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Collecting rent in Monopoly is one of the most essential parts of the game. In fact, it is the core of the game. Collecting rent is the only reason we strive to buy properties on thriving spaces on the Monopoly board. We strategize, plan, and execute to collect rent from other players and ultimately make them bankrupt.
Monopoly would be impossible without rent. But there are rules guiding rents in Monopoly. There are rules you should know to take full advantage of them while collecting rent in Monopoly.
What are these rules? And how can they help you in your quest to conquer the Monopoly board? As you read, you will find several gems in this article that will help you play better on your next Monopoly game. Before we delve into the details, here are some quick facts about rent in Monopoly.
Quick Facts About Rent In Monopoly
- You can collect rent while in jail
- You can’t collect rent on mortgaged properties
- You lose rent if you don’t request when a player lands on your property
- You cannot carry rent over. You must pay immediately
- More houses and hotels mean higher rent
- When you complete a color set, you charge double the rent
- You can charge rent when a player lands on your property
- There are spaces on the board that don’t require rent
- Rent prices are on each property card
- You do not pay rent for properties still on the market
How Does Rent Work In Monopoly?
Monopoly rules ask players to pay rent when they land on properties owned by other players. The property owner is responsible for requesting rent from the player who lands on his property. However, the title deed of all properties carries the rent price for every property on the Monopoly board. Rent on a property doubles when the player completes its color set.
The game ends when players can not afford to pay rent for the properties they land on. The last player who remains with the most money wins the game.
Monopoly charges different amounts on rent depending on what you have done with your space. If you’ve built one house, the title deed tells you exactly how much you should charge for rent.
One sure thing is that the more development you have on your property, the more expensive your rent becomes. So, don’t expect to pay the same rent on a property throughout the game. Some properties that charge as low as $4 when you only own the site can later charge up to $350 when you build several houses.
How Should You Charge Rent in Monopoly?
You should charge rent when a player lands on your property. When this happens, draw out the property card belonging to the property the other player is on, check for the corresponding number of houses on the card, and charge the player you find on your property.
Make sure to collect your rent as soon as you can. If you don’t collect rent and the next player rolls, you’ve lost your rent because it’s past the players’ turn on your property.
If you worry about the game moving so fast, instantly mention that the player owes you rent, and other players would be happy to pause the game and wait for you to calculate your rent and get paid.
This rule opens ample opportunity for you to take advantage of other players. When you land on other players’ properties, you can simply and quickly pass the dice to the next player and hope they roll immediately before the property owner realizes. Could this be called cheating? Absolutely not! You’re just sneaky. Since you know this rent evasion strategy now, be aware that two can play. Other players may do the same to you when they land on your property. So be on alert.
How Is Rent Calculated In Monopoly?
There are several ways to calculate rent in Monopoly. You hinge the calculation on whether your properties are empty or if you own all properties on one color set and the number of houses on the property. The title deed of each property has a breakdown of how much you can charge depending on how developed they are.
Utilities like Water Works and Electric Company have other ways to calculate their rents.
What Does Rent With Color Set Mean In Monopoly?
All except two Monopoly properties have three spaces with the same color code. The exceptions have two properties with the same color code each. These odd two are the Brown Properties and the Dark Blue properties.
However, when you own all the properties of a color set, you may charge double the initial rent. The double charge occurs because you’ve worked so hard to buy all three properties, and they are recognized now as an estate. True, this doesn’t apply if you have any house on any of the properties of the same color set. Strategically, build houses on your property as soon as possible because rent is almost three times what you charge on empty spaces.
If you buy a hotel, you can easily bankrupt the other players. Remember that the more houses you own on a set of properties or property, the more rent you can charge when unfortunate opposing players land on them.
If, for example, you buy the brown properties, the rent charged can go up to $4, and $8 each when you own the complete set. However, when you build 3 houses, you can collect as high as $180 rent.
Properties are not the only spaces with extra advantages when you own multiple. Utilities and railroads offer a lot more rent when you own more of them.
For example, the rent charged on Electric Company and Water Works is usually 4X whatever appears on the dice. But, when you own both spaces, the number displayed on the dice must be multiplied by 10. That’s quite a leap.
