Advantages and Disadvantages of Senior Citizen Apartments

9 min readApr 29, 2021

In many ways, a senior apartment is an excellent solution for independent living. This allows the senior to still live on their own and enjoy all the freedom that comes with doing so, but with much less hassle than trying to maintain a full house. Still, there are some notable pros and cons of a senior apartment.

Some of these good and bad features are obvious, as they often apply to apartment living in general. However, there are some unexpected ones to consider as well.

We’re talking about the topic today because finding the best senior housing solution can seem difficult. There are many options to choose from and they all have their own features.

We continue the topic in other posts, including ones that talk about aging at home, moving in with family, and assisted living.

What is a Senior Apartment?
For the most part, a senior apartment is just any apartment that a senior lives in. However, there are also apartment building that specialize in seniors.

Some of these have age restrictions, often set at either 55+ or 62+. While rules can vary from one place to the next, at least one occupant in a 55+ apartment needs to be 55 years of age or above. For a 62+ apartment, all residents need to hit the age requirement.

Age-specific apartments can make it easier for seniors to find affordable housing and there may be subsidized options available.

Advantages of Senior Citizen Apartment:

Let’s start off with the positive things first. These are what makes moving to an apartment so appealing.

Low Maintenance

Apartments are generally smaller than houses and there’s much less for you to deal with. You can forget about tasks like gutters, lawn mowing, and exterior painting. In many cases, much of the internal maintenance isn’t yours to worry about either.
The smaller space also means that tasks around the home become much faster. Cleaning, for example, takes a fraction of the time that it would in a large house. This gives you much more time for yourself and helps to keep you safe.

Your Finances May Be Better

If you were in the position to sell your own home and move into an apartment, you could easily get ahead financially. Doing so could free up some of the equity in your home, giving you more money to live off.
Apartments tend to have a lower cost of living too. After all, it’s a smaller space, so there’s less to heat, cool, clean, and maintain. Taxes may be lower too.
You could also make money by selling items from your home that you no longer need. Apps for selling stuff can be useful here. You could even have a garage sale or get the kids to lend a hand.
After all, your new place is likely to be much smaller than your current one. You’ll need to get rid of some things to live there comfortably.

Amenities

Many apartment buildings offer amenities, like a pool or a gym. Some may be free for apartment owners, while others could require a small fee. Either way, you’ll normally pay much less than for the same amenities elsewhere.
And, don’t forget, we’re talking about the pros and cons of a senior apartment. If the building focuses on apartments for seniors, then you’re likely to see many senior-related amenities as well.
Planned activities, scheduled outings and classes are all options that you might see.
Moving away from your home and into somewhere new doesn’t need to be a bad thing. There’s something quite refreshing about starting again. You get to choose what things you keep and what ones you get rid of.
This is a chance to embrace minimalism too.
Think seriously about the things you need and what brings joy to you. Having a clear out is good for your kids too. This means there is less for them to worry about later on.

Security

Apartment buildings often have better security than you’d find in a freestanding house. Security features will vary, but there will often be multiple locked doors or security guards that potential thieves need to get past.
You’re also living close to neighbors, so there are more people to keep an eye on your place, especially when you are away.

More Chance for Social Connection

Apartment living can lead to more social interactions, as people are closer together than when you all have your own houses. There may also be shared utilities, activities, and even events, all of which help to bring people together.
Living in a senior apartment also means that you’re near people of the same age as you. This should mean that you have more in common and can connect more easily.
And, if nothing else, retired people are likely to be at home more often than those who are still working. This means that you can connect at any time of the day, rather than just in the evenings and weekends.

Disadvantages of Senior Citizen Apartment:

Neighbors

Apartment living places many people in close proximity to one another. Doing so doesn’t always work out well. You might end up with noisy neighbors or even just people you don’t get along with.
Annoying neighbors can be frustrating enough when you live in a house. They can be so much worse in an apartment environment where everyone is packed in so close.

The Small Size

Apartments are often small. They can seem very small indeed if you lived in a multiple bedroom house beforehand.
This size difference means you’ll need to think carefully about the things that you own. You might need to have a serious clear out before you move in. It’s worth being brutal when you do so, as an apartment won’t be that enjoyable if you have so much stuff that you can barely move.
Even once we take your things out of the picture, simply the size of the apartment can be frustrating. You can’t just wander around like you did your house. This may mean that you need to get out more often to stay active physically and for a change in scenery.

