With Final Fantasy XIV’s player base having exploded in the past few years, millions of Warriors of Light are always insatiably eager for more exciting content, along with a cozy little spot to settle down in one of the game’s many housing districts.
With the implementation of the Lottery System soon after Endwalker’s release, it can be tricky for newer players to figure out exactly how it all works, and when open plots are actually available. If you’re wondering how to get your hands on a premium Eorzean locale to hang up your sword, here is our handy guide to the FFXIV Housing Lottery – how it works and the current schedule.
What is Required to Purchase a House in FFXIV?
Housing in Final Fantasy XIV is categorized into 5 geographically different locations known as Districts. After completing certain quests (indicated below), they can each be accessed via the Main Aetheryte of their respective city by clicking on “Residential District Aethernet”.
They each have their own look and vibe, and as of this writing, they include:
- The Goblet – Housing district of Ul’dah
- Unlocked via the “Where the Heart Is (The Goblet)” sidequest
- The Lavender Beds – Housing district of Gridania
- Unlocked via the “Where the Heart Is (The Lavender Beds)” sidequest
- The Mists – Housing district of Limsa Lominsa
- Unlocked via the “Where the Heart Is (The Mists)” sidequest
- Shirogane – Housing district of Kugane
- Unlocked via “I Dream of Shirogane” sidqeuest
- Must have also completed Stormblood MSQ up to “By the Grace of Lord Lolorito”
- The Empyreum – Housing district of Ishgard
- Unlocked via “Ascending to Empyreum” sidequest
- Must have also completed Heavensward MSQ up to “Litany of Peace”
Each of these districts is further sub-categorized into 30 Wards, which each contain dozens of individual housing plots. These plots range in size from Small, to Medium, to Large, and their prices (in gil) vary accordingly. Small plots typically cost 3-5 million gil, while Mediums go for 15-20 million, and Larges have hefty 40-50 million gil price tags.
Furthermore, the wards themselves are additionally categorized by whom they’re available for purchase to. They’re structured as follows:
- Wards 1-6: Free Companies Only
- Wards 7-29: Free Companies & Private Buyers
- Ward 30: Individual Buyers Only
To be able to purchase a house individually anywhere in the game, your character needs to meet the following minimal requirements:
- Have at least one class/job at Level 50 or higher
- Have a Grand Company rank of Second Lieutenant or higher
If you’re wanting to purchase a plot on behalf a Free Company (FC) you’ve founded, or one that you’re a part of, there are additional requirements.
- The Free Company must be Rank 6 or higher
- You have the authority to purchase or relinquish land on behalf of the FC
- There are at least 4 or more members in the FC at any given time
- You must be a member of the FC for at least 30 days before you’re permitted to bid.
Alternatively, if you don’t have the funds to purchase a housing plot, or simply aren’t getting lucky, there are also Apartment Buildings found within each Ward of each District, where you can purchase a studio-sized apartment for 500,000 gil. There’s no difference in layouts, so you can simply pick the first available in the building if you want.
In addition, you can still attempt to get a housing plot while in possession of an apartment, and keep it if you’re successful. So no need to feel like you’re locked in to one or the other. However, you can only own ONE housing plot per character at a time.
What Is the FFXIV Housing Lottery System & How to Place a Bid
The Housing Lottery System, which dropped in Patch 6.1 soon after Endwalker’s release, is currently acting as the remedy to the previous housing system, which basically required players to camp out in front of plots for hours on end, clicking on placards while waiting for a timer to run out. This new system has essentially given the process more automation in favor of good ol’ RNG.
If you’re interested in purchasing a housing plot, there are a few things you’ll need to know about how it works.
First of all, to check and see which plots are available (or becoming available) in any given district, simply go to the Main Aetheryte in one of the respective cities and click on “Residential District Aethernet” (seen below) to view each individual ward, along with which plots are occupied and which are not. Available plots will have a price tag next to them.
Secondly, the Lottery System runs consistently on a nine-day cycle through each month, which is structured as follows:
- 5 days – ‘Entry Period’
- Housing bids may be placed during this time on any available plot.
- Only one bid may be placed at a time during a cycle (per character).
- 4 days – ‘Results Period’
- Bids can no longer be placed and the winning bid is chosen entirely at random.
- The winner must arrive to claim the plot by the end of the results period, otherwise the plot will be forfeit and put back up for auction during the following cycle. A cancellation fee equal to 50% of the original purchase will also be charged.
- Those with losing bids will receive 100% of their original purchase back. You must return to the plot to reclaim your gil from the placard within 90 days of the Results Period.
To place a housing bid, you need to travel to the ward with the plot you’re interested in, and go up to the Placard hanging just outside it (as seen above). It will list the full price of the plot (which you must have on hand), along with the address, and other details such as how many people are currently bidding on it, who it’s available to, and the exact deadline for bids.
Interact with the Placard to place your bid, and it will take you through a brief confirmation process. Once done, the price of the plot will be removed from your current funds as a reservation. You can check the status of the current bidding cycle at any time via the ‘Timers’ sub-menu.
Should you land the winning bid, be sure to return to the plot during the Results period to claim your prize, at which point it will be placed under your character’s name. Then it’s time to get decorating.
Also, keep in mind that the Auto-Demolition Timer is currently active in FFXIV, which refers to the process of “demolishing” a house owned by a player who has not logged in to the game and visited their house for at least 45 consecutive days.
Current Housing Lottery Schedule (Updated)
Below is the Housing Lottery Schedule for the current month or so, based on our educated predictions and the nine-day cycle structure. A small reminder that all timestamps for these deadlines use PST (Pacific Standard Timezone), as per FFXIV tradition.
| Entry Period | Results Period |
| Jan 10 – Jan 15 @ 8:59am (PST) | Jan 15 – 19 @ 8:59am (PST) |
| Jan 19 – Jan 24 @ 8:59am (PST) | Jan 24 – Jan 28 @ 8:59am (PST) |
| Jan 28 – Feb 2 @ 8:59am (PST) | Feb 2 – Feb 6 @ 8:59am (PST) |
| Feb 6 – Feb 11 @ 8:59am (PST) | Feb 11 – Feb 15 @ 8:59am (PST) |
This schedule will be updated and adjusted as needed, so if you’re in the market for a housing plot, be sure to check back regularly.
That concludes our guide for the FFXIV Housing Lottery – how it works and the current schedule. We hope you find this helpful in your house hunting endeavors, and let us know if and when you manage to snag one, especially if it’s your dream location.
Be sure to check out all of our other guides for Final Fantasy XIV, such as our Aloalo Island Variant Dungeon walkthrough.
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