The Sims 4 Lot Traits

Effects of Traits for Base Game and City Living Apartments



The Sims 4 Lot Traits apply to apartments and houses
Apartments and houses can have up to three lot traits. Check the traits of the apartment before you move in, but know that you can change some of them. Certain traits are locked in, such as historical, quiet, and one of the best: serviced apartment.

Lot Traits are a new feature given to all players upon the release of the City Living Expansion Pack. City Living includes apartments that have unique lot traits, but the others are accessible with just the base game. With these traits, you can further customize your Sim's home or apartment and give them positive or negative effects. Some of them create random events, while others provide nearly permanent boosts that greatly impact gameplay. Since some of these these are available to all players, it is separate from the City Living Apartments Guide. Below you'll find a list all the lot traits, what they do, and how you can use them to your benefit.

How to Pick Lot Traits



The Sims 4 How to pick your own Lot Traits for apartment or house
You can pick traits for your lot by going into build mode and clicking the button in the upper-left corner.

Enter build mode by pressing F2. Now look to the upper left corner for the icon in the screenshot above. Click it, and a menu will come down showing all of the selectable lot traits. You can hover over an existing lot trait and remove it if you don't like it, assuming it is not one of the apartment traits that you cannot remove. Those are unique to various apartments (some appear only once, like Serviced Apartment and Good Fireplace). You may pick up to three, and are not required to have any at all if you don't want to use them. Some Lot Traits can cause a lot of emotion-shifting which some players find annoying, so click the X to take off the trait if it's bothering you.

Lot Traits for Apartments and Houses

If you do not see the lot trait you're looking for in the list below, it is one of the traits that you cannot select or remove. You can find the list of non-removable unique lot traits further down the page.

