Listed here are definitions and abbreviations commonly found in apartment ads/listings:
a/c (or air) - air conditioning
appl - appliances (may include a refrigerator, range, stove, dishwasher, microwave and/or garbage disposal.)
apt - apartment
avail - date when the apartment will be available for rent
ba (or bath) - bathroom
bdrm (or br) - bedroom
bldg - building
blk - block
brk - brick
cpt - carpet
cas - central air conditioning
dbl - double (two separate apartments - one on the first floor and one on the second floor)
dep - deposit
dr (or din rm) - dining room
duplex (or town house) - one apartment with a first and a second floor (the bedrooms and a bathroom are generally upstairs.)
d/w - dishwasher
dwnpymt - down-payment
dntwn - downtown
d-w - driveway
effcy (or eff) - efficiency (usually a one-room apartment with a very small kitchen)
e,g,c,p - electric, gas, cable, phone
elec - electricity
eves - evenings
f - female
flrs - floors
fpl - fireplace
fridge - refrigerator
full bath - bathroom with a sink, toilet and bathtub/shower or stall shower
furn - furnished
gar - garage
grad - graduate student
half bath - bathroom with a sink and toilet only
hookups - electrical and plumbing facilities for a washer and dryer. (However, hookup means that the landlord does not supply the washer and dryer.)
hw or hrddwd - hardwood floors
hse - house
inc all util - includes all utilities
kit - kitchen
kitchenette - very small kitchen with small appliances
landlord - the person who owns and/or manages the apartment
lge - large
lower - lower/first floor apartment
lr - living room
m - male
mi - mile
mkt - market
mod - modern
nr - near
ns - non-smoker
off st prkng/off st prk - off-street parking
part furn - partially furnished
pkng - parking
plus util - utilities not included in rent price
pref - prefer
prof - professional
rd - road
rms - rooms
sec dep (or secur) - security deposit (money that the tenant pays the landlord to cover any damage the tenant may do to the apartment - (If there is no damage, the money should be refunded to the tenant when he/she moves out.)
sep - separate
sml - small
studio - generally a one-room apartment
svc - service
sys - system
twnhse - townhouse
transp - transportation
unfurn - unfurnished
upper - upper/second floor apartment
util - utilities (generally includes gas, electric and water - may also include cable and telephone.)
w/w - wall to wall carpeting (carpeting that covers the entire floor surface)
w/d - washer and dryer
WDMSC - walking distance to Main St. (South) Campus
yd - yard
Important Phone Numbers and Contacts (all numbers are in area code 716)