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Can you collect rent in jail in Monopoly?

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Did you land in jail and wonder if you can still earn money through collecting rent from your properties? 

Players don’t have to worry about landing directly on the jail square since they just “pay a visit” if they have not been sent to the jail. When they do, they can greet Jailbird, the characters behind bars on the monopoly board. 

Anytime a player is sent to jail, the player’s turn ends, but not all actions are put on hold.

Can you collect rent jail in Monopoly? Yes, you can collect rent in jail in Monopoly. While in jail, players still can collect the same amount of rent for their property. 

If players haven’t built any houses or hotels in properties of a color group they own, players can still collect twice the stated rent when they own all the properties to make a monopoly.

There are advantages and disadvantages to being locked in Monopoly jail, but this does not disqualify you from still collecting rent.

Jail in Monopoly limits some aspect of the gameplay, however there is still merit in regards to collecting rent. In this article, we are going to discuss frequently asked questions about how jail works and specific rules for collecting rent while in jail in Monopoly.

How does jail work in monopoly?

In Monopoly, you either “Go to jail,” or you are “Just visiting.” You can get sent to jail by landing on the Go to jail position or draw a card from Chance or Community Chest, otherwise you are just a visitor if you land on the Jail space during your turn without actually being sent to Jail.

When a player becomes jailed, which can result from landing on Go to Jail, rolling doubles three consecutive times, or drawing a chance card marked DIRECTLY to Jail, the player’s turn is suspended until the player rolls a double from jail or pay $50 to get out. 

If the player’s objective is to visit the jail space having not sent via the reason listed above, then nothing happens to that player. The jail space is referred to as safe space, and only a jailbird character is found there while you are “just visiting.”

When a player gets sent to jail, they are denied a salary equivalent to $200 in that turn because regardless of where the player piece or path is, they probably are sent directly to the jail without passing Go. 

Can you collect $200 if you pass Go before drawing a Chance card that sends you to Jail? If the player pass Go before they land on a chance card that sends them to jail, they will be able to collect their salary. 

There is a misconception on a monopoly game that a player cannot purchase, sell, participate in the auction, collect rent, collect mortgaged while in jail, but that’s a common misunderstanding. Buying property or even building houses and hotels can also be done from jail. 

However, players may have their own house rule preventing conduct of any business transactions while they are in jail.

If the player needs to get out of jail, the following action needs to happen.

  • Roll a double during any of their three subsequent turns. If the player can do so, they move forward depending on the number indicated by the throw. Note that a player can roll doubles, but the player cannot take another turn after being jailed.
  • Get a card of “GET OUT OF JAIL FREE,” which can be possessed by buying from another player at an agreed amount.
  • Pay a penalty fee of $50 to the bank. A player should do that before a dice is thrown, either during the first or second turn while in jail.

Do you pay rent if someone is in jail?

Yes, players still pay their rent to opponent player when they land on their properties despite being in jail. Even if players are in jail, they can buy and sell houses and hotels on the monopoly color group they own. 

In addition, they can collect rent on those houses and hotels for the same amount they collect when they are not in jail. Again, players are allowed to improve their properties by building and buying houses and hotels on them.

That implies the house earns exponential rents when opponent players land on them, and can even be collected when they are in jail.

A player might not have any house or hotel built on the property they own, but they can still collect as much amount as stated on the rent.

Monopoly rules for jail collect rent

Being in jail requires player to follow additional Monopoly rules to keep in the gameplay. Here are the following monopoly rules regarding rent collection while in the jail:

  • When a player is in jail, the player can purchase or sell properties, buy houses and collect rent earned by opponents landing on them.
  • Must pay rent to the jailed players when they land on properties the jailed player own.
  • A player is allowed to build and sell houses that earn rent on properties in a monopoly group. 
  • Players in jail collect the same amount of rent from houses and hotels of properties of any properties they own.
  • When players don’t have houses and hotels, but own all properties in that colored monopoly group, they earn double the amount of cash as stated on the rent.
Can you collect rent in jail in Monopoly

Collecting Rent from Jail: Conclusion 

There are many possibilities to end up in jail in Monopoly including when a player rolls a dice and lands on the Go to jail space, draws a Go Directly to Jail card, or rolls Doubles three consecutive times during their turn. 

Any player that gets sent to jail, can roll the doubles to get out, or else they cannot continue with their turn until they get themselves out by either paying a penalty of $50 dollars or trade a get out jail-free card for release. 

Players cannot land on properties while in jail, but they can still make deals, buy buildings, participate in property auctioning with other players, and collect rent from their property the same amount as when they were not in jail.

There are some limitations to being sent to jail, but most of the time you may get out of jail by simply paying for freedom. 

Getting thrown into jail doesn’t mean it is the end of the game. Understanding these Monopoly rules for how jail works can help you strategize the gameplay to get you closer to becoming a winner.

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