Proposal: Residential Rental System Expansion – Split by Lot Function

Summary

Current “Residential Rental” zoning in The Sims 4: For Rent does not reliably support multi-unit apartment structures.
This results in broken valuations (e.g., §5 rent values), ownership confusion, and missing gameplay depth for player-built lots.
To improve consistency and player control, the system should be divided into two sub-types with distinct logic:
Residential Rental – Normal (RRN) and Residential Rental – Apartments (RRA).

1. Residential Rental – Normal (RRN)

Purpose: Standard single-household rentals.
Intended use: Houses, duplexes, and detached units.

Behavior:

• One active household per lot.
• Rent, bills, and utilities calculated at lot level.
• Landlord and maintenance functions apply globally.
• Compatible with existing “For Rent” management tools.

2. Residential Rental – Apartments (RRA)

Purpose: Multi-unit buildings with separate tenants in one structure.
Intended use: Apartments, townhouses, and converted buildings.

Behavior:

• Lot supports multiple units (UnitIDs) under one main LotID.
• Each unit tracks its own:
  • Rent and deposit
  • Tenant household
  • Furnishings and condition
  • Utility consumption
• Common areas (hallways, stairs, etc.) use a “Shared Space” flag for routing and utility cost sharing.
• Landlords can view or visit individual units without full reloads.
• Maintenance, rent collection, and noise events operate per-unit, not per-lot.

3. Automatic Detection / Setup Aid

When a player selects “Residential Rental,” the game should analyze lot layout:

1. If multiple front doors or kitchens/bathrooms per enclosed area are detected,
   prompt:
2. “Multiple self-contained units detected. Would you like to set this as an Apartment Building (RRA)?”
3. Otherwise, default to RRN.

This reduces setup confusion and ensures correct system behavior.

4. Technical & Gameplay Benefits

• Prevents rental value errors (e.g., §5 rent display).
• Enables true multi-household play on one lot.
• Preserves compatibility with For Rent management UI.
• Uses existing backend structure already proven in San Myshuno apartment lots.
• Increases creative freedom for builders and storytellers without adding new UI complexity.

5. Optional Enhancements

• Per-unit landlord actions (renovate, inspect, evict).
• Rent reports showing individual unit values.
• Shared building events (noise, plumbing issues, power outages).
• Long-term goal: allow purchase and management of full buildings under one owner.

Summary Recommendation

Implementing the RRN/RRA split provides a stable, flexible framework for all residential rental cases.
It ensures player-made apartment lots function with the same reliability as EA’s prebuilt ones and reduces confusion for new players.

What is the thought basis for this?