Mid-rise Apartments: What Are They & What Makes Them Unique?

Key takeaways

Mid-rise apartments are buildings between four and twelve floors.
Mid-level apartments are a practical investment in areas where high-rise buildings aren’t allowed.
Package rooms offer delivery management for multi-story apartments by providing a designated area for storing and managing packages.
Access control solutions like elevator controls and vehicle readers help streamline access for residents, guests, and staff at multi-story buildings.

Mid rise apartments.

As a property manager or owner of multifamily developments, you know that multifamily buildings come in all shapes and sizes. Mid-rise apartments are a practical, affordable option for working professionals. As a result, you can find them in almost every major U.S. city. Put simply, mid-level buildings offer an elevated living experience for residents without breaking the bank.

Read on to learn what mid-level apartments are and how they differ from low- and high-rise buildings. After, we directly compare low-rise, mid-rise, and high-rise buildings. Then, explore the pros and cons of mid-rise residential buildings. Finally, discover the best access control solution for multi-story apartments.

In this post, we cover:

What does mid-rise mean in apartments?
Low-rise vs. mid-rise vs. high-rise apartments
Is it worth it to buy a mid-level apartment?
Pros and cons of mid-level apartments
How do you secure multi-story apartments?

What does mid-rise mean in apartments?

Mid-rise apartments are multifamily buildings with four to 12 floors. However, the number of stories in a mid-level building varies depending on where you live and the types of apartments in your area.

Features of mid-rise apartments

There are a variety of features that set mid-level buildings apart from low and high-rise apartments, including:

Personal outdoor space. Multi-story buildings tend to have more balconies and outdoor space than high-rise apartments.
High-quality amenities. Mid-level apartments usually offer more amenities than low-rise or garden-style apartments. However, they don’t offer as many options as high-rise buildings. Nevertheless, plenty of mid-rise buildings do offer luxury amenities that are highly desirable to prospective residents.
Elevator access. Most multi-story apartments have elevators and stair access, making them more accessible for residents with limited mobility.
Shared communal spaces. Many multi-story properties offer great communal amenities like laundry rooms, gyms, and swimming pools. This is great when appealing to renters of suburban apartments who want the community offered by a high-rise building and the quiet offered by a low-rise building.

Low-rise vs. mid-rise vs. high-rise apartments

It’s relatively easy to distinguish between low-level and mid-level buildings. However, the distinction between mid- and high-rise buildings is far less obvious.

Mid- and high-rise buildings tend to be located in densely populated city centers. So, you may be wondering what sets each building apart.

Here are a few key differences when comparing low-rise, mid-rise, and high-rise buildings:

Low-rise apartments	Mid-rise apartments	High-rise apartments
Four floors or less.	Four to 12 floors	12 or more floors.
Located in suburban and rural areas.	Situated in city centers, downtown areas, and in the suburbs.	Located in downtown areas and in major city centers.
No elevators.	Elevators or stair access.	Elevators and stair access.
Less occupancy with more privacy.	Fewer vacancies with moderate privacy.	High density with less privacy.
Ample outdoor space.	Personal outdoor space and communal courtyards.	Little outdoor space.
Less traffic noise.	Moderate street and traffic noise, depending on location.	High levels of street and traffic noise, depending on location.

Is it worth it to buy a mid-level apartment?

Mid-level apartments are the perfect type of multifamily building to invest in, especially in areas where high-rise buildings aren’t allowed.

These properties are less dense than high-rise apartments and usually offer less upscale amenities than high-rises. However, investing in amenities like package rooms or vehicle access control can help boost the inherent value of multi-story properties.

Discover six ways to get started with multifamily real estate investing:

Pros and cons of mid-level apartments

Mid-level apartments are a practical investment opportunity for real estate developers because they appeal to diverse residents. These buildings offer a great balance of high occupancy while still offering more privacy than high-rise options.

What’s more, luxury multi-story apartments offer full-scale amenities and an elevated living experience for residents while still being affordable. Luxury apartments with high-quality amenities empower residents to experience living in an upscale high-rise apartment without the cost or lack of privacy.

However, there are many advantages and drawbacks to consider before investing in a multi-story building.

What are the advantages of mid-level apartments?

Great views. Most multi-story apartments have balconies that allow residents to enjoy scenic views from the comfort of their units.
Mixed-use capabilities. You can open retail spaces on the lowest floor level and living spaces on the others.
Faster elevator access. Mid-level apartments aren’t as high-density as high-rise apartments, so there’s less foot traffic. This lower density means keeping up with elevator maintenance at mid-rise apartments is a lot easier than at higher-density apartments.
Courtyards. Mid-level apartments tend to have more courtyards and outdoor spaces than their high-rise counterparts.
Full-scale amenities. Multi-story buildings usually offer luxury amenities like swimming pools and fitness centers.
Covered parking garages. Most multi-story apartments have parking decks or covered parking options for residents.

What are the disadvantages of mid-level apartments?

Difficulty getting packages delivered. It can be difficult to get packages delivered if your mid-rise building doesn’t have a doorman or package room.
Less privacy. Shared communal spaces like laundry rooms offer less privacy for residents than in-unit washers and dryers.
Street-level noise. Multi-story buildings can be susceptible to street and traffic noise.
Less secure. Mid-level apartments usually offer less security than their high-rise counterparts.

How do you secure multi-story apartments?

The best way to secure a mid-rise apartment building is with an access control system like ButterflyMX.

One of the biggest drawbacks of multi-story apartments is inconvenient package delivery. When delivery carriers leave packages in the lobby or leasing area, it usually leads to package theft and lost parcels. But a package room offers an all-inclusive solution that provides delivery couriers with a designated area to complete deliveries. What’s more, it also stores packages for residents until they’re ready to pick them up.

Additionally, multi-story buildings need fast elevator access so residents can navigate the building securely. Investing in an elevator access control solution empowers residents, guests, and staff to access floors they can enter. Further, the best elevator controls allow residents to unlock their elevators for themselves and guests from their smartphones.

What’s more, ButterflyMX offers vehicle access control for cars at your building so you can streamline vehicle access while keeping parking areas secure. Our vehicle readers and windshield stickers allow vehicles to easily enter your parking garage.