How to play Monopoly Rules

We explain the official Monopoly rules in simple steps to help start your game quickly.

Players: 2 to 8 | Game duration from: 60 mins | Game Complexity: EASY How to play Monopoly rules in simple steps Monopoly rules pdf / rulebook [amazon box=”‎B01MU9K3XU”]

Setting up Monopoly Rules

• Put Chance, and Community Chest cards face down on the board spaces.
• Each player chooses a token
• Players throw dice. The player with the highest roll starts play.
• Place tokens on GO.

Distribute starting money to players

• Each player gets $1500
  • 2 $500
  • 2 $100
  • 2 $50
  • 6 $20
  • 5 $10
  • 5 $5
  • 5 $1

All the remaining money goes to the bank.

Select a Banker

• Select a player to be the Banker, who will also be the auctioneer.
• The Player will keep his money separate from the bank’s money

The Bank

• holds Title Deed cards, houses and hotels prior to purchase
• pays salaries and bonuses
• sells and auctions properties, sells houses and hotels
• loans money to players when they mortgage their properties

Monopoly Rules in Simple Steps

How to Play Monopoly Rules in simple steps. In Monopoly, players take turns moving around the gameboard to buy, sell and rent properties. Your goal is to be the wealthiest player.

Total Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes

On your turn, throw dice and move

When your turn, throw the dice.
Move token in the direction of arrow and the number of spaces shown on the dice.
Take appropriate action based on the space you land.
Take other actions, if applicable, like buying houses/hotels (see houses/hotels rules).
After movement is completed, turn passes to left.
Tokens remain on spaces till the next turn.
Multiple tokens can rest on the same space

Throwing doubles

Move as usual. Player gets to throw again and move.
If you throw doubles 3 times in succession, MOVE YOUR TOKEN IMMEDIATELY TO JAIL space.

Passing or Landing on GO

Each time you land on pass “GO” space, Banker gives you $200 salary.
If you land on Community Chest/Chance space and draw a “Advance to Go” card, you get $200 again

Landing and buying Unowned Property Space

You can buy that property from the Bank at its printed price.
If you buy it, place Title Deed card faceup in front of you
If you do not buy, the Banker sells it at auction to the highest bidder.
The winning bidder pays the Bank the winning bid amount.
Any player may bid and bidding starts at any price

Landing and Paying Rent on Owned Property Space

Pay rent when you land on property owned by another player.
The amount is printed on Title Deed card.
No rent is collected if the property is MORTGAGED.
If all Title Deed cards in a colour-group are owned by a player, DOUBLE RENT is charged. The rule applies even if another property in the colour-group is MORTGAGED.
You cannot collect rent if you fail to ask for it before the next player rolls the dice.

Landing on Chance or Community Chest Space

Land on this space and take the top card from the indicated deck.
Follow instructions on the card.
If you pick a “Get out of Jail Free” card, it can be held until used.
It can also be sold to another player at an agreed price to both

Landing on Income Tax

You can pay $200 to the bank, or pay 10% of your total worth to the Bank. Your total worth is: all your cash on hand, mortgaged and unmortgaged properties, cost price of all buildings you own.
You must decide which option before you add up your total worth

Becoming bankrupt from owing another player

If you have not enough money to pay another player, you become bankrupt.
If you own houses or hotels, return to the bank in exchange for money (1/2 amount paid for them).
Hand over to that player all you have of value and retire from the game.
The new owner of the mortgaged property must pay 10% interest of the value of the property, the new owner may lift the mortgage or do this at a later time but will have to pay additional 10% interest when lifting mortgage

Becoming bankrupt when owing to the bank

Turn over all assets to the Bank. Bank immediately auctions off all property taken, except buildings. Bankrupt player retires

Winning in Monopoly

Be the last player left in the game who has not retired (richest).

Landing in Jail

You land in Jail in Monopoly when:

1. your token lands on “Go to Jail”
2. you draw a card “Go to Jail”
3. you throw doubles 3 times in a row

When in Jail

• you cannot collect $200 in that move
• move directly to Jail and your turn ends
• if you are not sent to Jail but land in the space after moving, you are “Just Visiting”. There is no penalty and you move in the next turn normally

Getting out Jail

1. Throwing doubles on any of the next 3 turns. If you succeed, move forward the number of spaces your doubles throw shows. You do not take another turn after that.
2. Use “Get Out of Jail Free” card
3. Purchase from another player and play the “Get Out of Jail Free” card
4. Pay a fine of $50 before you roll the dice on either of the next 2 turns

If you don note throw doubles by 3rd turn, you must pay $50 and you get out of Jail immediately and move the number of spaces thrown

You can buy and sell property, buy and sell houses/hotels and collect rent while in Jail.

Houses and Hotels

Buying Houses

• You can buy houses when you own all properties in a colour-group
• If you buy 1 house, you can put it on 1 of your properties
• The next house bought for this colour group must be placed on 1 of the unimproved properties of this colour group
• The price you pay is shown on the Title Deed card
• The owner still collects double rent from another player who lands on unimproved properties of the colour-group
• You may buy houses anytime if you can afford it, but houses must be built EVENLY. A property can’t have more than 1 house until all properties in the colour group have a house.
• You must also sell evenly if you sell houses back to the bank

Buying Hotels

• When you have 4 houses on each property of a colour-group, you may buy a hotel
• You return the 4 houses and pay the price of the hotel as shown on Title Deed card
• Only one hotel per property may be built

Building shortages

• When the Bank runs out of houses, players must wait for someone to return or sell their houses to the bank before building
• If 2 or more players wish to buy a limited number of houses or hotels, they are sold to the highest bidder

Selling property

• Unimproved properties, railroads and utilities can be sold to any player as a private sale for any agreed amount between the 2 parties
• Property cannot be sold if there are buildings on the property of that colour group
• Any buildings must be sold back to the Bank before the owner can sell the property of the colour-group
• Houses and Hotels are sold back to the bank at 1/2 the price paid for them
• All houses on one colour-group must be sold one by one, evenly
• All hotels in one colour-group may be sold at once or sold one house at a time (1 hotel equals 5 houses)

Mortgaging your property

• Unimproved properties can be mortgaged through the bank
• All buildings on the property of a colour group must be sold to the bank before it can be mortgaged.
• The mortgage value is printed on the Title Deed card.
• No rent can be collected when mortgaged
• To lift the mortgage, the owner must pay the Bank the amount of the mortgage plus 10% interest.
• The player who mortgages property still retains possession and other players can’t secure it by lifting the mortgage from the bank. The player, may, however, sell his mortgaged property to another player.
• The new owner may lift the mortgage by paying off the mortgage plus 10% interest
• If the new owner does not pay off the mortgage, they must pay the bank 10% interest and pay an additional 10% when they lift the mortgage.
• The player is declared bankrupt when they owe more than they can pay either to another player or bank
• If the debt is to another player, you must hand over all you have of value to that player and retire from the game.
• If you own houses or hotels, return to the bank in exchange for money (1/2 amount paid for them)
• The new owner of the mortgaged property must pay 10% interest on the property’s value. The new owner may lift the mortgage or do this later but will have to pay an additional 10% interest when lifting the mortgage.

Loans

• You can’t borrow or lend money to other players
• Money can only be borrowed from the bank through mortgaging of property

Monopoly FAQs

Related Links

Monopoly Rules Book

How to Play Monopoly and Review Videos

Game Strategy and Tips

Winning Strategy for Monopoly

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