Probably Stolen: How to Make Money & Cover Rent
Keep Sunday rent and the Business Permit as cash, not inventory value. Grow margin through appraisal, water and careful bargains, then decide between a cash deed and the Loan Shark mortgage.
On this page
Protect rent before chasing upgrades
- 01
Read the next Sunday bill
The landlord collects on days 7, 14, 21 and later Sundays. On Mark Up, opening rent is commonly listed at 200 Credits and rises about 5% each cycle; other difficulties use different rates.
- 02
Treat inventory as not-yet-cash
Unsold stock cannot pay rent. Separate operating cash from a buyout target so a big machine purchase does not silently spend the week’s bill.
- 03
Budget the Business Permit
On Mark Up the Trade Board Official’s permit is listed at 1,500 Credits (other difficulties differ). Keep that fee beside rent so Lou and legal-operation events do not surprise you mid-week.
- 04
Use Rent Grace only as a bridge
Community research: missing rent without grace can end the run. Grace carries the debt into the next higher bill; it is not free money.
Income routes that scale with evidence
| Route | What to do | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Counter trading | Buy below catalog value, sell with markup; use the Bargain panel when the margin still covers rent. | Mis-appraisal and heated goods create later investigations. |
| Water batches | Test → treat → retest → label; start small after the 1.0.0.2 purifier change. | Demo formulas and overnight setups can waste filters. |
| Appraisal commissions | Inspect seals, condition and markings before paying asking prices. | Commission rates are not published as a fixed percentage here. |
| Dumping Grounds | After-hours salvage can seed inventory when cash is tight. | Not every haul is valuable; backpack space still matters. |
| Production recipes | Evaporator, Chem Finisher, farming and printers turn inputs into higher-value outputs. | Power, modules and chip requirements gate profit. |
Routes summarise community and preview reports. None of them promise a fixed Credits-per-day figure.
Turn profit into ownership
On Mark Up, community deed tables list 12,000 Credits through day 50, then a daily rise toward a 17,000 cap. Harder difficulties cost more. Check the Calendar price in your save before copying another run.
The Loan Shark mortgage (early Mark Up example: 2,000 down, 930 weekly for 12 weeks) replaces rent with installments. Take it only if weekly income after supplies covers the payment; missing installments can lead to repossession.
Pair this page with the buy-shop guide for the landlord dialogue itself, and with the price table when you need catalog baselines for stock decisions.
What this page will not invent
There is no universal “best first week” spreadsheet that survives every opening perk and difficulty. Record your own rent, permit timing and batch costs.
Cheats, trainers and infinite-money mods are outside this guide’s scope.
Common questions
How do I make money fast in Probably Stolen?
Protect rent first, then stack margin from appraisal and trading. Water and production help once you can finish batches without spending the Sunday reserve.
How much is rent?
Read the landlord’s quote in your save. Community Mark Up figures start near 200 Credits and rise each Sunday; difficulty and lease perks change the bill.
Should I mortgage or save for a cash buyout?
Cash buyout suits a shop already close to the deed price. Mortgage helps when you can sustain weekly installments but would otherwise wait much longer to hit the full amount.
Sources & version notes
Community rent/deed research & official buyout ending. Sources reviewed October 30, 2026. This guide does not claim an independent in-game test.
- ProbablyStolenDB: rent, deed and mortgage
Difficulty tables for rent growth, deed prices, mortgage and Business Permit.
- ProbablyStolen.store: rent and cash reserves
Planning method separating rent, obligations and buyout savings.
- Official full-release announcement
Shop ownership ending with run statistics.
- Our buy-shop guide
Landlord buyout dialogue and Demo difference.