The same goes for Railroads. When you own one railroad, you charge $25 rent. But when you own two, you charge $50 rent. If you eventually own all four railroads on the board, your rent ramps up to $200 for every opponent that lands on any of the four railroads. Can you see how beneficial owning properties of the same color set is?
There are enormous advantages to it. In addition, you get to build houses as soon as you want. According to the official Monopoly rulebook, building houses would be impossible if you don’t own the complete color set.
Can You Collect Rent While In Jail?
Yes, you can collect rent while in jail. If you ask for your rent, other players must pay up. However, if you forget to request your rent, you lose your rent just like every other player would. Some players believe that when you’re in jail, you should not collect rent, but they are incorrect. The official Monopoly rule book states that players can collect rent in Jail.
However, not collecting rent while in jail is a known house rule set up by individuals who believe that just sitting in Jail is not enough punishment for offenders.
Suggested read: Monopoly House Rules – Extra Fun To Your Game
The only restriction you suffer in jail is not having the freedom to move around the board. Aside from that, you can do everything any free player can, including buying houses, participating in auctions, and mortgaging properties.
The only problem with staying in jail is that you don’t get to acquire new properties because you don’t move around the board. However, there is an easy solution if you have enough money to outbid everyone on every auction and if players decide to auction in the first place.
In fact, I’ve realized that staying in jail can be advantageous sometimes, especially later in the game when many houses and hotels are on the board. This period is dangerous for everyone because rent on most properties is expensive. Because no one wants to pay these rents, staying confined in jail remains the best strategy.
One thing you have to remember is that you can’t remain in Jail forever. You can only stay in jail for three turns, so it cannot be a long-term strategy.
Can You Collect Rent On A Mortgaged Property?
You cannot collect rent on mortgaged properties. To understand why, you first need to know what mortgaged properties are. Mortgaged properties are spaces given to the bank in exchange for a loan.
Each property has a mortgage value of half the original cost. If you decide to mortgage your property, you cannot collect rent because it belongs to the bank till you pay your loan. According to the official Monopoly rule, you cannot collect rent on mortgaged properties.
However, if you mortgaged just one property out of the whole color set you own, you can still charge double if players land on others not mortgaged. They still count as a complete color set.
Suggested read: Monopoly Mortgage Rule- Everything Worth Knowing
You must also know that when you mortgage a property to the bank, it isn’t permanently gone. When you pay the bank back what you borrowed plus 10%, then you can get your property back. But if you cannot, the bank keeps your property for as long as you don’t pay.
Can You Collect Rent When You Declare Bankruptcy In Monopoly?
Declaring bankruptcy in Monopoly means the end of the game for you. Bankruptcy usually happens when you can no longer pay your debt to the bank or other players. After checking the monetary value of your properties, if they don’t equal your debt, you must declare bankruptcy.
When this happens, the player can no longer participate in the game or collect rent. All properties go to the player whose debt he is in or the bank. However, all houses and hotels must return to the bank.
What Happens If You Can’t Pay Rent In Monopoly?
If you can’t pay rent in Monopoly, meaning you’ve run out of money, declaring bankruptcy should be the last option you’re ready to explore. There are a few other things you can do. You can sell Get Out of Jail Free cards to raise some money. You can also make a deal with another player for a property they need that you may have. Making this deal would mean collecting enough money from them to settle your debt.
If the money raised from the above suggestions is insufficient, you can try selling your house to the bank, which will sell for half its original value. Of course, selling them comes before mortgaging because you cannot mortgage a property with houses.
If your debt persists, you need to start thinking of mortgaging your properties to the bank. Although this can be painful, it is not the end of the game for you. Monopoly is highly unpredictable. I mostly mortgage my properties to pay rent, but somehow, I win the game. So, even if things get this bad, keep going, and do not declare bankruptcy.
Suggested read: What Happens When You Run Out of Money in Monopoly
Do You Pay Rent When You Land On Your Property?