ImageLot Trait NameEP/GP?Game DescriptionWhat it Does
The Sims 4 Bracing Breezes Lot TraitBracing BreezesBaseOodles of fresh air make for a bracing environment to exercise.A 50% boost to Athletic and Wellness Skill gains.
The Sims 4 Breeding Grounds Lot TraitBreeding GroundCats and DogsIncreases the chances for pets to have larger pet litters.
The Sims 4 Cat Friendly Lot TraitCat FriendlyCats and DogsCat owners will visit this lot with their cats.
The Sims 4 Cat Hangout Lot TraitCat HangoutCats and DogsStray cats really love this lot. Meow!
The Sims 4 Chef's Kitchen Lot TraitChef's KitchenCity LivingFood prepared in this kitchen just seems to taste better and usually comes out better quality.When you initiate cooking, you get a +1 Inspired Chef's Kitchen moodlet that lasts 2 hours after you finish preparing the meal.
The Sims 4 Celebrity Home Lot TraitCelebrity HomeGet FamousThis residence is listed on the Celebrity Home Tours, granting increased fame gain, restricted access, and awe amongst welcomed visitors. Beware though! Those who live here but aren't actually very famous will be considered posers!
The Sims 4 Child's Play Lot TraitChild's PlayCity LivingKids just seem to learn faster here.Children and Adults with the Childish Trait get a +1 Playful moodlet when using children's objects.
The Sims 4 Convival Lot TraitConvivalBaseThe spacious but intimate feel makes it easier to practice Charisma, Comedy, and Mischief to your heart's content.+50% skill gains for Charisma, Comedy, and Mischief Skills
The Sims 4 Creepy Crawlies Lot TraitCreepy CrawliesJungle AdventureIt seems that some creepy pests have taken up residence here. Be prepared; when they hit, you'll never see them coming!
The Sims 4 CursedLot TraitCursedCity LivingLots of things seem to go wrong in this apartmentThe game data tells me that Sims may pee themselves more often, food may spoil faster, fires are more likely to happen, death by exhaustion for elders, death by electrocution. Uncomfortable and stressed buffs may occur more as well. It's one nasty lot trait!
The Sims 4 Dog Friendly Lot TraitDog FriendlyCats and DogsDog owners will visit this lot and bring their dogs.
The Sims 4 Dog Hangout Lot TraitDog HangoutCats and DogsStray dogs will hang out at this lot.
The Sims 4 Fast Internet Lot TraitFast InternetBaseA great online connection helps out those looking to improve their Programming, Video Gaming, or Writing Skills.+50% boost to skill gains for Programming, Writing, and Video Gaming Skills
The Sims 4 Filthy Lot TraitFilthyCity LivingFrom clogged sewers to grimy counters, this place seems to get dirty really quickly.Objects that can get dirty do so at double the usual rate.
The Sims 4 Gnomes Lot TraitGnomesCity LivingBroken things just seem to get mended overnight. It's as if kindly Gnomes watch over the place...While Sims are sleeping, gnomes may appear late at night to fix any broken objects.
The Sims 4 Good Schools Lot TraitGood SchoolsCity LivingThe local school is great! Kids seem to get high grades and usually do better at homework.I could not get the confidence moodlet the game indicated would occur, but a 25% chance is rather low - this just a side benefit. It does speed up high school and grade school progression for teens/kids, by around 30%. Evidently it only sometimes happens, though (like half the time they are at school).
The Sims 4 Great Acoustics Lot TraitGreat AcousticsBaseThe acoustics are perfect here! A great place for any musician to hone their skills.Boosts all musical instrument skill gains by 50%
The Sims 4 Great Soil Lot TraitGreat SoilCity LivingGardening just seems to go really well here.Increases the speed that plants grow. Does effect planter boxes.
The Sims 4 Gremlins Lot TraitGremlinsCity LivingStuff breaks here a lot. It's like there are tiny goblins who come out at night and smash things... but that's ridiculous, right?If Sims are sleeping, gremlins may come out at night and break objects that can be broken (and thus repaired by handiness).
The Sims 4 Grody Lot TraitGrodyCity LivingSims have a chance to get nauseous when eating, drinking, or using the bathroom.There is a 33% chance Sims get a nauseous moodlet when doing the actions described.
The Sims 4 Haunted Lot TraitHauntedCity LivingLocals say this place is haunted. Pah! What do they know?Around 10:30PM, things may get creepy in this house, causing Sims to get a tense moodlet. Naturally, you'll see more ghosts in a haunted apartment.
The Sims 4 Home Studio Lot TraitHome StudioCity LivingThe artsy vibe makes this a great place to be creative. Painting, Writing and Woodworking usually comes out better quality.It would seem that Sims are more likely to get artsy whims in a home with this lot trait. It also raises the effective skill level of Sims using related arts skills - this means that at level 3, you could be functioning like a level 7 in terms of putting out high quality objects.
The Sims 4 Homey Lot TraitHomeyBaseThe homey vibe helps Sims quickly master the domestic arts of Cooking, Mixology, Handiness, and GardeningGives a +50% boost to skill gains for the Mixology, Cooking, Gardening, and Handiness Skills.
The Sims 4 Hottest Spot in Town Lot TraitHottest Spot in TownGet FamousA place for the Superstars, the VIPs, those who've achieved victory over the commonplace! After all, who else could afford these hyperinflated lot prices? Not you... no. But at least the Starlight Accolades can only happen on Lounges with this trait.
The Sims 4 Island Spirits Lot TraitIsland SpiritsIsland LivingAncient Island spirits inhabit this lot, visiting frequently. How will Sims choose to interact with them?
