Difference Between Townhouse and Duplex

Duplexes and townhouses are different in their construction. A duplex is a two storey building but each storey has its own entrance so that two families can live in that building. A town home or also called as townhouse, is a row of houses attached to other houses.

A townhouse (or also known as rowhouse) is a type of medium-density housing that may be terraced or semi-detached. All the houses share a common wall in townhouses. That is why it is called terraced housing construction. On the other hand, a duplex is two apartments having separate entrances. A duplex may or may not have a terrace.

Other main difference is that a duplex has only a single owner purchasing the land underneath whereas a townhouse has different owner owning the land underneath. A townhouse is characterized by more side-by-side units whereas a duplex consists of only two units. In a townhouse there could be several families, but in a duplex there could only be two families.

However, in some countries a duplex house is viewed quiet differently. It refers to a single dwelling unit spread over two floors but connected by an indoor staircase. In United Kingdom, most townhouses were terraced but some of them were large and detached from each other. In Australia, Asia and South Africa, these type of houses are usually a part of huge complexes. All the houses within their complexes share common land and faciliies such as parks, gyms, swimming pools, and playground equipment. A townhouse is sold in an individual capacity.