Safehouses on Project Zomboid multiplayer servers

A safehouse claim ties one building to one owner and a list of members. On its own, the claim protects nothing. It simply marks the building so the server can apply the protection options the host turned on: keeping outsiders out, stopping them taking items, shielding the building from fire, letting members respawn there, and keeping loot from respawning inside. With every option left at its default, a claim protects very little, so read the server rules before you count on it.

Claims exist only on multiplayer games, either a hosted game or a dedicated server. Single-player has no claim menu. If you are new to servers, start with the multiplayer guide, and see the co-op guide for playing with a small group of friends.

Claiming has to be switched on by the server. With PlayerSafehouse on, any player can claim. With AdminSafehouse on, only admins can. Both are off by default, and with both off nobody can claim at all. Sources describe these two options slightly differently, so check the tooltip on your server.

To claim a building:

1. Survive the number of in-game days set by SafehouseDaySurvivedToClaim (0 by default, so no wait).
2. Pick a residential building such as a house or apartment. Shops, warehouses and other non-residential buildings are refused unless the host turns on SafehouseAllowNonResidential.
3. Clear it. Any zombie or other player inside, upper floors included, blocks the claim.
4. Stand on an inside floor tile, right-click and choose Claim Safehouse.

A claim also fails if the building is a player spawn point, overlaps another safehouse, or is involved in a faction war. You can belong to only one safehouse at a time, so release or quit your old one first.

The owner manages everything from View Safehouse in the right-click menu. From there you can:

• add a connected player to the allowed list (they cannot already belong to another safehouse),
• remove a member,
• hand ownership to another member,
• rename the safehouse, which matters because admin commands find it by its title,
• tick Respawn in Safehouse, if the server allows it,
• use Release Safehouse to give the claim up.

A member who wants out uses Quit Safehouse. Members also get a safehouse chat channel, /sh.

What outsiders can do depends entirely on the server options. At the defaults, non-members can walk in, take items and set fires, so the claim keeps very little out. Hosts who want real protection turn trespass, loot and fire off.

Protection is not total. Sledgehammer destruction is a separate option, AllowDestructionBySledgehammer (on by default), and SledgehammerOnlyInSafehouse limits sledgehammer use to your own safehouse. Doors and windows still need real defenses against zombies, so see barricades and the sledgehammer page. The game file spells the trespass option "Trepass", so type it that way.

Hosts set these in the server's .ini file or in the in-game admin panel under server options. Setup steps are on the hosting a server page. Defaults below come from Build 42 server files as reported by hosting guides.

Respawn needs three things together: the server option on, the character still an owner or member, and the respawn box ticked in View Safehouse. See death for what you keep.

Inactive safehouses: SafeHouseRemovalTime counts real hours, not game days. Most sources give 144 hours (six days), but one Build 42 server guide lists 1440 (one source), and sources also disagree on whether the whole claim is dropped or only members who stopped visiting. Check your own server file. Loot respawn generally is covered on the respawn page.

Safehouse options do not switch PvP off. The sources checked for this page do not say that players are protected from PvP damage inside a claim, so treat a safehouse as a property rule, not a combat shield. Admins can mark separate Non-PvP zones from the admin panel. Build 42 also adds faction wars: once a war is accepted, safehouse protection is suspended for the groups involved until it ends. The War option is off by default; when on, WarStartDelay (600 seconds) and WarDuration (3600 seconds) (one source) set the timing.

Admins with the right to set up safehouses can use these chat commands:

These are most useful for clearing abandoned claims and settling disputes.

Opinion Read the server's options before choosing. On a server with trespass and loot left on, the claim is mostly a name tag, and a quiet, out-of-the-way house protects you better than any setting. On a protected server, pick for the long term:

• A house with few ground-floor windows is easier to secure. Ideas are on the base locations page.
• Stay away from spawn points and busy town centers, where claims are refused or crowded.
• Look for a yard with room for farming, rain collectors and a generator.
• If the server allows non-residential claims, a warehouse holds more storage, but it is harder to clear.
• Visit regularly, or ask an admin before a long break, so the removal timer does not wipe your claim.

For building out the claim, see base building.