To increase a working rate of a rolling mill, to reduce a production cost and to increase a yield by rolling with a tension load ratio between a front side and a back side at least in a last finish pass controlled to a specified value or higher.

A proof stress of a material to be rolled is grasped from a tension tester, etc., by adjusting a torque of a coiling reel to coil a steel strip and a recoiling reel to recoil the steel strip, etc., of a multi-stage rolling mill, a tension of a front side and a back side is controlled, rolling is conducted under a front side/back side tension load ratio of ≥0.5 or preferably ≥0.6, where the tension load ratio is the value of a tension at a front side or a back side divided by a proof stress of a material to be rolled. The stainless steel strip 1 is rolled with a pair of small diameter work rolls 2, 2' which are supported by upper/lower two pairs of four intermediate rolls 3a, 3a', 3b, 3b', the intermediate rolls are supported by upper/lower three pairs of back up rolls divided into six parts.