Rules and Limitations:

Apartments tend to have more rules and regulations than your own home, especially if you’re renting.

Pets: Many apartments will limit the number and type of pet that you can have, or prevent you from having any altogether.
Who can live with you: Some places will have an age restriction or other limitations about who can share the apartment with you, particularly if you’re looking at 62+ housing. Be careful with this one, as it could be a problem if you care for your grandchildren from time-to-time or if your partner is younger than you are.
Noise: Apartments are close together, so you can’t be as noisy as you could be in your own home.
Changes: There may be restrictions on changes to your physical space too, like painting the walls, changing the curtains, or hanging pictures. Even changes like installing a grab bar in the bathroom could be a problem.

You’re Leaving Home Behind

If you’re leaving a home you’ve loved for years and moving to an apartment, that shift can be challenging emotionally and practically. After all, your memories are often tied to the place that you’ve lived for many years. Giving this up can seem heart wrenching.
Plus, you might have a large amount of stuff — more than will easily fit in your new place. You might need to get rid of a decent amount, which comes with its own emotional challenges.

No Home Assistance

Senior apartments focus on independent living, so most places won’t offer any assistance with daily living tasks. There might not even be anyone on hand in the case of an emergency and you certainly won’t find medical staff.
This shouldn’t be a problem if you’re looking to live independently. But, if your health is declining, then the lack of assistance could make it difficult to stay in your apartment in the long-term.
You could hire home health care yourself, although doing so gets expensive fast. Unless you only need a little home help now and then, hiring someone could easily cost too much.
And, let’s be honest, if you need to hire someone to regularly visit and help you with daily tasks — then living in an apartment probably isn’t the right choice. You might be better with assisted living or in a retirement home, where you can be more protected and there are people close by should something go wrong.

It Can Get Lonely

The social side of things crops up in the pros and cons of a senior apartment, as things can go either way.
As we mentioned earlier, being in an apartment building does provide you with more opportunities for social connection. But, it’s also very easy to keep to yourself. You might find that you spend most of your time in your apartment — barely going out at all.
After all, most apartments won’t have a garden. Many may not even have a balcony or patio.
You have less outdoor maintenance to do too, so you can easily end up spending most of your time indoors. This type of loneliness can be easily avoided by keeping active with social activities and having people to visit. But, it is something to watch out for, as isolation can creep up on you.

Finding the Right Senior Apartment

If you’re serious about a senior apartment, then it’s important to hunt around and find one that’s right for you.

Here are some key tips:

Talk to other residents: Find out what people’s day-to-day experiences of the place are. This will give you a good picture of what to expect. Just be sure to ask a variety of people, as everyone has their own experiences.
Read the terms and conditions carefully: Make sure you know what to expect before you commit to anything. Apartments can be restrictive, often in surprising ways.
Get a second opinion: Everyone misses things, especially if you’re excited or nervous about an upcoming move. Run your plans by someone you trust. Get them to check out the place and the contract too, just to make sure everything is fine.
Look at the area: Pay attention to the services in the local area, public transport, and how walkable the environment is. The ideal apartment should be in an area that’s easy to get around.
Think about accessibility: How accessible is the apartment? Do you need to go up any stairs? Are the doorways wide enough to accommodate a walker or a wheelchair with ease? These questions are all important even if you have no mobility issues. You don’t know what you’ll need in the future, so it’s best to be prepared.

Make sure you get to see the apartment (or one that’s similar) before you sign any paperwork. This gives you the chance to see whether there is enough space for your needs and how the place makes you feel.

Questions to Ask:

There are also some important questions you can ask when looking at an apartment.

What maintenance is management responsible for and what is your responsibility?
What are the controls surrounding rent increases? How often are rent increases likely to happen and what have they been in the past?
What changes can you make to the apartment?
Are there any restrictions on visitors or guests?
What are the security features?
How much notice do I need to give to leave? What are the processes around moving out?

The final thing is to simply do your due diligence. Every living situation has its pros and cons, but a poor choice can make your life much more difficult — perhaps for years to come.

So, above all else, don’t rush into a housing decision. Take the time to seriously think about what you want and whether an apartment is right for you.

Originally this blog published on MultiCulturalCareGiving