After Maris freezes Niles’ assets, he’s forced to sublet his luxurious apartment and move into a “low-rent” complex.

Having made it clear to Maris that their marriage is over, Niles incurs his estranged wife’s wrath: she repossesses his car and cuts him off financially. Struggling to pay his mounting legal bills, Niles realizes that he’ll have to move out of his expensive apartment and look for a cheaper place. Frasier offers to put Niles up until he can find a new home.

It doesn’t take long for Niles to disrupt the lives of everyone at Frasier’s condo, and his noisy bedtime rituals even cause Frasier to oversleep and miss a big job interview. Worse yet, Frasier learns from Roz that Niles hasn’t been apartment hunting for two weeks because he can’t afford anything he likes. Frasier decides to spearhead Niles’ search.

The only vacancy within Niles’ price range is at the Shangri-La, a dreary apartment complex. At first, Niles is appalled by his rundown unit with its Murphy bed and dingy furnishings, but he has no choice and moves in. A few days later, Martin and Frasier visit Niles, who’s so desperate to get out of the Shangri-La that he decides to call Maris and beg for her to take him back. But as soon as Niles hears her voice, he realizes that his grimy living quarters are a small price to pay for his freedom from Maris.