How it appears in listings
Dutch listings write maisonnette with a double n, sometimes "maisonnettewoning". English sites use "maisonette" (British spelling) or "duplex apartment". The word comes from French and means "small house", which misleads many readers: it is an apartment, not a house.
Not every "bovenwoning" (upper-floor flat) is a maisonnette: it needs two levels inside the home. There is no legal definition, and estate agents use the word slightly differently, so the floor plan tells you what you actually get.
What it means for you
- It is rented as an apartment. A maisonnette is a self-contained home, so the normal points system, the liberalisatiegrens and the huurtoeslag rules apply, as for any flat.
- Expect building costs. Because it sits in a larger building, a maisonnette often comes with servicekosten for shared areas. On RentHunter, apartments that list extra monthly costs ask a median of €60, against €13 for houses.
- Check the stairs and the entrance. An internal staircase matters if you move heavy furniture, have small children or plan to stay long. Ask whether the front door is your own, because that is usual but not universal, and whether the home comes gestoffeerd or bare.
Maisonnette, flat or house
| Maisonnette | Flat on one floor | House | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Levels inside the home | Two or more | One | Usually two or more |
| Part of a larger building | Yes | Yes | No |
| Own front door | Usually, via gallery, stairwell or street | Often a shared entrance | Yes |
| Shared building costs | Often | Often | Rarely |
| Rent rules | Self-contained home | Self-contained home | Self-contained home |
How common it is
Maisonnettes have no separate category in most listing data. On RentHunter, 679 listings first seen between July and October 2026 give maisonnette as their type, almost all of them classified as apartments. That is under 1% of all listings in the same period. In English, these homes often appear as duplex apartments.
Frequently asked questions
Does a maisonnette have its own front door?
Usually yes, via a gallery, a stairwell or the street, but not always. Check the listing or ask at the viewing.
Is a maisonnette a house or an apartment?
An apartment. It is spread over two levels but sits inside a larger building.
Is a maisonnette the same as a duplex?
In practice, yes. In English (outside the UK) and in French, "duplex" is the usual word for an apartment on two levels.
