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

Lenox Hill

333 East 75th Street

$599,888

1 |

1

South Harlem

301 West 110th Street

$648,000

1 |

1

Sutton Place

357 East 57th Street

$599,000

1 |

1

Yorkville

340 East 93rd Street

$579,000

1 |

1

Lenox Hill

425 East 78th Street

$475,000

1 |

1

Upper West Side

278 West 86th Street

$659,000

1 |

1

Carnegie Hill

170 East 92nd Street

$629,000

1 |

1.5

Central Harlem

171 West 131st Street

$620,000

1 |

1

Morningside Heights

501 West 123rd Street

$635,000

2 |

1

Battery Park City

280 Rector Place

$579,000

1 |

1

Lenox Hill

207 East 74th Street

$599,000

1 |

1

Sutton Place

220 East 57th Street

$499,000

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

East Village

525 East 5th Street

$3,000 base rent

Studio |

1

East Harlem

1910 Third Avenue

$2,831 base rent

2 |

1

Gramercy Park

344 East 20th Street

$2,895 base rent

Studio |

1

East Harlem

304 Pleasant Avenue

$2,499 base rent

1 |

1

Manhattanville

545 West 125th Street

$2,500 base rent

Studio |

1

Yorkville

303 East 89th Street

$2,700 base rent

Studio |

1

East Harlem

26 East 105th Street

$2,850 base rent

2 |

1

East Harlem

101 East 116th Street

$2,895 base rent

1 |

1

Inwood

101 Sherman Avenue

$2,099 base rent

1 |

1

Upper West Side

313 West 87th Street

$3,000 base rent

Studio |

1

Lenox Hill

845 Lexington Avenue

$2,695 base rent

Studio |

1

Fort George

86 Thayer Street

$2,500 base rent

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

Gravesend

2650 Ocean Parkway

$465,000

2 |

2

Ditmas Park

570 Westminster Road

$599,000

1 |

1

Clinton Hill

185 Hall Street

$575,000

1 |

1

Park Slope

423 15th Street

$750,000

2 |

1

Fort Hamilton

20 89th Street

$595,000

2 |

1

Weeksville

1479 Sterling Place

$520,000

1 |

1

Weeksville

1479 Sterling Place

$599,000

1 |

1

Sheepshead Bay

2805 East 26th Street

$679,000

2 |

2

Bushwick

1060 Jefferson Avenue

$585,000

1 |

1

Bushwick

358 Grove Street

$625,000

1 |

1

Coney Island

2942 West 5th Street

$415,000

2 |

1.5

Ditmas Park

616 East 18th Street

$525,000

1 |

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

Murray Hill (Queens)

148-09 Northern Boulevard East

$749,000

2 |

1

Kew Gardens Hills

147-28 Charter Road

$440,000

2 |

1

Rosedale

253-27 147th Avenue

$750,000

3 |

2

East Flushing

142-20 Franklin Avenue

$768,000

2 |

1

Flushing

31-38 137th Street

$608,000

2 |

2

East Flushing

140-75 Ash Avenue

$758,000

2 |

2

Forest Hills

105-30 66th Avenue

$369,000

2 |

1

College Point

10-19 116th Street

$650,000

2 |

2

Jackson Heights

35-34 84th Street

$519,000

2 |

1

Woodside

63-11 Queens Boulevard

$649,000

2 |

1

Jackson Heights

34-41 85th Street

$549,000

2 |

1

North Corona

34-17 103rd Street

$529,000

2 |

2

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