Even though you can live on a penthouse lot and open a small business there as a resident, you can't buy a small business venue that is built on a penthouse where you are not living. Here are the steps to replicate this bug:
- Create a small business.
- Choose "buy small business venue" from the drop-down menu in your business panel.
- Try to select any penthouse lot in any world that comes with them (San Myshuno, Britechester, or Ciudad Enamorada). When you hover over or try to click on these lots, you just get a message saying "Sims can purchase Unowned Community Lots, Unoccupied Residential Lots, or Unowned Small Business Venues as Small Business Venues." You will not be able to purchase the lot, even when the lot type meets these criteria.
I have tested this with various penthouses set to Small Business Venue, Residential, and Thrift & Bubble Tea Store, and can verify that you cannot buy a penthouse as a small business venue regardless of which allowed lot type it actually is. I tested this in both an existing save and a brand new save, neither with mods.
Since you CAN run a small business on a penthouse lot as long as you're living there, this is clearly just a bug and not an intended limitation set by the game designers. Given that it's so simple to replicate and seems fairly straightforward, this one should be an easy fix. Thanks for your time and attention, developers! (And also, kudos on a superb pack idea! I'm having so much fun with Businesses & Hobbies!).
Edit By Crinrict: Added pack tag to title.