The Sims 4 Mean Vibe Lot TraitMean VibeCity LivingThe Mean Vibe makes it easier to get other Sims angry with Mean or Mischief interactionsRandomly, when using mean or mischief interactions, Sims will get a long-lasting angry moodlet.
The Sims 4 Natural Light Lot TraitNatural LightBaseThe quality of light here makes Painting and Photography much easier to master.The Natural Light Lot Trait provides a +50% boost to Handiness, Painting, and Photography.
The Sims 4 Oceanic Paradise Lot TraitOceanic ParadiseIsland LivingThis lot has an abundance of ocean life. Swimming in the ocean is an inspiring endeavor and dolphins and rare fish are easily found here.Being on this lot makes Sims inspired by Oceanic Splendor, and the call over dolphin interaction can be called from anywhere while within the lot's water boundaries.
The Sims 4 On a Dark Ley Line Lot TraitOn a Dark Ley LineVampiresThe dark energy here has an impact on all nocturnal activities. You can expect babies conceived here to require extra care while teething.Modifies the game's chances to produce vampire offspring. Children can be born a vampire even without vampire parents and are in fact 4x more likely to be vampire.
The Sims 4 On Ley Line Lot TraitOn Ley LineCity LivingFull of funky fertile earth energy, twins are born here more often than not.Does boost twin birth rates, but I'm unable to locate the percentage chance for that to happen.
The Sims 4 Party Place Lot TraitParty PlaceCity LivingParties just seem to go well at this place! Meeting Social Event goals becomes much easier.This, along with Ley Lines, stumped me. I can be contacted at [email protected] if you can find all the details on this one. The description would entail it somehow lowers the requirements for parties.
The Sims 4 Peace and Quiet Lot TraitPeace and QuietJungle AdventureSomething about this lot makes it great for reading. Sims understand more, so they gain skill faster from reading, and Tense moods go away faster.
The Sims 4 Penny Pixies Lot TraitPenny PixiesCity LivingSims often find loose change around the place. It's like there's a secret money fairy or something.While cleaning, napping, rummaging and doing other interactions like that your Sim is very likely to come across some change in the form of a few Simoleons. This sometimes provides a happy moodlet for a brief time.
The Sims 4 Private Dwelling Lot TraitPrivate DwellingBaseA home lot with this trait deters all but the most determined visitors (it has little effect on commercial venues).Modifies Sim behavior to make them less likely to visit. Good if you're annoyed by the frequency of visits!
The Sims 4 Quake Zone Lot TraitQuake ZoneCity LivingOccasionally there's a minor tremble here. Probably nothing to worry about.Earthquakes may occur, causing Sims to panic with the tremors breaking objects around the home.
The Sims 4 Registered Vampire Lair Lot TraitRegistered Vampire LairVampiresThe lot registers as a vampire lair. The League will send various gifts from time to time. Through the mail, no less. Even the immortals use the public mail service. Only available on home residences.Gain things like blood packs through the mail, but probably not garlic?
The Sims 4 Romantic Aura Lot TraitRomantic AuraCity LivingRomantic Aura makes it easier to get other people in the mood for LURVE!When using romance interactions, a bonus flirty moodlet will sometimes come up.
The Sims 4 Science Lair Lot TraitScience LairBaseThe secluded vibe means there's little to distract great minds from the study of Logic or Rocket Science.Improves skill gains by +50% for Logic and Rocket Science.
The Sims 4 Study Spot Lot Trait from Discover UniversityStudy SpotDiscover UniversityA great place to enhance one's mind in pursuit of higher education. Not only will Sims complete their homework faster, but they can study longer without getting mentally exhausted. They'll also enjoy a slight bonus to all skill building.Contrary to what this trait says, it's actually a 20% boost to all skills which is hardly "slight". Sims will complete homework 40% faster across all classes, term paper and presentation quality increases faster too!
The Sims 4 Sunny Aspect Lot TraitSunny AspectCity LivingThe beautiful scenery really makes this place uplifting. When the sun goes down, Sims may get Energized, Happy, or InspiredStarts at 6PM. The buff for Sims seems to last all night long, but it's randomly selected.
The Sims 4 Training Ground Lot TraitTraining GroundCats and DogsSims gain Pet Training skill faster on this lot.
The Sims 4 University Student Hang Out Lot TraitUniversity Student Hang OutDiscover UniversityThis spot has great prices on food and drink, so the university students are sure to flock to it.Food and drink sold on this lot will only cost 70% of usual value. Conflicts with Hottest Spot in Town. Increases the chance of both Britechester and Foxbury students visiting the lot.
The Sims 4 Up and Coming Hotspot Lot TraitUp-and-Coming HotspotGet FamousAt least your Sims can say they 'went here before it was cool'. Also, cheap drinks and eats for the super famous! Even better, Meet a Celebrity events can only happen on Lounges with this trait.
The Sims 4 Vampire Nexus Lot TraitVampire NexusVampiresA dark envelopes this lot in the upside down. Vampires are more likely to visit the area.Increases the likelihood of vampire visits across the board.
The Sims 4 Volcanic Activity Lot TraitVolcanic ActivityIsland LivingThis lot is near an active volcano! Beware of earthquakes, steam vents, and occasional lava bombs.

