My own thoughts about this housing system.

[Penthea]

They've said the number of available apartments can be easily expanded as demand increased so number isn't an issue. Every character could have an apartment if the player wanted their characters to have them.

The issue is the number of players ignoring apartments while demanding more houses. SE needs to address why players are ignoring apartments if an expanded instanced housing system is going to work.

Well that's easy. They're tiny and have zero outdoor space so you can't crossplant or use outdoor decor. I remember being intensely disappointed to find out they're identical to fc rooms and had no balcony. Also fcs cannot use them, so even if an individual is okay with an apartment it's not a solution for fcs.

It would be cool if they allowed players to expand their own apartments. For example you could pay a fee to get extra floors, a larger balcony, or even turn it into a penthouse.