Can I Rent Out My House in The Sims 4? The Ultimate Landlording Guide

As an experienced Sims fan who has rented out properties across The Sims 2, 3, and 4, I can definitively say yes – becoming a virtual landlord is 100% possible and deeply rewarding in TS4!

Below I‘ve created the ultimate guide around efficiently renting out homes in The Sims 4 to earn passive weekly rental income.

How to Convert Any Lot into Rental Housing

The easiest way to become a Sims landlord is converting existing Residential lots into Rental housing for NPC Sims to move into. Here‘s a step-by-step tutorial:

1. Enter Build Mode on any Residential lot
2. Click the "Lot Type" dropdown menu (top left corner)
3. Change the type from "Residential" to "Rental"

Once listed as Rental housing, generic NPC Sims from your save file will inspect the lot‘s furniture quality and autonomously move in if suitable.

You‘ll then start passively earning weekly rent payments based on your lot‘s furnishings. Below I estimate potential rental incomes.

Rental Pricing Factors

According to official TS4 documentation, the weekly rental rate for Residential lots converted to Rentals are calculated as:

$200 + (0.3% of Lot Furniture Value) = Weekly Rent Payment

So if your rental property has $20k in furnishings, the estimated weekly rent would be:

$200 base rate
+ (0.3% of $20k) = $60
_____________________
$260/week

With top-tier luxury furnishings valued at $200-300k, potential weekly rents can reach $800-900.

As a landlord you have no control over tenants that move in. But rent reliably deposits weekly into your household funds. And tenants autonomously repair/replace broken items, saving you maintenance costs!

Now let‘s explore other options…

Building Apartment-Style Rentals

Alternatively from single-family rentals, you can build full apartment complexes for Sims to move into. This deeply expands landlord gameplay.

The City Living expansion includes enhanced systems around:

• Rental deposits
• Variable rent pricing
• Landlord-tenant relationships
• Evicting non-paying tenants

Apartment Requirements

Apartment lots must meet certain home requirements before listing, like having adequate beds, mailboxes, etc.

Check The Sims 4 Wiki guide on building rentable apartments for specifications.

The more Sims your lot houses, the higher potential rental income. For example, a 6-unit complex earning $500/unit would generate $3k weekly for your Sim landlord!

Becoming an Active Landlord

With City Living, landlording shifts from passive income to actively maintaining your properties and tenants.

As issues arise like roommate conflicts or appliance breakdowns, tenants may call you demanding resolutions. You can choose to negotiate, repair items yourself, or hire plumbers/repairmen.

Tenants also occasionally request rent decreases or extensions if struggling financially. It‘s important to balance empathy versus profit margins!

Finding Optimal Tenants as Roommates

The base Sims 4 game also includes a Roommates system for your played Sims to take on boarders. Here‘s how it works:

Recruiting Roommates

You can recruit specific NPC Sims like coworkers, neighbors or classmates to have them move in. Unlike random rental tenants, this lets you selectively fill spare bedrooms.

Plus you earn a hefty $500/week per roommate in rent to supplement your funds.

Vetting Candidates

When scouting potential roommates, assess compatibility around:

• Personalities – Avoid clashes like neat freaks with slobs
• Life Stage – Retirees may dislike collegiate partiers
• Cleanliness – Check their home‘s cleanliness first
• Lifestyle – Night owls won‘t mix with early risers

Take roommate relationships seriously to enable peaceful cohabitation.

Managing Roommates

Once settled in, roommates largely operate autonomously like regular Sims. They‘ll independently go to school, work, develop relationships, etc.

However they won‘t return home every night automatically. Occasionally you must track them down if they disappear to bars or dates overnight!

If any conflicts emerge like repetitive fights, you can always ask roommates to move out. Having control over who moves in/out is a major perk over rentals.

Expanding Gameplay with Landlord Mods

While native systems around landlording are solid, the modding community has enhanced immersion exponentially through custom careers and expanded features.

Top 3 Landlord Mods

If interested in deeper property management dynamics, I highly recommend these landlord mods:

1. Landlord Career – Become full-time property managers buying/selling investment units
2. Rental Properties – Streamlined management for tracking tenants and finances
3. Build a House – Construct fixer-uppers to rent out after renovating

Check detailed guides on best Sims 4 landlord mods for installation instructions.

These add robust new systems around:

• Finding tenants
• Building or buying investment properties
• Realistic renovation construction
• Resolving tenant complaints
• Monitoring rental finances
• And much more!

For the ultimate landlording experience, landlord mods are game-changing.

Estimating Your Rental Income Potential

Finally, let‘s analyze potential rental incomes based on property setups:

Based on my experience managing virtual properties, these income ranges are realistic.

With some savvy property investments and management, you can rake in tens of thousands per Sim week!

I hope this guide has shown the incredible potential for renting out properties in The Sims 4. From build apartment towers to taking on selective roommates, various mechanics enable deep landlord gameplay with expansive income possibilities.

Embrace your inner entrepreneur by converting spare bedrooms or investment properties into lucrative rental units today. Your Sims will be racking in rental profits in no time!

Any other TS4 players have advice for efficiently managing virtual tenants or properties? I‘m always seeking new landlord tips & mod recommendations!