Which of the following best defines a walk-up apartment?

• A. Over 5 stories with elevator
• B. Apartment under 5 stories that may or may not have an elevator
• C. A single-family home converted into multiple units
• D. A high-rise building with elevator

Answer: (B)

Walk-up apartments are low-rise buildings, typically four stories or fewer, where residents reach their units mainly by walking up stairs. The key idea is the height and the fact that access is by stairs, not a feature that hinges on having an elevator. Some walk-ups may have an elevator, but the defining classification is the four-story-or-less height, not the presence of an elevator. So describing it as an apartment under five stories, with or without an elevator, matches the common definition. Higher-rise buildings or those that turn a single-family home into multiple units describe different building types and aren’t walk-ups.