Monopoly Rules Explained: The Rules Everyone Gets Wrong

Monopoly takes four hours in most houses because most houses play it wrong. Played by the actual rules it takes about ninety minutes.

Here are the rules people get wrong, and what the rulebook really says.

The five rules everyone gets wrong

• Free parking pays nothing. There is no jackpot of fines and tax in the middle of the board. This house rule alone is why games last four hours.
• If you land on an unowned property and don't buy it, it goes to auction immediately - open to every player, starting at any price. Skipping auctions is the second reason games drag.
• You can't collect rent while you're in jail? You can. Jail stops you moving, not earning.
• Houses are limited. There are 32 houses and 12 hotels in the box, and when they run out, they run out. You can genuinely block opponents by buying up houses.
• You must build evenly across a colour set - no three houses on one property and none on another.

Getting out of jail

• Pay £50 before rolling, use a Get Out of Jail Free card, or roll a double.
• You get three attempts to roll a double. On the third failed attempt you pay £50 and move anyway.
• You still collect rent and can still trade while in jail.

Money, mortgages and trading

• You start with £1,500 in the UK edition.
• You can mortgage property for half its price, and unmortgaging costs the mortgage plus ten per cent interest.
• You can't collect rent on a mortgaged property, and you must sell buildings back to the bank at half price before mortgaging.
• Trades can include money, property and Get Out of Jail Free cards. You cannot trade immunity from rent - that's a house rule.
• Landing on Go pays £200, not £400. Doubling it is another house rule.

How the game ends

• Officially: the last player left when everyone else is bankrupt wins.
• The rulebook also allows a time limit - agree a finish time, then everyone totals cash, property at face value, mortgaged property at half, and buildings at purchase price. Richest player wins.
• Agree which ending you're using before you start. This is the single best thing you can do for a Monopoly game.

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How to write it so it lands

• Agree the house rules out loud before the first roll.
• Run the auctions. It's the fastest way to shorten the game.
• Set a finish time and use the official scoring if the table won't last to a bankruptcy.

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Frequently asked questions

Do you get money for landing on free parking in Monopoly?

No. Free parking is a rest square and pays nothing. The jackpot of fines and taxes is a house rule, and it's the main reason games last so long.

What happens if you don't buy a property in Monopoly?

It goes straight to auction, and any player can bid from any starting price - including you. The bank never simply keeps it.

How long should a game of Monopoly take?

Played with auctions and no free parking jackpot, about 90 minutes with four players. House rules are what turn it into a four-hour game.

Can you collect rent in jail in Monopoly?

Yes. Being in jail stops you moving around the board, but you still collect rent and can still trade.

Do you sell board games?

No. We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, so these picks are simply what we'd recommend to a friend. The cards on this page are ours.