I understand this completely - English is my mother tongue and I'm American. People do own apartments, especially in larger cities. A lot of folks don't call them condos: It depends on where you live and what the developer decided to call them. In fact, my idea of a "condo" isn't an apartment in a high rise or even half of a house you own, but rather row houses, mostly with a front and back yard (basing this off of condos in places like Kokomo, Indiana and Nashville, Tennessee). Owner keeps up inside, they keep up outside.

Renting is not owning an apartment: You can renovate an apartment you own, but not a rental. This is much the same as renting a house instead of owning it.