Commonly Missed Monopoly® Rules

Everyone who has ever bought a Monopoly® game should have the rules, but because everyone seems to know about or have a game, very few actually sit down to read the rules. The rules are actually pretty clear, but a few get overlooked. Here are the ones that most folks don't know about.

Buildings

There are 32 houses and 12 hotels in a Monopoly® set and that's it. Once these are used up you cannot buy any more. This can be used to an advantage. If someone buys up the last of the houses than no more building can occur. This includes hotels.
 

When you sell houses or hotels back to the bank you only get half of what you paid for them.
 

You can buy and sell buildings, or conduct any other business, at any point in the game. You don't have to wait for your turn. However, this business should be conducted between roles of the dice, with a brief "time out" being called.
 

Auctions

If you decide you do not want to buy a property you land on, it is immediately auctioned by the bank. One way or another the bank gets rid of it. Regardless of price, the property is sold to the highest bidder.
 

Cards

Once a "Chance" or "Community Chest" card is drawn, it is placed, face down, on the bottom of the deck (unless it is a "Get Out of Jail Free" card). The deck is never reshuffled during the game. It is fun when the cards have gone around once and you have an idea of what cards are coming up. This is especially true in the later stages of the game if you know one of the "building repair" cards are coming up and there are lots of houses and hotels about. Drawing cards then begins to resemble a game of Russian Roulette.
 

Income Tax

Income tax is calculated from total net worth, including property and buildings, not just cash on hand. You must decided whether to pay the 10% or the $200 before you count up what you have.
 

The Bank

The bank will not except anything from players except cash, houses, and hotels, with buildings worth only half their purchase price. Money can be raised by mortgaging properties. The bank cannot take back property. If a player happens to go bankrupt to the bank, the bank must immediately auction all of that player's properties. The bank, or any other player, cannot loan money to another player.
 

Going Into Debt

Quite simply, You can't! Once your assets are down to zero (or less) you are bankrupt and out of the game. You can get a "loan" from the bank in the form of mortgaging.
 

Jail

A player can collect rent or conduct any other business when in jail, just like Al Capone did.
 

If you do not roll doubles on your third turn in jail then you must pay the $50 fine.
 

Mortgages

When you bring property out of mortgage you must pay 10% interest.
 

If you obtain mortgage property from another player you must pay the 10% interest immediately, whether or not you take it out of mortgage. If you bring the property out of mortgage at a later time a further 10% is still applied. This additional interest can be avoided by bringing the properties out of mortgage immediately.
 

Trades

Under no circumstances can players loan money to each other, nor can houses or hotels be transferred from one player to another. Buildings must be sold back to the bank for one-half of their purchase price, and purchased by the other player at the appropriate value for the properties they will be built upon. Player are free to exchange properties (provided they do not contain buildings), cash or "Get Out of Jail Free" cards in trades. Players cannot trade "immunity" for fines when landing on other player's properties.
 

Free Parking

Nothing happens on "Free Parking". No money collects here. It's exactly what the name says - free parking.
 

However, if you have the Stock Exchange option, Free Parking becomes the Stock Exchange.
 

GO

You do not get $400 if you land on "GO". You just get your regular salary of $200.

This page is based on this page:

http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/7111/rules.htm

I've added some commentary of my own, and done some editing.

The collection showcased on this site has been sold.

The MONOPOLY® trademark and its logo, the distinctive design of the game board, each of the distinctive element of the board including the four corner squares, Rich Unlce Pennybags, and the playing pieces are trademarks of Hasbro, Inc., for its real estate trading game and game equipment. © 1935, 1936, 1998, 199, 2000 Hasbro, Rhode Island, U.S.A. Chris Mospaw, or anyone related with this site is not related to Hasbro or Parker Brothers. All other items, including content and the basic layout and design of this site are © 1997, 1998, 1999 Chris Mospaw.