Unique Lot Traits

The following are unique to apartments in The Sims 4 City Living's San Myshuno. Because of their nature, you cannot remove them. Some are great, so there's no reason to want to.

  • Great View - When within viewing range of a window, Sims gain a positive moodlet. Building with this in mind can be to your benefit.
  • Historical - There's a plaque on the wall that cannot be removed by any means. Inspecting this plaque inspires Sims to greatness, like the plate's namesake. The moodlet is brief, however.
  • Lively Neighbors - Take notice of this trait, it means that neighbors will party more often which can lead to frustrations at night, as they jam music that wakes your Sim.
  • Needs TLC - The apartment is a great place to practice handiness skills! Causes random problems like roaches and power outages.
  • Quiet - Reduces the likelihood that Sims in neighboring apartments will annoy your Sim and their family.
  • Romantic Fireplace - When within range of this apartment's fireplace, get a flirty moodlet.
  • Serviced Apartment - A Maid will come to clean your apartment Monday through Friday at 9am, free of charge. The price is already included in the rent.

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Comments (20)

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Mous33says...
Is there anywhere were I can get the quake zone trait in more detail? Maybe even watch a ytube video about it?
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Admin
Playalotsays...
Your best bet would be to pop the trait onto your sims lot and experience it that way. All traits can easily be removed in build mode if you do not like them. Smile
Other than that maybe just google and see what you come up with. There isn't much more that can be said about it really, the screen shakes and your sim will react and get a moodlet.
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Shaedannasays...
The camera shakes when there's an earthquake, and your sims sometimes get a Tense seismophobia moodlet. (Or not if they're Carefree)
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Knazysays...
Hey I wonder if there's a cheat to be able to remove those "special" lot traits, I'm in a Needs TLC apartment which was fun when my sim was a bit poorer etc but I've fully upgraded the house and things still break + rat and cockroaches still spawn but I really like that apartment I just wanna get rid of that trait.
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Admin
Playalotsays...
Maybe a modder will come up with a solution for that but no one has so far, early days though I guess seeing as City Living has only been out for a week.
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Sparkysays...
If you press bulldoze lot, yes it deletes all rooms and items in the lot it does also remove all traits. Grin i hope this works
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Pipsays...
I'm jealous! I have a few traits but nothing ever happens eg no gremlins and no roaches or rats
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ChickenSlobbersays...
I'm pretty sure you'll only gets the rats or roaches to show up if your lot has the 'Needs TLC' trait which is only on certain apartments & can't be added or removed. As far as the gremlins, as long as you put that trait on the lot, I would expect you to notice before too much time passes (though they come out at night only & your sims must be sleeping).
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Shaedannasays...
All sims in the household must be asleep at midnight for the gremlins to come out
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Jacquisays...
Anyone have any idea how I can move a cockroach spawner? I am using a redesigned apartment from the gallery and there is a cockroach and a bad odor spawner right under two walls. Which means every time it generates roaches or bad odors, I have to go into build mode and remove the wall, go back to play mode, take care of the problem and then put my walls back. I really love this apt, but this is getting old...
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Admin
Playalotsays...
I had exactly the same problem with my apartment! Moving the wall was driving me a little demented!
There is a mod that allows you to place these spawners on any lot and a link to the debug enabler mod/cheat that allows you to destroy them. I have not had a chance to play around with this so use them at your own risk!!! Make a back up of your save first. Smile
CL Apartment Problems for Regular Lots
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New
Barricornsays...
I just launched the game for the first time since this update and I can only see 8 available traits for my house.
Are most of them from DLC, do they unlock or is it just a glitch?
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Admin
Playalotsays...
Yes, only some were patched in for free. The rest are available with the DLC expansion pack City Living.
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ActuallyHarleysays...
I have the TLC trait on my lot a special one and my electric box broke I had my sim fix it cause the landlord won't. The power went off for him to fix it, he fixed it and now the power won't come back on it's been off for 4 sim days!
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Admin
Playalotsays...
Travel away from the apartment lot and back. That normally is enough to fix it. You may also need to click on the lights and turn them all back on.
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Susansays...
Are you going to include a section on apartment neighbors?
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Admin
Playalotsays...
I'm not sure what might be written in a guide. Unsure Basically you can knock on their door and they will come out to talk or you can travel to their apartment and visit just like any other lot. The only other function is the noise aspect but seeing all you do is ignore them or bang on the neighbors door and angrily complain it doesn't really need a guide. I do like the neighbors in apartments, they are done pretty well and give a nice city-life kind of feel to the game.
