Last Updated on April 7, 2024

What is an Attached House? | Real Estate Definition

By Alan F Macdonald

What is an Attached House?

In Edmonton, attached housing or attached homes are defined by real estate agents as homes that are side-by-side and connected (like row houses or townhomes), but that are not categorized as condominiums.

Real Estate Agent Says

The Edmonton real estate board calls attached homes “residential attached” homes and uses abbreviation ATTCH on MLS® listings. They are also known as Row Housing by the City of Edmonton.

It is rare to see attached housing in Edmonton, I believe mainly because these homes – sharing the exterior and foundation – would benefit from having condominium status. But since there are attached houses out there, it is important to distinguish them from rowhouse or townhouse condos

For example, at the time of writing there were 449 condominiumized townhomes for sale in Edmonton as compared to only 18 attached homes (Just a little over 4%).

Why Does It Matter?

The type of home you live in does affect you very much. If these attached houses had condominium status, they might be considered safer as investments. Condominiums are created to make sure that nothing structural goes wrong with a property and if there were no agreement and no collective fund for upkeep, these attached homes may be allowed to dilapidate beyond repair. At the same time, not having condominium status would mean these properties have no condo fees – a very tempting feature in a townhome or rowhouse.