A townhome can operate under two types of ownership, he explains. It can have a condominium ownership arrangement or fee-simple ownership, like a single-family home. In the first type, you own just the unit itself from the walls in. In the latter, you own both the townhome and the land it’s on. "Fee simple" refers to a complete type of ownership, where you pay to purchase a property outright and don’t share common areas or portions of the property with other owners., The difference between townhouses and condos is a bit murkier, and depends on the form of ownership, because some townhouses are sold as condos. If you purchase a townhouse as a condo, you will , “For a townhouse, if something goes wrong, the maintenance cost falls squarely on the shoulders of the owner of that townhouse,” says agent David Harris of Coldwell Banker Warburg. “So, when the roof goes or a pipe bursts in the basement, it’s solely the owner’s responsibility. If the roof of a condo building needs repair, it’s a .