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Cervinovasays...
Some information regarding the Cursed and Gremlins lot traits - I have been playing a house with both of these traits, as well as Needs TLC, to experience some really tough Lot Traits. I hope this information helps someone else looking to try these out.
Cursed causes debuffs similar to those caused if a Sim is targeted by a Voodoo Doll: +2 Dazed and +2 Angry are the two that appear most frequently. I find that they usually appear when the Sim returns to the home lot after travelling elsewhere, or when loading into the lot.
Gremlins is very severe - 'Stuff breaks here a lot' is an understatement. From what I have experienced, the damage happens overnight (between 12am and 2am most frequently), and only if all Sims on the lot are asleep. You do not see the Gremlins, but they break everything that can be broken, all at once. Everything. Fantastic if you want to level your Handiness Skill, but otherwise, can become incredibly stressful. A list of the items on my lot that would all simultaneously break: Computer, TV, Game Console, Radio, Fridge, Dishwasher, Kitchen Sink, Stove, Tea Brewer, Toilet, Bathroom Sink, Shower, Bath. I have had the Gremlins visit 2 or 3 nights in a row, as long as everyone was sleeping, and even if some items are still broken, they will break everything you fixed. I had no idea how bad this trait would be when I decided to use it, and I am still testing. I want to see if the Gremlins will break items with the Unbreakable upgrade.
Again, I hope this information is helpful.
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Limersays...
Wow. I just got the EP a few days ago, I'm really digging it. Especially these lot traits. Now I know what they do and what don't. I can't wait for a mod that lets me to put on more than 3 lot traits, they're not enough. Laugh
Well done, Carl. Cool
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Shaedannasays...
Here here. I've been trying to find a mod, but no luck so far. It really gets old having to switch out lot traits all the time depending on what your sims are doing.
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Pippasays...
I've found putting someone who works nights in a gremlins lot (i had a criminal in there) meant i had far fewer breakdowns.
Just had a new sim move in, two repairmen have died fixing items while my sim was asleep within days of each other.
I'm trying to combine a gremlins and a gnomes lot trait now to see what will happen!
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Shaedannasays...
Gnomes will fix everything gremlins break, so your sim(s) will just have a lot of mopping in the morning, nothing else
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Jenny Bisbeesays...
My daughter is trying to get the on ley line trait and I'm not understanding where to get it. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
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Admin
Playlotsays...
Some lot traits came with certain expansion pack. If you can't see them in the menu picker when in build mode then you won't have the expansion pack it came with. I think ley line came with City Living or perhaps Vampires. So many lot traits have been added now I really can't remember which pack added what!
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SueZan404says...
I've heard that once your sim is good friends with another sim, they can give them an apartment key. For the sake of creating a mod, is there an "apartment key" object? I need to copy the tuning file from the apartment key to apply it to a custom object.
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Admin
Playlotsays...
Couldn't help you with tuning files I suggest you ask on a modding site like Mod the Sims for example Smile
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Kathy Freundsays...
Smile I love your guides. please add me to the lists for new posts.
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Admin
Playlotsays...
Glad you like the Guides, we don't have a notification list for new posts, you'll just need to visit the site Smile The Main Page (click) has all the newest posts made linked from it.
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Skywatchersays...
Party Place apparently causes neighbors to spontaneously create group events on the lot every few days.
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Regular
Sketch Eldersays...

I think you missed the Off-the-Grid lot trait from Island Living.

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EuphorialQueensays...

Your guides are an invaluable and trustworthy resource.

Please consider adding the following:

Clothing Optional, Off-the-Grid and Teen Neighborhood were added via patches and are available in Base Game.

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Admin
Playalotsays...

We're having issues with this page, those lot traits were in the table. This page is on our to-do list.

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Alycesays...

Firstly I love your guides, they are always my go-to for Sims info, so keep up the great work, you're legends!! I wanted to know if anyone has worked out what, if any of the lot traits affect the Eco Lifestyle skills? Does Home Studio affect the quality of fabricated/candles? Happy Simming

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aadam187says...

Jenny Bisbee

You can get On A Ley Line Trait from the Sims 4 pack: City Living.

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Randalsays...

Does "Great Acoustics" work on singing too?

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Seansays...

The Sims Wiki says it does, but Wiki isn't 100% reliable. ¯\(°_o)/¯

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New
Seansays...

Is there a cheat to add as many lot traits as you want or will I have to use a mod to get what I want?



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