Now, 6 years after the City Living EP originally launched, we wanted to touch base with the apartment mod scene and discuss the current offerings, offer updates on promising but incomplete projects from the past, as well as outline vanilla ways to mimic an apartment living scenario to the best of the game’s ability for those who don’t use CC. Keep reading to learn all there is to know about apartment mods in the Sims 4!
Lofty Apartment Mods That Could-Have-Been
The saddest part about the Sims modding community is when a modder or project steps back or is never finished. It’s understandable that this happens as modders are not directly paid to create their content and oftentimes life outside the game takes precedence, but it’s still unfortunate. There are a few apartment mods that showed promise which sadly didn’t go anywhere, but we wanted to mention them for the sake of closure and curiosity.
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For Rent (Apartment Mod) by SimmyTheSim [Deleted]
SimmyTheSim has made a variety of mods for the Sims 4, many of which dramatically affected the way the game handles. One mod that never came to fruition was the For Rent apartment mod, which would have added a new Apartment venue type and tenant neighbors as well.
Not a lot is known as to why the mod was never completed. The original thread was deleted with the reason being given that the mod was “unfinished” and now that Simmy is no longer part of the Sims 4 modding community, it’s pretty clear that the apartment mod will never be finished.
Apartment Mod by Nando [Abandoned]
Nando released a beta version of this mod in 2018 in which he began unlocking the apartment shells from City Living for use in other builds. Based on this development update video posted around that time, the furthest he really got was enabling elevator functionality. The mod is still available for download, however there’s barely anything to it and Nando hasn’t offered any updates on the apartment mod in years. He’s still active in the simming community but for some reason has chosen to leave this mod completely abandoned.
Working Mods to Help Mimic the Apartment Experience
While the aforementioned mods will never be, there are a number of working mods in the community that are being actively maintained and will help you build the perfect apartment living experience. Most of these apartment mods affect a very small aspect of gameplay but they can be combined to create the type of gameplay you’re looking for.
Some of these mods require City Living as they modify mechanics from that particular EP, but many can be used without!
1. Better BuildBuy by TwistedMexi
The Better BuildBuy mod opens up the Sims 4’s hidden catalogs without the need to enter cheat codes, offers expanded camera use outside of Live mode, enables deletion protection, and so much more! It will allow you to access objects you normally can’t see which includes the apartment shells from City Living along with shells from every other pack you have. While they can be finicky to build around, if you really want your builds to look like the apartment building set dressing you can use these shells as inspiration and/or a cover for your creations.
One really helpful aspect of this mod is that a lot of the Debug content is free, so you can create gorgeous landscaped builds or derelict dumpy flats without them costing hundreds of thousands of simoleans. The most recent version of the mod can be downloaded here.
2. T.O.O.L. Mod by TwistedMexi
Another mod by TwistedMexi that works well with Better BuildBuy, the main motivation behind this content is that it allows simmers to place objects all over the world, not just on their lots. If you have City Living, this mod will allow you to add items to the shared hallways and other spaces outside of your apartment. Additionally, using this mod will let you do things like add neighborhood playgrounds, build picnic areas, or anything else you can think of! The latest version can be downloaded here.
3. Roommate Satisfaction by Byt3s
Sims aren’t the most intelligent creatures when left to their own devices and have been known to complain about their needs while in a room full of items specifically meant to fill those needs! The Discover University roommates are just as bad, often complaining about poor living conditions when there aren’t any. This mod simply stops roommates from complaining and leaving when they feel their needs aren’t being met, bringing harmony back to your households.
4. Roommates by LittleMsSam
We like this mod a lot because it adds more nuance to the roommate experience, unlike what we get in the vanilla game. With the mod you can have toddlers and pets as roommates (with their parent/owner of course), you can have more than 8 sims living in the place, and you can confront your roomies when they’re not being good housemates like when they need to shower or do some cleaning. If this sounds like the roommate experience for you, download the mod here.
LittleMsSam has also created a special roommate mod for Discover University which allows uni students to pick their roomies instead of getting them randomly assigned, which you can read up on and download here.
5. Personal Objects (Computers, Tablets, & more) by LittleMsSam
It doesn’t matter what kind of living situation you’re in, it’s really annoying when other people mess with your stuff! With this mod your sims can claim ownership of their electronics, skill building items, bathroom fixtures, pet bowls, and more! It’s a fantastic mod for multi-family situations which you can get here. Personally I think this is a perfect mod to have if you want an apartment situation where sims still visit with their neighbors to hang out but don’t use/break all of their things. It also allows your roommates to have friends over without having to manually unlock doors for each visitor.
If you like this mod you may also like her Objects Don’t Share Inventory mod, so your sim and their neighbors can have private places to safely store their stuff.
In-Game Mechanics for Apartment Vibes
In addition to the wonderful mods shared here, there are some ways to make faux-apartment living workable in the vanilla game. First, build an apartment/multi-family building or download one from the gallery and, using your mod or method of choice, add roommates to the situation. Using the game’s lock/unlock door feature you can allow/disallow sims from entering each other’s “apartments” although we recommend a community recreation area in the build or nearby, as sims are social creatures and like hanging out together.
Youtuber RGeetect created a short video on how to make fake elevators, if you have Realm of Magic installed!
Closing Thoughts
While there’s no defacto Apartment Mod out there, all is not lost! Thanks to this collection of mods you can replicate the apartment living experience fairly closely, with as much or as little control as you wish. Maybe one day we will see the return of proper apartment living in the Sims 4, but until then these mods will surely do the trick!
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