There are several differences between a condo, house, and apartment. If you aren't sure which type of accommodation suits your lifestyle, Rent.com can give you a detailed description of all three and then you can decide which one you want to rent.
Condos
Condo owners don't own the building or land but share the ownership of the building, land, common areas, and other facilities with the other condo owners. Many condos come with a wide range of amenities: a swimming pool, gym, lawns, laundry, and other state of the art features. The fees for using these features are included in the rent so that if you rent a condo from the owner, you can enjoy the features, as well. Many condo owners also include the utilities in the rent and so you are not bogged down by bills at the end of the month. Along with the other residents, you will have to pay a monthly maintenance fee, which takes care of the general operations for the complex and repair services. Residents can relax and not be bothered by regular chores like mowing the lawn, fixing bulbs, shoveling the snow, and a list of other mundane tasks. The Homeowners Association, which consists of residents, typically plays an active part in running the condo complex, and hires professional services to take care of maintenance and repair.
Houses
People who own houses own the land, building, and airspace. So people moving into a house for rent will be renting all that falls within the property: lawn, patio, garage, and any other amenities. You cannot make any improvements on the house without the landlord's permission and when there is any problem with the house, you have to either rely on the landlord's service staff or find your own handymen to tend to the problems. If the house has a lawn, you will have to spend your own money to maintain it.
Apartments
People who own apartments own their individual apartment. They have to pay separately towards the building maintenance and do not have part ownership of the land or common areas. Owning an apartment is very rare. People looking at apartments for rent, can enjoy the other features that come along with the apartment, but at an added cost. You are not allowed to make improvements in the apartment without prior permission from the landlord and if there is any maintenance problem in the apartment, you have to wait for the landlord to tend to it or try to fix it yourself.
