Basement apartment

A basement apartment or basement flat is an apartment located below street level, underneath another structure—usually an apartment building, but also homes and businesses. Cities in North America legally define them as an accessory dwelling unit or "ADU". Rent in basement apartments is usually lower than in above-ground units, due to deficiencies common to basement apartments, which are often cramped, and typically noisy, especially due to passing traffic.^[1] They are also particularly vulnerable to burglary, especially those with windows at sidewalk level. In some instances, residential use of below-ground space is illegal, but practiced regardless.^[1]

The entrance to the basement apartment, Korea.

Owning a home with a basement apartment can be an investment, both providing an income stream and adding to the value of the property.^[2]

Health risks

Basement in The Netherlands

Health risks of basement apartments include mold, ^[3] radon, and increased likelihood of injury or death due to fire.^{[citation needed]} However, risks are reflected in lower rents.^[4]

Basement apartment tenants are more likely to be injured or die due to fire.^[5][6] Many landlords do not follow fire code regulations, and often such regulations are not enforced by governments.^{[citation needed]}

Flooding is particularly dangerous in basement apartments. When Hurricane Ida passed over the northeast of the United States, most of the deaths were caused due to flooding in basement apartments.^[7][8]

In fiction

Ruth McKenney based a series of stories in The New Yorker, later republished in the book My Sister Eileen, on her experiences living with her sister in a moldy, one-room basement apartment, directly adjoining the Christopher Street subway station on the 1 and ​2 trains, at 14 Gay Street, in Greenwich Village for which she paid $45 a month (equivalent to $1,010 in 2024).^[9] The apartment was burgled within the first week during the six months they lived there. The book was later made into a Hollywood movie.

A basement apartment at 5 St. Luke's Place in New York City’s Greenwich Village was the scene for both the 1966 play and the 1967 movie “Wait Until Dark”.

See also

• Architecture portal
• Housing portal

• English basement
• Penthouse apartment