החיסרון של הדירה הזאת הוא שהיא רחוקה מהתחנה.

In Hebrew, demonstratives like this and that usually come after the noun:

• הדירה הזאת = this apartment
• literally, something like the apartment this

So Hebrew says noun + this/that, not this + noun the way English does.

של means of or belonging to.

So:

• החיסרון של הדירה הזאת
• literally: the disadvantage of this apartment

Hebrew often uses של to show possession or relationship, especially in everyday language.
A more compact construct-style phrase is sometimes possible in Hebrew, but של is the normal, clear choice here.

Great question. Hebrew often does omit is in simple present-tense sentences:

• הדירה רחוקה = The apartment is far

But in a sentence like this, where you have:

• a subject: החיסרון של הדירה הזאת
• and then a whole clause: שהיא רחוקה מהתחנה

Hebrew commonly uses הוא as a kind of linker:

• החיסרון ... הוא ש...
• The disadvantage ... is that...

So הוא here is not a past/future verb form. It functions like a present-tense is connecting the two parts of the sentence.

Because הוא refers to החיסרון (the disadvantage), and חיסרון is a masculine singular noun.

So the main structure is:

• החיסרון ... הוא ...
• The disadvantage ... is ...

Even though דירה is feminine, that belongs to a different part of the sentence.

שהיא is made of two parts:

• ש־ = that
• היא = she / it (feminine singular)

So:

• שהיא רחוקה מהתחנה
• that it is far from the station

This ש־ is a very common Hebrew word that introduces a clause, often corresponding to English that.

Because it describes היא, which refers back to הדירה.

• דירה is a feminine singular noun
• so the adjective must also be feminine singular

That is why you get:

• רחוקה = feminine singular
• not רחוק = masculine singular

Compare:

• הבית רחוק = The house is far
• הדירה רחוקה = The apartment is far

Grammatically, yes: היא is the feminine singular pronoun, the same word used for she.

But Hebrew also uses gendered pronouns for inanimate nouns. Since דירה is feminine, Hebrew uses היא for it.

So in English, we translate it as:

• that it is far

not

• that she is far

מהתחנה is a combination of:

• מ־ = from
• התחנה = the station

Together they contract:

• מ + ה = מה

So:

• מהתחנה = from the station

This kind of contraction is very common in Hebrew.

Because the sentence means the station, not just a station.

• מהתחנה = from the station
• מתחנה = from a station

So the ה־ shows that the station is definite/specific.

Normally, no—not if you want the meaning The disadvantage of this apartment is that it is far from the station.

The הוא helps clearly mark the pattern:

• X הוא ש...
• X is that...

Without הוא, the sentence sounds incomplete or structurally unclear, and it may feel like שהיא רחוקה מהתחנה is just modifying הדירה rather than stating what the disadvantage is.

So the full sentence with הוא is the natural way to say it.