Summary

  • Maxis has revealed details about The Sims 4: For Rent expansion pack, creating excitement among fans who can now have Sims become landlords and house multiple Sims in one lot.
  • The expansion pack allows players to explore social dynamics within apartments, with Sims potentially eavesdropping and stealing from others.
  • Some players may be disappointed that there are loading screens when visiting units in a residential rental lot, and Maxis has not implemented an open neighborhood system like in The Sims 3.

Maxis has finally revealed more information about what players can expect from The Sims 4's upcoming expansion pack, For Rent. The developer previously introduced The Sims 4 expansion pack in early November, with it announcing that For Rent will be available on December 7.

Maxis' surprise announcement of The Sims 4: For Rent expansion pack caused excitement for its fans. With it, players can finally have their Sims be a landlord (unlike in The Sims 4: City Living expansion pack) and house multiple Sims in one lot as their tenants. As such, the expansion pack allows players to explore Sims' social dynamics within these apartments, with Sims occasionally trying to eavesdrop and even snoop around and steal from others. While Maxis released a blog post about For Rent, it still left many players asking questions about the expansion pack's specifics, like if there are loading screens when visiting units on a residential rental lot.

for rent expansion pack promo image
The Sims 4 Reveals Gameplay Trailer Date for New Expansion Pack

The Sims 4 announces the first gameplay trailer for the upcoming For Rent expansion pack, and it's actually coming sooner than many would've expected.

By 

To answer these questions, Maxis released another post containing answers to some of the questions The Sims community frequently asked. According to the developer, the residential rental lot the expansion pack adds allows up to six units, though a cheat can switch that limit off if a player wants. However, it's worth noting that the game can only support 99 units per save. Additionally, a residential rental lot doesn't have an open neighborhood system - players still need to go through loading screens when their Sim visits a unit in a residential rental lot, and they can't build residential rentals on the following worlds/lots:

  • Sulani Waterfront Lot
  • Penthouse Lots
  • Vacation Worlds and Hidden Lots (i.e. Jungle Adventure, Batuu, Outdoor Retreat)
the sims 4 for rent landlord and tenent

Maxis also mentioned that players can swap between households in a residential rental lot anytime through a new "Switch to Household" interaction on doors, removing the need to go to the Manage Worlds screen. Furthermore, players can't change the lot types of the apartments from previous Sims expansions (City Living, Eco Lifestyle) to the new residential rentals; they can place residential rental lots on those worlds if they wish. Moreover, a Residential Rental lot is a business in and of itself - it can't be combined with other businesses in-game. Lastly, the mold For Rent introduces won't turn Sims into mold-infested zombies like in The Last of Us, and the gameplay associated with it is "very opt-in and easily avoidable."

Much like the cars in The Sims 4, the boats and Tuk Tuks in the world For Rent add, Tomarang, are only for ambiance. While this news might disappoint some players, the need for them to go through loading screens to visit another unit in the same residential rental lot can be more disappointing, or even annoying, for some. Many players want Maxis to open neighborhoods like it did in The Sims 3. With For Rent coming soon, only time will tell if the developer will at least add an open neighborhood system in The Sims 4's residential rental lots.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
The Sims 4 Tag Page Cover Art
7 /10

The Sims 4

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Simulation
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Systems
PC-1 PlayStation-1 Xbox-1
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Top Critic Avg: 70 /100 Critics Rec: 26%
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Released
September 2, 2014
ESRB
T for Teen: Crude Humor, Sexual Themes, Violence
Developer(s)
Maxis
Publisher(s)
Electronic Arts
Engine
Proprietary Engine
Cross-Platform Play
Xbox, PlayStation, and computer versions of Sims 4 are all separate games incompatible with each other
Cross Save
no
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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Unleash your imagination and create a unique world of Sims that’s an expression of you. Download for free, and customize every detail from Sims to homes and much more. Choose how Sims look, act, and dress, then decide how they’ll live out each day. Design and build incredible homes for every family, then decorate with your favorite furnishings and décor. Travel to different neighborhoods where you can meet other Sims and learn about their lives. Discover beautiful locations with distinctive environments and go on spontaneous adventures. Manage the ups and downs of Sims’ everyday lives, and see what happens when you play out scenarios from your own real life. Tell your stories your way while developing relationships, pursuing careers and life aspirations, and immersing yourself in this extraordinary game, where the possibilities are endless

Franchise
The Sims
Platform(s)
PS4, Xbox One, PC
Genre(s)
Simulation