We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
We both know the end game of Monopoly starts when someone builds the first house. If I’m not the one who builds it, a certain dread builds up, and the race to build the next house begins. The Monopoly housing shortage problem amplifies this situation.
Yes, you heard right. There’s a limit to how many houses or hotels you can build. That’s the bad news. The good news is that you can use this to your advantage. In fact, it’s one of my best monopoly strategies.
This article will tell you all about it.
What is the Monopoly Housing Shortage?
“When the Bank has no houses to sell, players wishing to build must wait for some player to return or sell his or her houses to the Bank before building”
Monopoly Official Rules
This is a situation where all the houses available on the Monopoly board are used up. When this happens, the bank no longer allows you to build houses even if you have double the money.
The same thing applies to hotels. If all 12 hotels have been used up, no other person is allowed to build a hotel until one becomes available.
This is an official Monopoly rule that makes the game much more strategic. Of course, this can be a good or bad thing, depending on where you find yourself or the cards involved.
The Implications of the Monopoly Housing Shortage Rule
There are several implications of the Monopoly housing strategy rule. How it affects you depends on the context. We’ll try to cover it in detail in this section.
You are on the Offensive
This happens when you have the money, but there are simply no other houses to buy. This can lead to problems, especially if you don’t have other properties.
If others have all the properties, then your days are numbered. The cash you have available will surely dwindle as you make your way around the board. Your situation is almost untenable, especially if you don’t have any house rules in place.
Stuck With No Hotels
Another situation can be when you’re stuck with no hotel. The obvious drawback is that you cannot increase your rent. This can be a problem if your block of properties is on the least valuable side of the board.
Using the Monopoly Housing Shortage Rule to Your Advantage
The limitation of housing is a good factor to consider when planning your strategy. Here are some ways you can take advantage of it.
Releasing Houses
There are times when releasing houses might be a good idea. For example, where everyone has houses already, and you need to expand, it might be a good idea to swap your houses for a hotel and build them elsewhere.
Of course, as we shall see, there are other circumstances that have to be considered.
Holding onto Houses
If you’re the one with the most houses when there’s a lack of houses, you can choose to hold onto those houses. The trick here is to ensure that you get the maximum amount of houses on all possible properties.
By doing so, you deny your opponents the chance to level up. That gives you an even greater chance of winning the game, as you’ll be able to collect more rent than your opponent.
Buying Hotels
This really is interrelated with releasing houses. You have to pick the right moment to buy a hotel. Buy a hotel too soon, and you’ll give your opponents the chance to build houses.
This can especially be costly when your opponents have more blocks of property. If they do, you have to make the game as difficult as possible for them.
If you hold a significant amount of properties and your opponents have very little, it might be the right time to buy a hotel.
Chance and Community Chest Cards
When buying hotels or houses, keep in mind the cards that force you to perform maintenance on houses and hotels. Thus, you can spend a fortune and lose those houses in the process.
Keep this in mind if you want to use the Monopoly housing shortage as a strategy.
Getting Around the Monopoly Housing Shortage Rule
The monopoly housing shortage can be daunting. However, here are some ways to avoid it or simply fight against it.
Setting House Rules
The best way to get around this rule is by house rules. A house rule I have found useful is forcing players to buy hotels if someone else wants a house and they have the funds.
You could also simply just remove the 32-house rule. However, that might be a problem since there are literally only 32 houses in the Monopoly game.
The Auction Rule
If you feel your opponent wants to use the housing shortage rule as a strategy, the auction rule is the best way to counter it. This rule allows other opponents to force an auction by claiming they are also after the same house.
This forces your opponent to pick houses only when they are positive you cannot contest it. It also forces them to pay more for houses or hotels.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Monopoly Housing Shortage Rule
Can I Build a Hotel Directly When No Houses Are Available?
No, the Monopoly rule clearly states that you have to buy houses first before building a hotel. In fact, you have to buy houses in all blocks before you can upgrade.
For example, you have to buy 1 house each for every block first before upgrading to 2 houses. The numbers cannot be uneven.
Why is There a Limited Amount of Houses in Monopoly?
This is an official rule in Monopoly meant to quicken the game. It also forces players to be strategic when building houses or hotels.
How Many Houses and Hotels in Total Are in Monopoly?
There are 32 houses and 12 hotels in the game of Monopoly.
