Final Fantasy XIV's Patch 6.1, "Newfound Adventure", brings some changes to the way player and Free Company housing is acquired. While this new housing lottery system is intended to make things fairer for all players, there are a few caveats to how it works. In this guide, we'll go over everything you need to know when attempting to buy a new house.
Residential Districts and Housing Wards in FFXIV
Player housing in Final Fantasy XIV is contained within residential districts, accessed via the main aetheryte of their respective towns. The districts available are:
The Mist - Limsa Lominsa
Lavender Beds - Gridania
The Goblet - Ul'dah
Shirogane - Hingashi
Empyreum - Ishgard
As of Patch 6.1, the new housing lottery system will apply to all previous residential districts, not just the newly added Empyreum.
Furthermore, residential districts are split into 30 wards, each containing 60 houses. Wards within the same district have identical layouts and housing prices as well. The first 18 wards of each district are reserved for Free Companies (marked by 6 dots on the residential ward menu), with player housing accounting for the final 12 (marked by an "i" symbol).
Final Fantasy XIV Housing Lottery System
Instead of the free-for-all housing system used before Patch 6.1, all players must apply via the housing lottery system. This is done by interacting with the placard placed by each house in a ward. This will bring up the "For Sale" menu, showing its price, current lottery participants, and the time the current lottery ends. By selecting "Enter Lottery", a new menu detailing the rules will be shown. The wall of text looks somewhat daunting, but there are a few main points to be aware of.
How the System Works & Tips
Firstly, you cannot withdraw from the lottery after paying, though all money will be refunded if you're unsuccessful. Those that already have a house and are relocating will also be refunded 15% of the previous house's value. If you win the lottery, you only have a few days to confirm the purchase. Failing to do so will incur a 50% penalty on the lottery fee paid — this also applies if you win multiple lotteries at once and have to choose a specific house.
In the case of Free Company housing, multiple members can apply for the same plot of land via the housing lottery system. However, members must be part of the Free Company for 30 days, regardless of their rank. If one member wins the lottery for a plot of land, any other members that applied will get a full refund.
The entry period lasts for 5 days, with the results period lasting for 4 days. This will repeat for every lottery, though maintenance and other potential events can potentially affect the length of these time periods.
Since each lottery is on a schedule, it's not necessary to enter straight away. You can wait to see which plots have the least amount of players in the lottery to have a greater chance of winning. Naturally, larger Free Companies will also be at an advantage -- assuming all their members are eligible at least.
In the case of Patch 6.1 and the new Empyreum housing district, the Free Company wards on many servers will have relatively little competition. For newer Free Companies (or ones looking to relocate), this is the best time to enter the lottery.
Isaac is a Staff Writer at TechRaptor, handling guides — and the occasional review — for games throughout many genres. Some of his more extensive work at… More about Isaac
