Error messages on lots in Cities Skylines 2 can be endlessly frustrating, especially when the game doesn't tell you what to do with High rent. This situation has a few possible causes and a few fixes.
Whether you need to reduce taxes, change locations, or study land value, it will take some experimentation. Try out these methods and find the one that works for you!
How to fix High Rent in Cities Skylines 2
Finding ways to cut costs on an individual or small-scale basis can be tricky in Cities Skylines 2. That's why it's helpful to know which specific behaviors can alleviate the High rent message that is stubborn and hard to remove. Some actions you can take to reduce the cost of rent for your residents are:
- Reduce taxes on residential zones
- Move the residential zoning to an area with lower land value
- Replace the area with higher density housing
- Make sure your citizens have schools to be educated (makes them wealthier)
- Make smaller individual lots, as more spacious homes cost more in rent
What causes the High rent error in Cities Skylines 2?
When you see the error message above a building (or several) saying that the rent is too high, there's a few root issues that could cause this. The primary cause is often land value, which you can view by selecting the information (i) icon in the top left, and then the green box with white lettering. This will show you the value of all nearby land. Higher value land will charge higher rent, so try to avoid putting low density housing in these areas.
Other causes of High rent are undereducated citizens, large home lots, and taxes being too high. Educated citizens make more money, which helps them afford higher rent (though this requires long term planner). Large home lots create buildings with lots of square footage, raising the rent. And high taxes make citizens less able to afford rent.
Want to read more about Cities Skylines 2? If so, check out How to mod Cities Skylines 2 on Pro Game Guides.
Bethany has been a writer at Pro Game Guides for over two years, but she has been into both gaming and writing for countless years. When not writing helpful guides for fellow gamers, she can be found playing on her PC or Switch, writing short stories, and watching horror movies.