No, you don’t. When you land on your property, nothing happens. So whenever you land on a property you own, it’s more like you’ve landed on Free Parking. You neither pay rent nor land on your property before you build houses. No, landing on your property is simply enjoying life.
Monopoly Rent Prices
Below is the full table for rent prices for all properties on the UK Monopoly board game
| Property | Cost | Rent (site only) | Rent (color set) | Rent 1 House | Rent 2 Houses | Rent 3 Houses | Rent 4 House | Rent-Hotel |
| Old Kent Road | 60 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 30 | 90 | 160 | 250 |
| Whitechapel Road | 60 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 60 | 180 | 320 | 450 |
| The Angel Islington | 100 | 6 | 12 | 30 | 90 | 270 | 400 | 550 |
| Euston Road | 100 | 6 | 12 | 30 | 90 | 270 | 400 | 550 |
| Pentonville Road | 120 | 8 | 16 | 40 | 100 | 300 | 450 | 600 |
| Pall Mall | 140 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 150 | 450 | 625 | 750 |
| Whitehall | 150 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 150 | 450 | 625 | 750 |
| Northumberld’d Ave | 160 | 12 | 24 | 60 | 180 | 500 | 700 | 900 |
| Bow Street | 180 | 14 | 28 | 70 | 200 | 550 | 750 | 950 |
| Marlborough | 180 | 14 | 28 | 70 | 200 | 550 | 750 | 950 |
| Vine Street | 200 | 16 | 32 | 80 | 220 | 600 | 800 | 1000 |
| Strand | 220 | 18 | 36 | 90 | 250 | 700 | 875 | 1050 |
| Fleet Street | 220 | 18 | 36 | 90 | 250 | 700 | 875 | 1050 |
| Trafalgar Square | 240 | 20 | 40 | 100 | 300 | 750 | 925 | 1100 |
| Leicester Square | 260 | 22 | 44 | 110 | 330 | 800 | 975 | 1150 |
| Coventry Street | 260 | 22 | 44 | 110 | 330 | 800 | 975 | 1150 |
| Piccadilly | 280 | 24 | 48 | 120 | 360 | 850 | 1025 | 1200 |
| Regent Street | 300 | 26 | 52 | 130 | 390 | 900 | 1100 | 1275 |
| Oxford Street | 300 | 26 | 52 | 130 | 390 | 900 | 1100 | 1275 |
| Bond Street | 320 | 28 | 56 | 150 | 450 | 1000 | 1200 | 1400 |
| Park Lane | 350 | 35 | 70 | 175 | 500 | 1100 | 1300 | 1500 |
| Mayfair | 400 | 50 | 100 | 200 | 600 | 1400 | 1700 | 2000 |
For Railroads
| Property | Rent for owning 1 | Rent for owning 2 | Rent for owning 3 | Rent for owning 4 |
| Railroads | $25 | $50 | $100 | $200 |
What Is The Cheapest Rent in Monopoly?
The cheapest rent in Monopoly is the Brown properties that charge $2. There are no properties that pay less than the Brown properties. They are the least on the entire Monopoly board.
What Is The Highest Rent In Monopoly?
The Dark Blue properties charge the highest on the Monopoly board. In fact, one of the properties charges $50 for the site only, without houses.
How To Increase Rent In Monopoly
If you own a Monopoly property and intend to increase its rent, simply acquire the other properties of the same color set.
If another player owns the property, simply negotiate with them. Sometimes, you could pay money, or the player requests for a property he needs that you may have.
Rent For Electric Company In Monopoly
Rent for Electric Company and Water Works is usually 4X what the player rolls on the dice. So if a player rolls double six and lands on your Electric Company, you multiply 12 X 4. The player would have to pay $48.
However, if you own both Water Works and Electric Company, the rent is 10X what the player rolls on the dice. If he rolls double six and lands on either your Electric Company or Water Works, he must pay $120. It’s a clear and straightforward rule.
Is There Rent Immunity In Monopoly?
No. Monopoly doesn’t allow any rent immunity deals. However, you can set house rules to permit rent immunity. But beware that house rules like this only make the game last too long. Games where the official Monopoly rules are not respected are often long and exhausting.
