creative writer for RENTCaf\u00e9. She covers news and trends in residential and commercial real estate and their impact on our everyday life, including rental housing, for-sale housing, real estate development, homeownership, market reports, insurance, landlord-tenant laws, personal finance, urban development, economy, sustainability, and social issues. Nadia holds a B.S. in Business Management from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. You can connect with Nadia via email. Nadia\u2019s work and expertise have been quoted by major national and local media outlets, including CNN, CNBC, CBS News, Curbed, The NY Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Denver Post as well as industry publications, such as GlobeSt, Bisnow, Inman News, Multifamily Executive, and The Commercial Real Estate Show. Nadia also wrote for Multi-Housing News, Commercial Property Executive, HubSpot, and more. Prior to entering the real estate industry, Nadia worked in the legal field, where she gained over 10 years of experience in business, corporate, and real estate law.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/author\/nadia-balint-2\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"High-Rise vs Low-Rise Apartments: Pros and Cons","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"High-Rise vs. Low-Rise Apartments: Pros and Cons","og_description":"You\u2019re in the market for a new apartment, but you\u2019re having trouble deciding on the type of place to rent. Besides price, location, and amenities, you\u2019ll also have to decide whether you want to live in a bigger or smaller building. To help you with your apartment search, we prepared a brief description of the…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/","og_site_name":"RentCafe rental blog","article_published_time":"2023-10-16T10:37:59+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-16T08:10:02+00:00","og_image":[{"width":890,"height":417,"url":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/10\/Highrise-vs-lowrise.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Nadia Balint","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Nadia Balint","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/","url":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/","name":"High-Rise vs Low-Rise Apartments: Pros and Cons","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/10\/Highrise-vs-lowrise.jpg","datePublished":"2023-10-16T10:37:59+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-16T08:10:02+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8e0bb6a7e99360ae20be5feca08232f7"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/10\/Highrise-vs-lowrise.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/10\/Highrise-vs-lowrise.jpg","width":890,"height":417,"caption":"RentCafe Highrise Apartments for Rent"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/renting\/high-rise-vs-low-rise-apartments-pros-cons\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"High-Rise vs. Low-Rise Apartments: Pros and Cons"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/","name":"RentCafe rental blog","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8e0bb6a7e99360ae20be5feca08232f7","name":"Nadia Balint","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8a153557c36033d2e571ba2992ace3c4a2191e9d6ba0ed5d645ceb54084ec111?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8a153557c36033d2e571ba2992ace3c4a2191e9d6ba0ed5d645ceb54084ec111?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Nadia Balint"},"description":"Nadia Balint is a senior creative writer for RENTCaf\u00e9. She covers news and trends in residential and commercial real estate and their impact on our everyday life, including rental housing, for-sale housing, real estate development, homeownership, market reports, insurance, landlord-tenant laws, personal finance, urban development, economy, sustainability, and social issues. Nadia holds a B.S. in Business Management from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. You can connect with Nadia via email. Nadia\u2019s work and expertise have been quoted by major national and local media outlets, including CNN, CNBC, CBS News, Curbed, The NY Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Denver Post as well as industry publications, such as GlobeSt, Bisnow, Inman News, Multifamily Executive, and The Commercial Real Estate Show. Nadia also wrote for Multi-Housing News, Commercial Property Executive, HubSpot, and more. Prior to entering the real estate industry, Nadia worked in the legal field, where she gained over 10 years of experience in business, corporate, and real estate law.","url":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/author\/nadia-balint-2\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2018\/10\/Highrise-vs-lowrise.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61795","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61795"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61795\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":143490,"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61795\/revisions\/143490"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}