Housing
| Housing | Yearly cost | Energy recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Homeless | $0 | +10 |
| State Housing | $750 default (law-adjustable, cap $5,000/yr) | +50 |
| Private apartment (rented from a player) | owner-set price | +80 |
| Private apartment or Villa (purchased) | sale price, one-time | +80 (apt) / +100 (villa) |
Rent is charged automatically at the annual tick, never upfront. Missing a payment triggers immediate eviction, and a homeless parent instantly loses custody of any minor children.
When the landlord loses the property
A lease also ends the moment the owner loses the property itself — seized after three years of unpaid property tax, or taken by the State because the owner died with no heir or left the game. The unit has to reach auction empty, so the eviction is immediate and carries no notice period. The tenant is told in that year's report, and because none of it was their doing they get one year of grace on child custody: Social Services issue a final warning at the next annual tick and only take minor children the year after, if the parent is still homeless.
Owner-triggered eviction notices
A landlord can also serve an eviction notice: 5 years countdown for a commercial shop unit, 2 years for a residential or industrial unit. A rent increase can be attached mid-notice; not responding by the deadline results in automatic eviction. Any business running in an evicted unit is force-closed: stock and materials are lost and the remaining capital is refunded minus the withdrawal tax. Liquidating voluntarily before the notice expires saves nothing on tax — closing a business always pays the withdrawal tax, exactly like taking the money out year by year — but it does let the owner choose the moment.
When the property is sold
A unit can be put up for sale while someone is living in it, and what happens next depends on who that someone is. If a tenant lives there, the lease survives the sale untouched: same rent, same terms, only the landlord changes — and the tenant is notified when it happens. If the owner themselves lives there, the sale hands over an empty unit: the seller loses that home the instant the money changes hands and must rent a new place or move into State Housing. Selling the roof over your head is allowed, but it is not a way to stay under it — the game warns you before you list it.
Owners can cancel a rent or sale listing at any time by re-listing the unit at $0.