6 Drawbacks of Ground-Floor Apartments People Forget (Explained)

There are several different perks to living in a ground-floor apartment. From easy access to not having to walk up many stairs, people enjoy the benefits of living on the bottom floor.

But, while there are some things to look forward to, sometimes the downsides of living on the ground floor can occur far outway the perks.

Here are 6 of some of the biggest drawbacks to living on the bottom floor, which may make you double-think where you want to live:

1. Living On a Street Level Doesn’t Offer Much Privacy

When you live in an apartment on the ground floor, your windows will be directly on the street level.

This doesn’t do you any favors regarding having some privacy. This is especially true if you live in a more populated area with much street traffic.

Anyone walking or driving by can get a first-row view of your life.

Of course, this all depends on the apartment’s many windows and how the landscaping outside of the building is designed.

Many landlords take their tenant’s privacy seriously. They will help block the view into ground-level apartments by creatively using bushes and trees to allow lower levels more privacy.

Another consideration is whether the apartment building is on a corner lot. This means that the amount of privacy that you are losing actually doubles.

When the apartment building sits on the corner, you get double the traffic driving by and multiply the number of people walking by.

Even though the reduced privacy is a bummer, there are plenty of ways to block the street view to your ground-level appointment.

You can enjoy the perks of a lower-level apartment without sacrificing privacy by tweaking design elements with window dressings and indoor plants.

2. Lower-Level Apartments Are Much Noisier

Anyone who has ever lived downstairs in an apartment building will tell you just how noisy it can be. Most notably, the noise comes from the neighbors around you.

Whether people are running around like mad upstairs, or the neighbor you share a wall with is playing their favorite television show a little bit too loud, you can hear it.

But it isn’t just the noise coming from the other units that can cause you to be disturbed.

Depending on the apartment unit’s size, everyone may have to pass by your unit to get to their own apartment.

This means that you will hear every time the front door to the building is opened and closed. Not to mention neighbors and guests constantly running up and down the stairs to get to their own apartments.

Overall, sometimes living in a ground-floor apartment can make you feel like the RA of the apartment building.

Why else are First-Floor Apartments Noisier? (We Checked)

3. Packages Are More Likely To Go Missing

One of the worst parts about living in a downstairs apartment is that it is more likely that the package that you ordered for delivery will go missing.

Package thieves, also known as porch pirates, are a huge problem for most people. This is especially true in apartment buildings where it is harder to monitor all of the people coming and going.

Most delivery companies must deliver the package directly to that person’s door. When you live downstairs, the package will either be left at your front door within the building or sometimes get left at the front door altogether.

Everyone who enters the building or walks by your door can easily grab your package. Since the apartment is downstairs, most people must pass by to get to their unit.

A package delivered to a downstairs apartment is only safe when the apartment complex has its own mail sorting room.

This means there will be a separate room for mail and packages being delivered, and each unit will have its own key to get its mail.

However, mail rooms are uncommon and unavailable in most apartment complexes.

4. Ground-Level Apartments Are More Prone to Break-Ins

Even though ground-level apartments get more foot traffic from both pedestrians and other renters in the building, the safety level is also much lower than it would be if you lived upstairs.

The number one thing thieves are looking for is a quick and easy entry into an apartment and a quick getaway in case they are seen.

Since ground-level apartments are more accessible from the street level, robbers tend to break into lower-level apartments more.

This is done by gaining access through an open window or the front door.

If you live in a building that doesn’t monitor or regulate the front door access, there is even a higher chance of a break-in when you live on the ground floor.

This is why it is so important to always check the locks on both your windows and doors when living on the ground floor.

For extra measure, you can even talk with your landlord about adding certain other safety measures like motion activate lights or even outside security cameras that can help to give you that peace of mind you need.

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5. Heating and Cooling Costs Are Much Higher

While some apartment complexes control the heat and cooling, others prefer the tenants to control the thermostat.

Meaning the tenant is also responsible for paying the heating and cooling bills. So, when heating an apartment building, you should know that heat always rises up.

Apartments on the ground floor will need to run the heat for longer to reach the desired temperature since the heat will always rise to the top to escape.

While you may not even notice that you need to run your heat for longer, you will certainly take notice when your heating bill arrives.

Another thing to note is that ground-floor apartments always tend to be warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter. So, to keep ground-floor apartments at a comfortable temperature, both heating and cooling will need to run for longer, which will be reflected in your monthly bill.

What Floor Levels Are the Warmest And Coldest? (We Checked)

6. Lower Level Apartments Attract More Infestations

One surprising downside to living in a ground-level apartment is that critters can more easily find their way into your home since you are on the bottom level.

This is especially true when mice seek a warm place to escape the chilling winds outside in the colder winter months.

However, it isn’t only the creepy crawling critters you must worry about.

Flying bugs like flies and gnats also easily enter lower-level apartments. So, if you are not careful, you can find yourself on the losing end of a bug infestation battle when you live downstairs.

But don’t go running to your landlord looking for an upstairs unit just yet. Plenty of ways exist to help prevent an infestation; depending on where you live, your landlord may be responsible for these prevention costs.

Simple fixes like filling holes in the wall with steel wool or even installing a big screen on your windows can help to reduce the risk of an infestation so that you don’t have to sleep with one eye open.

Sources:

Pros and Cons of Lower Floor Vs. Higher Floor Living

Apartment Living: Upstairs Vs. Downstairs