In China, especially in cities, most people live in large apartment complexes called 小区 (xiǎoqū). The term 住户 (zhùhù) is central to this form of community living. It's a more formal and collective term than the English “resident.” A key difference from Western culture is the emphasis on the collective group of residents. Property management (物业, wùyè) or the local neighborhood committee (居委会, jūwěihuì) will often post notices addressed to “All Residents” (全体住户), treating the building's occupants as a single, manageable group. This reflects a more community-oriented approach to living, where rules and information are disseminated to the collective. While an American might think of themselves as an individual “tenant” with a direct relationship to a “landlord,” a Chinese person is often also a 住户 in a more structured community with shared responsibilities and a collective identity, managed by a central property office. The term is less about a personal relationship and more about one's official status as an occupant of a specific unit within the whole.
住户 (zhùhù) is most commonly encountered in formal or semi-formal contexts related to housing and community management.
The most common point of confusion for learners is the difference between 住户 (zhùhù), 居民 (jūmín), and 邻居 (línjū).