Yes, teens can live alone in The Sims 4 without mods. A teen can run their own household, pay bills, cook, hold a part-time job and look after younger siblings. What they can’t do is get a full-time career, get married, try for a baby or adopt. Children and toddlers can never live without a teen or older Sim in the house.
Quick answer: what a solo teen can and can’t do
| Teens can | Teens can’t |
|---|---|
| Live independently and pay bills | Get a full-time job |
| Cook meals | Get married or propose |
| Get a part-time job | WooHoo or try for a baby (they can “Mess Around”) |
| Take full care of babies and younger siblings | Get pregnant (only with mods) |
| Own and run businesses | Adopt children |
| Adopt pets (Cats & Dogs) | Build the Parenting skill |
| Build every skill except Parenting | Punish children or other teens |
Source: the Sims Wiki’s list of teen abilities in The Sims 4. Teens also still have to go to school and do homework.
How to make a teen live alone
Move older Sims out with Manage Households
The most reliable way: open Manage Households from the world map, edit the family and move the parents or other adults into a new or existing household. The teen stays behind on the lot as the head of the house.
Older Sims move out or die
If every older Sim moves out or dies during play, a teen can keep the household going. If the last teen or older Sim in a household dies and only younger Sims are left, the game ends for that household.
Starting in Create a Sim
Players have been able to make teen-only households for years. If Create a Sim won’t let you save one, add a young adult, move the family in, then move the young adult out with Manage Households.
Chani_ZA tests what a solo teen can do in this video:
Money: how a solo teen pays the bills
Bills arrive like for any household, and unpaid bills mean the power and water get cut off. Teens can’t hold a full-time career, so the money comes from:
- Part-time jobs after school or at weekends. See every part-time job in our list of all Sims 4 careers.
- Skills that sell: paintings, books, garden produce, fish and collectibles.
- A business if you own a pack with businesses.
- For more ideas, see how to get more money in The Sims 4.
Tip: start small. A cheap starter home leaves more money for food and bills.
Teens raising younger siblings
A teen can take full care of babies, infants, toddlers and children in the same house. This is the base for the popular orphan and runaway-teen challenges. The Sims 4 has no social worker who visits. Instead, a neglected child who goes unfed for too long is “whisked away to safety” with a message, so keep everyone fed.
Whiny Brit plays the orphan challenge here:
Romance limits
Teens can date other teens, kiss and exchange promise rings. They can’t WooHoo, propose, marry or try for a baby without mods. If you want those storylines, see our page on the teen pregnancy mod, and check that any mod you use works with the current game version.
FAQ
Can teens live alone in The Sims 4 without mods?
Yes. Teens can live independently in the base game. No mods or cheats are needed.
Can children live alone?
No. A household needs at least one teen or older Sim. If the last one dies, the game ends for that household.
Can a teen get a full-time job?
No, only part-time jobs. Full-time careers open up when they age up to young adult. Want to skip ahead? Our guide to maxing skills helps them start adult life ready.
Do teens living alone still go to school?
Yes. School and homework work the same as when they live with parents.
Can a teen adopt?
Not children. With Cats & Dogs, a teen can adopt pets.