An ‘appartement’ (apartment or flat) is a separate residence that is part of a bigger building with several residences, like an apartment building. The name ‘appartement’ is used for a residence that consists of one floor; if there are multiple floors, the term ‘maisonette’ is used. An apartment that consists of one room only is often called a ‘studio’. If a building consists of multiple apartments, the apartment right applies, and the apartments are legally separated. The apartment right includes the division of the goods that are involved in this separation, the exclusive rights to the use of a specific private area, and the compulsory membership of an Owners Association (‘Vereniging van Eigenaren’ or ‘VVE’). The service charges are arranged through the VVE. By paying a monthly contribution to the VVE, the costs of for example the elevator, the roof, the sewer system and the garden are shared between the owners of the different apartments in the building.
