House rules are also regarded as “casual rules” determined by the household and are not official Monopoly game rules that count in tournament gameplay.
In a game of Monopoly, there are many occasions when the house rules differ from the official rules. Although some of these rules have been incorporated into the main monopoly rulebook since 2014, others haven’t and it is important for the rules to be agreed upon by all players before the game begins.
The major monopoly house rules we are going to look at include:
- Cash from free parking
- Landing on Go
- Snake Eyes
- Rents and auctions
- Traveling Railroads
- Trades and negations
- Property improvements
House rules are intended to add flare and variation to the gameplay. Experiment with a few until you find the custom set of rules that you want to use in your household.
Cash from Free Parking
It’s one of the most common house rules used in a monopoly game. The rule allows a pool of cash located in the middle of the board that is paid out to the player that lands on Free Parking.
The official rules state that Free Parking is space where no actions are required, but many households start with up to $500 bonus, and also pay and fines, fees or taxes into the pot for added excitement.
Landing on Go
Is it necessary to reward players when they land on Go? Some household believe so and give an extra $200 as a bonus, so instead the player gets a total of $400 when they land on Go.
It can either be through a roll of dice or by drawing an Advance to Go card from the Chance cards. Take that extra bonus and continue making our way around the board!
Snake Eyes
Some people view “snake eyes” as a luck charm, so why not pay a bonus for them? Snake eyes are when a player rolls a one on both dice, it looks like eyes, right?
Not only do you get an extra turn for rolling doubles, but you can win a cash payment from $100 to $500. With that extra money you can go on a buying spree with the bonus roll you get for the doubles, but be careful you don’t roll 3 doubles in a row otherwise your headed straight to Jail!
Rents and Auctions
Some house rules allow auction rules and others don’t. Other house rules prevent the players from collecting rent in jail, and others allow it.
Some house rules state that a player doesn’t need to pay rent when they land on a property if they roll a double since they are not staying there for long. These are rules that must be agreed upon before the game gets underway.
Traveling Railroads
Can you move from one Railroad to another in Monopoly? Some household say yes, while the official rules do not allow transportation between Railroads.
The traveling Railroads rules is quite easy to understand. When you land on a Railroad, you may travel to another Railroad that you own.
Even if you don’t own the Railroad that you landed on, just pay rent and move over to another Railroad that you own. However, you do not get $200 if you pass Go, but you do get to zip around quite quickly and avoid a dangerous section on the board.
Trades and Negations
The official rules state that no player can trade properties with houses or hotels. Therefore, the buildings must sell to the bank before the transaction can take place.
You can trade mortgaged properties, however the new owner must repay the mortgage along with the 10% interest.
Furthermore, trades can be made even if it’s not the player’s turn as long as both parties agree.
Property Improvements
The house rule states that a player should improve the properties they land on to collect more rent. Again, a player can only buy houses if they own a monopoly of a certain colored group, and houses should be placed evenly on those properties.
Some house rules give players the power to build houses in an uneven fashion. As a result, a property can have four houses while another property in the same monopoly on has one house.
House Rules in Monopoly: Conclusion
It is common to have a customized set of rules for playing your favorite tabletop games. Here we have discussed a few house rules for playing Monopoly with your friends and family.
It is important to recognize that house rules are not official and cannot be used in a tournament setting. Furthermore, some player may not agree to all the rules and a common opinion must be formed before the game begins.
These are some of our favorite house rules for Monopoly, but what are the Monopoly house rules that your friends and family love to incorporate? Share with us int he comments below and we will add them to this article!