5 Common Types of Homes In Canada, Part II
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There are so many distinct dwellings that a person can live or stay in. So it is with no wonder that there might be different ones in Canada compared to those that exist in other countries. This is why it is important to learn the words necessary to describe different types of homes–not everyone lives in an apartment or house! To continue learning about the vocabulary that Canadians regularly use to describe their homes and the homes of others, continue reading below… And don’t forget to check out Part I of this series if you have not already done so.
TOWNHOUSE
“Townhouses Under Construction” photo courtesy of Ernie Journeys on Unsplash.
In Canadian English, a “townhouse” is typically:
a narrow house that is connected to at least two or three other narrow houses
Townhouses are usually small in terms of square footage per floor–and they often have more than one (usually two or three)–and each townhouse is always a private residence for one person or family.
In the past, townhouses were considered a low-income housing solution, but nowadays they are becoming more popular among the middle class. This, of course, is due in part to inflation, but also due to management style. Townhouses used to always be rented by the month from a landlord or housing corporation, but now many Canadians can purchase themselves a townhouse under the label of a condo.
CONDO
“High-Rise Condo Buildings In Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada” photo courtesy of Nathan Shurr on Unsplash.
In Canadian English, a “condo (informal),” or “condominium (formal),” typically refers to:
a building of many private residences where each residence is owned by the person or family living within it; public spaces in the building (e.g., gym, dog grooming room, rec room, etc.) are usually managed by a committee of neighbours who live in the building; each owner pays the committee monthly “condo fees” to help with the maintenance of the overall building and property; in addition to monthly mortgage and condo fees, there might also be a “pet fee” applied to each animal living in the condo, as well as a “parking fee” to pay for an additional parking spot, and sometimes even a “storage fee” for additional room to place your holiday decorations, bicycles, etc.
an individual private residence in a condo building
NOTE
To avoid confusion between definitions 1 and 2, some Canadians may also say: “condo building” (definition 1), or “condo suite” or “condo unit” (definition 2).
Interestingly, condos used to be a popular retirement choice for many Canadian pensioners. After all, there is no need to take care of a yard or replace the roofing like you would if you lived in a house, because there is a committee in charge of that. However, as the country’s population and density have grown, condos have become a common option in terms of home ownership for singles, couples, families, and retirees, alike. In fact, in many Canadian cities, they have even become more popular than apartments.
APARTMENT
In Canadian English, “apartment” typically means:
a building of multiple private residences where each residence is rented by the person or family living within it; some apartments have public spaces (e.g., laundry room, gym, storage room, etc.) that are managed by a landlord or property manager; in terms of monthly fees, they are generally the same as those for a condo, with the exception of condo fees; apartments do not usually charge additional fees outside of rent for building or property care
an individual private residence in an apartment building
NOTE
To avoid confusion between definitions 1 and 2, some Canadians may also use the following expressions: “apartment building” (definition 1), or “apartment suite” or “apartment unit” (definition 2).
Basically, the main differences between condos and apartments are that you buy a condo and pay additional money to have a team of neighbours (perhaps even yourself) take care of the condo property, and you rent an apartment whose building is taken care of by its individual owner.
Another important difference is that apartments are typically lower quality than condos. This means that they might be older, with outdated fixtures, less frequent maintenance, and are often located in older neighbourhoods with higher density and sometimes higher crime rates. Condos, on the other hand, are generally newer, with more recent fixtures, more frequent maintenance, and are often located in private neighbourhoods, or high density neighbourhoods with lower crime rates.
These differences are due in part to apartments being an older building and management style than condos. In the past, apartments were primarily used as a low-income housing option for largely populated cities. Condos, on the other hand, were an alternative to houses for the middle to upper class. While times have changed, and apartments and condos are now lived in by people of all walks of life, many apartment buildings are still being converted to condo buildings as a result of gentrification. But remember, there are exceptions to these generalizations, as a building and its property are only as good as their managers.
DORM
“Private Dorm Room” photo courtesy of Max pirate on Unsplash.
In Canadian English, a “dorm” (informal), or “dormitory”· (formal), typically refers to:
a building of many bedrooms that share a select number of public spaces: bathroom, shower room, kitchen, lounge room, etc.; these rooms are reserved for students of a particular school, often a college or university
an individual room in a dormitory building
NOTE
To avoid confusing definitions 1 and 2, Canadians might also say: “dormitory” (definition 1) or “dorm room” (definition 2).
Dorms are typically located on a school’s campus, but due in part to limited space some institutions will construct dorms in nearby neighbourhoods. This is particularly true for remote locations downtown.
Most dorms are reserved for those who have travelled for their education, meaning students who do not normally live in the town/city where the school is located. This includes inter-city, inter-provincial, and international students. However, some dorms may have a local quota, which is filled by those who normally live in the same town/city, but who want to move to live on campus in order to be closer to their classes.
SHELTER
“Shelter, Made Of A Sheet” photo courtesy of Levi Meir Clancy on Unsplash.
In Canadian English, “shelter” can mean:
any type of roof, or protection from the environment, under which a person can sleep and live
a building that offers free beds and other services to people who live on the street
Unfortunately, like any other country in the world, Canada has many people who do not have the ability to call a building, like those mentioned above, their home. Instead, they might use sheets, tarps, cardboard boxes, grocery carts, or tents to provide themselves shelter (definition 1) from the outdoors. Shelters like these are often located on the street, usually downtown or under bridges, by parks, rivers, forests, etc. Some places have such large unhoused populations that entire neighbourhoods or regions are known for these shelters and the people living within them.
Many towns and cities, however, are producing non-profit organizations that aim to help those who live on the street with a more secure type of shelter (definition 2). Such offers beds, sometimes food, clothing, showers, and more, with the hope that doing so will help increase the survival rate of unhoused Canadians.
Do you live in any of these types of homes? What about those from Part I? Practice using this vocabulary by letting me know what kind of home you live in and what it’s like in the comments below.
RELATED ARTICLES
5 Common Types of Homes In Canada, Part III (Coming Soon)
ATTRIBUTION
“High-Rise Condo Buildings In Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada” photo courtesy of Nathan Shurr on Unsplash
