Adding extra rules to your game of Monopoly can be a great idea or an awful one, depending on the rules that you choose.
A few years ago, Hasbro even added some house rules to the classic game, before hastily removing them again.
So, read on to discover which house rules will make the best addition to your next game of Monopoly…
Common house rules for Monopoly you could try:
- Fines are collected at Free Parking – whoever lands on the space claims the money
- Double money ($400) for landing exactly on Go
- Unable to collect money while in Jail
- Collect $500 if you roll snake-eyes (double one)
- Three players in a row on three unique properties = everyone gets $500
- Co-ownership of properties
- Place half the bank’s cash on the board and then scramble to collect what you can
- Moms always get out of Jail free
- Complete a full loop of the board before you can buy property
- You can build on incomplete sets
Be aware that most house rules will slow down a game of Monopoly.
What Are House Rules?
In Monopoly, house rules are extra rules that are added to make the game more fun. An example is collecting double money when you land on the Go space rather than passing it. Adding some house rules can be a fun way to spice up your game of Monopoly and make it more interesting.
Oftentimes, people will play the game using house rules without realizing that these aren’t in the official rulebook. That’s because, according to Hasbro, 68% of Americans have never actually read the Monopoly rules!
A word of warning – Using house rules can really slow down your game and some unofficial rules like lending each other cash could even make it impossible for the game to ever end!
Using house rules is the most common reason why Monopoly takes too long. But, there are some house rules that can actually speed up the game.
So, read on for some fun house rules to try the next time you play Monopoly.
Fun Monopoly House Rules To Try
1. Free Parking Cash
“All taxes and fees are collected in the middle of the game board. If you land on Free Parking you can collect all the money from the middle of the board.“
Many people are surprised to hear that the Free Parking Cash rule isn’t in the official rules. Actually, Free Parking is meant to be a rest space where nothing happens.
Here are some more unofficial Free Parking rules to try: Alternative Free Parking Rules.
2. Double Money For Landing on Go
“When you land on the Go space you get $400 instead of $200.“
According to the official Monopoly rules, you receive $200 each time you pass Go or land on it. If you land right on Go, you only get $200. You don’t then get another $200 when you move off it as you can only collect the money once on each trip around the board.
3. Can’t Collect Rent in Jail
“When in jail, a player cannot collect any rent money from other players.“
According to the official Monopoly rules, you can still collect any rent that you are owed when people land on your properties while you’re in jail. But shouldn’t going to jail be a punishment?
If you think so, then adding this house rule could make the game seem a little fairer. It also encourages people to get out of jail ASAP because it’s not the safe haven that the classic rules make it out to be.
Find out what else you can and can’t do in jail here: Monopoly Jail Rules Explained.
4. Snake Eyes
“If you roll Snake Eyes (double one) you can collect $500.“
Ordinarily, rolling snake eyes doesn’t get you anything. But this fun house rule can be a real game-changer with the possibility of earning large sums of money at random.
In the Monopoly Plus video game, you can set a house rule to get $1000 for rolling snake eyes. So really, the bonus amount can be anything you want it to be, so long as you all agree at the start.
Here are seven more rules regarding rolling doubles in Monopoly: Rolling Doubles Rules.
5. Three’s A Crowd
“If there are three players in a row on three unique properties then each player gets an extra $500.”
Some people count every space when playing this extra rule, but some only count the colored property squares. Either way is fine, just be sure to clarify before you begin.
This is a fun house rule to add to your Monopoly game. If you only have three or four people playing, it doesn’t happen very often, though. So you’ll need to concentrate to make sure that you don’t forget to claim the extra cash when it’s due.
6. Co-Ownership
“Players can make loans between each other to co-own properties. Who collects rent money is determined amongst the new property owners!“
If you don’t have enough to buy Boardwalk you might think it’s a good idea to split to cost with a friend and share it between you. But in reality, this silly rules just makes the game extra complicated as you have to remember who owns how much of each property.
Try this rule if you like, but honestly, you’re just asking for an argument with this one!
7. Break The Bank
“At the start of the game, leave half the money in the bank and mix up the other half of the money in the center of a board. On the count of 3, every player grabs what they can!”
Nope, nope, nope! I don’t know about you, but I like to take care of my Monopoly sets. Inviting everyone to snatch cash is a recipe for torn bills.
Plus, half of the money from the bank is gone, which is just way too much! Here’s how much money you should actually start with: Monopoly Starting Money.
8. Mum’s the Word
“Mum always gets out of jail free. Always. No questions asked. She’s just that special.”
Being a mum myself, I do kind of like this rule, but I’m sure that my family wouldn’t!
In the Ms. Monopoly game, women get more money at the start of the game and and more for passing go. While this game was meant to embody a positive message about female empowerment, I think it’s sexist.
And the same goes for this rule. I just don’t think it’s helpful to portray women as needing special advantages to succeed.
9. Go Around The Board Before Buying
“Players must complete one lap of the board before they can begin buying properties.”
According to the official Monopoly rules, you can begin buying property from your first roll. You do not need to take a lap of the board first.
The aim of this rule is to make the game a little fairer by ensuring that whoever goes first doesn’t get too much of an advantage.
While it can be annoying if you spend your first few turns landing on things that others have already bought, it’s even more annoying if it takes you absolutely ages to get around the board because you get sent to jail repeatedly.
This rule is sure to make the game last longer and it isn’t really needed.
10. Building on Incomplete Sets
“Players do not have to own a complete set of properties before they start to build houses.”
According to the official rules of Monopoly, you must own a complete color set before you can build houses.
I’ve played this house rule many times on Monopoly Plus on the Xbox and it’s pretty good. One thing to be aware of though is that is completely changes the strategies you need to win. Suddenly, each individual propery isn’t worth so much, so you won’t want to pay much more than half the asking price at auction.
Rather than buying up most colors, you’ll want to pick just a couple of the best properties and buy them. Which are those? They’re listed here: The Best Monopoly Properties to Buy.
The Monopoly House Rules Edition
In 2014, Hasbro ran a marketing campaign called ‘The Great Monopoly House Rules Debate’. Fans were encouraged to debate the pros and cons of various house rules on the Monopoly Facebook page.
This video explains all…
Five house rules were chosen to be included in future editions of the board game. These were:
- FROZEN ASSETS: No rent collection while in jail
- DASH FOR THE CASH: $400 (instead of the traditional $200) for landing on Go
- FREE PARKING, FAST CASH: If you land on free parking, collect all the money from taxes and fees
- SEE THE SIGHTS: Players must complete one full circuit around the board before buying properties
- LUCKY ROLLER: Collect $500 for rolling Snake Eyes (double ones)
The new rules were included in a Monopoly House Rules Edition that was produced in 2015.
However, soon afterwards, Hasbro removed all mention of the house rules from its games. I have a Classic Monopoly game that was made in 2017 with a rule book specifically states not to use any house rules!
The Monopoly House Rules Edition is pretty rare, but collectors may be able to find one on eBay. It comes with special cards that list the five house rules. But really, these aren’t needed as you can use any house rules that you like.
Final word
Have some of these house rules surprised you?
Maybe you thought some of them were the official rules of the game. There are, after all, a lot of common rules that everyone playing Monopoly gets wrong.
The Free Parking one, and completing a loop of the board, are some of those that people are often convinced are standard. They aren’t, and while they might be fun Monopoly rules to use, they will make games feel slower.
