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

Upper East Side

120 East 83rd Street

$449,000

1 |

1

East Village

753 East 5th Street

$750,000

2 |

2

Gramercy Park

201 East 21st Street

$710,000

1 |

1

Upper West Side

166 West 76th Street

$585,000

1 |

1

Hamilton Heights

753 Saint Nicholas’s Avenue

$615,000

1 |

1

Hudson Heights

153 Bennett Avenue

$550,000

2 |

1

Murray Hill

80 Park Avenue

$675,000

1 |

1

Sutton Place

339 East 58th Street

$725,000

2 |

2

East Village

87 Saint Marks Place

$650,000

1 |

1

Lenox Hill

181 East 73rd Street

$725,000

1 |

1

South Harlem

2072 Frederick Douglass Boulevard

$650,000

1 |

1

Gramercy Park

301 East 22nd Street

$530,000

1 |

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

Hudson Yards

407 West 39th Street

$2,400 No Fee

Studio |

1

East Harlem

411 East 118th Street

$2,250 No Fee

1 |

1

Fort George

2 Ellwood Street

$1,900 No Fee

1 |

1

East Village

107 East 10th Street

$3,000 No Fee

1 |

1

East Harlem

138 East 112nd Street

$2,444 No Fee

1 |

1

Lenox Hill

1275 Third Avenue

$2,900 No Fee

1 |

1

Yorkville

431 East 83rd Street

$2,475 No Fee

Studio |

1

Lenox Hill

233 East 77th Street

$2,800 No Fee

1 |

1

Hell’s Kitchen

644 Tenth Avenue

$3,000 No Fee

1 |

1

East Harlem

181 East 101st Street

$3,000 No Fee

Studio |

1

Yorkville

506 East 82nd Street

$2,395 No Fee

Studio |

1

East Harlem

411 East 118th Street

$2,175 No Fee

1 |

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

Park Slope

394 15th Street

$495,000

1 |

1

Boerum Hill

256 Bergen Street

$575,000

1 |

1

Brighton Beach

35 Sea Coast Terrace

$463,840

1 |

1

Flatbush

62 Veronica Place

$495,000

1 |

1

Bay Ridge

8301 Ridge Boulevard

$575,000

2 |

1

Bedford-Stuyvesant

1118 Fulton Street

$695,000

1 |

1.5

Windsor Terrace

243 Mcdonald Avenue

$649,000

2 |

1

Homecrest

1770 East 18th Street

$680,000

2 |

2

Clinton Hill

531 Vanderbilt Avenue

$750,000

1 |

1

Prospect Lefferts Gardens

322 Lincoln Road

$650,000

1 |

1

Sheepshead Bay

3360 Shore Parkway

$650,000

2 |

2

Sunset Park

611 41st Street

$595,000

2 |

1

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

Kew Gardens Hills

64-32 136th Street

$680,000

3 |

1.5

St. Albans

109-40 177th Street

$599,000

3 |

2

Richmond Hill

102-20 85th Avenue

$749,000

3 |

1.5

Jackson Heights

33-26 92nd Street

$390,000

2 |

1.5

East Flushing

43-73 Union Street

$698,000

2 |

2

Glendale

90-60 Union Turnpike

$499,999

3 |

1.5

Queens Village

225-19 109th Avenue

$699,000

3 |

2

Forest Hills

66-36 Yellowston Boulevard

$369,000

2 |

1

Rego Park

61-15 97th Street

$490,000

2 |

2

Forest Hills

67-30 Clyde Street

$460,000

2 |

1

Rego Park

98-25 64 Road

$619,000

2 |

1

Oakland Gardens

67-27 218th Street

$355,000

3 |

1

—