The Final Fantasy XIV housing changes tweak the lottery again with revisions to ward classifications. The new system, implemented with Endwalker, continues to iterate on player housing through changes and additions that open up plots for individuals and Free Companies.
All of the FFXIV housing lingo and rules can get pretty confusing for newcomers and veterans alike. For players caught unprepared, that may mean missing their shot at bidding on a new plot or risk losing a home they already own. That’s why we’ve put together this handy little FAQ explaining how the FFXIV housing lottery works, what you can expect with ward reclassifications, plot requirements, differences, and more.
If you just need a resource for when you can place bids on a home, we’ve got a guide on dates for the next FFXIV housing lottery cycle. Otherwise, let’s go ahead and break down the basics of claiming your own plot of land.
How The FFXIV Housing Lottery System Works
The FFXIV housing lottery runs on a nine-day cycle. For the first five days, players can submit bids during the entry period. After those five days are up, the next four days make up the results period where players who won the lottery must claim and finalize their purchase. Another lottery cycle will begin afterward.
To enter the lottery, find the available plot of land you wish to bid on and interact with the placard. If the house is available and you meet all of the requirements, you’ll have the option to deposit the full amount of Gil for a number assignment. Even without placing a bid, you can check the number of lottery participants on a plot by interacting with the placard. Remember, some wards, plot sizes, and locations are more popular than others — make sure you choose wisely.
If you win the lottery, you will need to interact with the placard at the entrance of the plot you purchased. This must be done within the results period window. Players who forfeit a winning ticket pay a 50% cancellation fee — what a shame.
If you lose the lottery, you will get 100% of your deposit back, but you will have to reclaim it within 90 days after the results period ends — otherwise, you will lose that Gil.
To check on which plot you bid on, open the Timers menu (CTRL+U) and click on Estate. The Housing Lottery Status line should indicate where your bid was placed and if the entry or results period is in progress.
The Lodestone still has an in-depth explanation of FFXIV‘s old first-come, first-served housing system; as of Endwalker, this system is no longer in place. Should that change, we’ll update our guide to explain how the race to buy a plot works.
How FFXIV Housing Relocation Works
For players interested in relocating their current house to another plot on the same server, FFXIV offers a moving service. Relocation options exist for both Free Companies (FCs) and private buyers, and they operate on the same lottery system rules. That means relocation bids for an FC count as your one bid per character per cycle, so make sure there is no private plot you have your eye on before bidding, or vice versa.
After scoping out a more desirable home, navigate to the placard and place your bid. Buying into the entry period requires the full housing down payment. However, if you win and select relocate, the system refunds 15% of the old plot’s value. This value is based on new Endwalker-era appraisals rather than how much was paid during the retired price reduction process of prior expansions.
How FFXIV Housing Ward Reclassification Works
On Sunday, July 10, 2022, FFXIV will change how FC and private housing wards are classified to open up some limited FC districts to individual owners. Once a new lottery cycle for bidding on player housing begins, housing wards 10 through 24 will be available to private buyers.
As of the lottery entry period on July 10, FFXIV housing wards in the Lavender Beds, Mist, Goblet, Shirogane, and Empyreum restrict the purchase of new plots to the following classifications:
| Free Company Housing | Private Housing |
| Ward 1 through Ward 9 | Ward 10 through Ward 24 |
This change only applies to older FFXIV World servers, not to the four new Worlds added to the EU data center in Patch 6.18.
According to the official Lodestone blog, “Housing areas for the four New Worlds added to the European data center will be classified differently. Further details will be announced at a later date.”
Previously, private buyers were restricted to wards 19-24. FCs could buy plots in wards 1 through 18, but many remained empty as demand slowed. In past expansions, FFXIV has limited the buying and relocation process for private buyers to prioritize FC access, lifting the restrictions at a later date. It’s entirely possible this will happen again, opening up all wards for private ownership at some point in the future.
Requirements for Purchasing FFXIV Housing
Some recent FFXIV housing changes include new requirement adjustments to account for the lottery system, so take care to review these if you haven’t done so in the post-Shadowbringers era. Players have to meet certain requirements in order to be eligible to take part in the housing lottery system; this depends on the type of plot you are trying to purchase as well.
Below are the requirements for individual players and players representing their FC.
Individual Buyer
- Have at least one class/Job at level 50.
- Hold the rank of second lieutenant or higher in any of the Grand Companies.
On Behalf of Your Free Company
- The Free Company needs to be rank 6 or higher.
- The Free Company needs to have four or more members.
- You have authorization to purchase or relinquish land on behalf of the Free Company.
- You must have been part of the Free Company for at least 30 days before entering the lottery. No gaming the system, buddy.
And of course, no brokies here. Remember that you need to pay the full amount of the plot in order to enter the housing lottery.
How To Unlock FFXIV Housing Wards
FFXIV residential wards are available in the city-states of Limsa Lominsa, Gridania, Ul’dah, Kugane, and Ishgard. Gaining access to the world’s five wards, even just to visit, requires completing a quick sidequest and certain MSQ-related milestones. After finishing a city’s corresponding housing quest, you can use the main Aetheryte to teleport to the ward.
The Mist (Limsa Lominsa)
- Quest: Where the Heart Is (The Mist).
- Speak to Ahctkoen in Lower La Noscea (X: 31.6, Y: 20.1).
- Unlocks The Mist housing district in Limsa Lominsa.
The Lavender Beds (Gridania)
- Quest: Where the Heart Is (The Lavender Beds).
- Speak to Margeria in Central Shroud (X: 21.7, Y: 21.9).
- Unlocks The Lavender Beds housing district in Gridania.
The Goblet (Ul’dah)
- Quest: Where the Heart Is (The Goblet).
- Speak to Imme in Western Thanalan (X: 26.0, Y: 24.1).
- Unlocks The Goblet housing district in Ul’dah.
Empyreum (Ishgard)
- Quest: Ascending to Empyreum.
- Speak to Gondelimbaud in Foundation (X: 9.9, Y: 11.7).
- Requires completion of Heavensward MSQ up to Litany of Peace.
- Unlocks the Empyreum housing district in Ishgard.
Shirogane (Kugane)
- Quest: I Dream of Shirogane.
- Speak to Tsurubami in Kugane (X: 12.0, Y: 9.9).
- Requires completion of Stormblood MSQ up to By the Grace of Lord Lolorito.
- Unlocks the Shirogane housing district in Kugane.
How to Check if Housing Plots are Available
You can check which plots are available for purchase by looking at the residential ward list when traveling to any particular housing district — there is an icon on the list that will indicate what’s available.
You may also check the timing and status of the housing lottery via the housing tab in-game or by interacting with the placard of an available plot.
