Real estate terminology can be hard to decipher — for example, what the heck is a maisonette? That might lead to you questioning another confusing term, what is a duplex apartment? A recent search of NYC and northern New Jersey listings that include the word “duplex” brought up nearly 1,700 sale listings. But what makes these units different from other apartments with additional levels? Here is everything New Yorkers need to know about this distinctive apartment type.

Manhattan Homes Under $750K on StreetEasy Article continues below

Murray Hill

225 East 36th Street

$599,000

1 |

1

Hudson Heights

273 Bennett Avenue

$545,000

2 |

1

Lincoln Square

180 West End Avenue

$728,000

1 |

1

Hudson Heights

116 Pinehurst Avenue

$550,000

1 |

1

Turtle Bay

145 East 48th Street

$685,000

1 |

1

Lenox Hill

311 East 71st Street

$510,000

1 |

1

Chelsea

308 West 30th Street

$675,000

2 |

1

Midtown South

244 Madison Avenue

$650,000

1 |

1

Murray Hill

5 Tudor City Place

$640,000

1 |

1

Sutton Place

400 East 56th Street

$695,000

1 |

1

Upper West Side

102 West 80th Street

$539,000

1 |

1

Hudson Heights

140 Cabrini Boulevard

$599,000

2 |

1

What Is a Duplex Apartment?

While it’s unclear how duplexes first came to the NYC real estate market, they did inspire headlines when the last luxury prewar apartment building hit the market in the 1930s. The building located at 19 East 72rd Street housed more duplexes than any other floor plan type. So what separates a duplex apartment from other multi-level units spotted on StreetEasy? Here are a couple of guidelines:

First off, a duplex apartment is a two-floor unit connected by stairs or an elevator. Sometimes the lower level is a basement.

Second, both floors must have a legal minimum ceiling height of 8 feet. For example, an apartment with a loft bedroom with a ceiling height of 5 feet is not a duplex, even if it has stairs.

You might see the term maisonette used when describing a duplex. But, here’s the thing, a maisonette could be a duplex, but it also has a private entrance from the outside, while duplexes do not. What about split-levels? Apartments in this category have multiple floors connected by staggered and short sets of stairs.

Manhattan Rentals Under $3,200 on StreetEasy Article continues below

Upper West Side

210 West 94th Street

$2,750 No Fee

Studio |

1

West Harlem

408 West 130th Street

$2,429 No Fee

1 |

1

Central Harlem

4 West 130th Street

$2,800 No Fee

1 |

1

Fort George

521 West 185th Street

$2,700 No Fee

3 |

1

Fort George

501 West 184th Street

$2,025 No Fee

1 |

1

West Harlem

408 West 130th Street

$2,429 No Fee

1 |

1

Upper East Side

155 East 85th Street

$2,750 No Fee

Studio |

1

Lenox Hill

409 East 74th Street

$2,400 No Fee

Studio |

1

Turtle Bay

321 East 48th Street

$2,900 No Fee

Studio |

1

Murray Hill

5 Tudor City Place

$2,195 No Fee

Studio |

1

Upper West Side

41 West 86th Street

$2,909 No Fee

Studio |

1

Yorkville

1571 Third Avenue

$3,000 No Fee

Studio |

1

Are Duplex Apartments Easy to Find?

Although available as rentals, co-ops, and condos, generally, duplex apartments are relatively rare. They represent a very small percentage of available listings: less than 9% of sales and less than 4% of rentals. You may also be surprised to know that the demand for the unique layout isn’t very high.

“Duplex units are not a popular trend given that most have stairs rather than elevators,” says Agent Karen Kostiw of Warburg Realty. “Stairs in apartments eliminate a large demographic from purchasing an apartment given their lack of easy of use and hazards (i.e., falling).”

Plus, it’s cost-prohibitive for builders. So, newer ones are not as likely to hit the market, adds Frederick Warburg Peters, CEO of Warburg Realty.

With that in mind, buyers are more likely to find duplexes in neighborhoods with more prewar constriction like the Upper East Side and Central Park West. In some instances, if someone wants a duplex in a building where they don’t exist, the person can buy two apartments and combine them. According to Kostiw, if purchased early on in the development process, having the sponsor combine them can be part of the negotiation.

Brooklyn 1-2BRs Under $800K on StreetEasy Article continues below

Williamsburg

153 South Fourth Street

$535,000

2 |

1

Kensington

428 East 9th Street

$520,000

1 |

1

Bushwick

1474 Bushwick Avenue

$750,000

2 |

1

Clinton Hill

193 Clinton Avenue

$520,000

1 |

1

Dyker Heights

1327 67th Street

$729,000

2 |

1

Brighton Beach

3031 Brighton 5th Street

$645,000

2 |

2

Prospect Heights

382 Prospect Place

$699,000

2 |

1

Wingate

651 New York Avenue

$786,500

2 |

1

Greenwood

282 21st Street

$699,000

1 |

1.5

Bedford-Stuyvesant

582 Throop Avenue

$725,000

2 |

1

Bensonhurst

1520 West 10th Street

$699,000

2 |

2

Sheepshead Bay

2654 East 18th Street

$725,000

2 |

2

Pros and Cons of Duplex Apartments

As with any real estate purchase, there are always pluses and minuses to consider. Here are the pros:

More room: Of course, single-floor apartments can be larger square-footage wise. But having two floors is going to give more of that house-like feel. And they are exceptionally roomy if you have two floors of equal size.

More privacy: Two floors, especially if the bedrooms and living areas are separate, means there’s more space for people to spread out. For example, parents can entertain downstairs while the kids sleep upstairs.

More affordable than a townhouse: If you’re wanting single-family style living without the price tag, a duplex is a good option price-wise. A one-bedroom duplex in Yorkville is just $690K, where a townhouse in the same neighborhood asks $7.99M.

Access to amenities: Since duplexes are situated within a larger building, you would have access to any communal amenities available.

Here are the cons:

Managing stairs: Spiral staircases are not uncommon in a duplex as they are space-saving. But they can be more treacherous for some. “This type of staircase is not for anyone who is not steady on their feet or for use by small children,” says broker Gerard Splendore of Warburg Realty.

Finding a sensible layout: “The first question you should ask yourself is whether or not the layout makes sense for you,” says agent Mihal Gartenberg of Warburg Realty. “For example, where are the bathrooms located, and are they easy to access in the middle of the night? There are cases where the bathroom is on a separate floor to the bedroom.”

Queens 2-3BRs Under $800K on StreetEasy Article continues below

Little Neck

244-29 61st Avenue

$375,000

2 |

1

Beechhurst

166-25 Powell Cove Boulevard

$599,000

2 |

2

Bellerose

88-51 239th Street

$768,000

3 |

1.5

Rego Park

61-41 Saunders Street

$518,000

3 |

2

Elmhurst

83-06 Vietor Avenue

$439,000

2 |

1

Murray Hill (Queens)

145-34 34th Avenue

$718,000

2 |

2

Kew Gardens Hills

150-38 Union Turnpike

$650,000

2 |

2

Kew Gardens Hills

150-77 Village Road

$350,000

2 |

1

Whitestone

151-63 Twelfth Avenue

$699,000

2 |

1

Forest Hills

111-15 75th Avenue

$538,000

2 |

1

Maspeth

52-24 65 Place

$385,000

2 |

1

South Ozone Park

131-38 135 Place

$624,999

3 |

2

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