Mobile Home Park Act Updates

The act makes various changes and additions to the existing "Mobile Home Park Act" and "Mobile Home Park Act Dispute Resolution and Enforcement Program" (program).

The act clarifies provisions relating to notices that the management of a mobile home park (management) is required to provide to a home owner in the mobile home park (home owner) when management intends to terminate the home owner's tenancy in the mobile home park (park). The time a home owner has to cure certain instances of noncompliance is increased from 30 days to 90 days, and this 90-day period to cure runs concurrently with the period to sell the mobile home or remove it from the premises, which is increased from 60 to 90 days.

The act restates, with amendments, the permissible reasons for which management may terminate a home owner's tenancy and the notice requirements associated with a termination. Currently, management may terminate a home owner's tenancy if the homeowner's conduct constitutes an annoyance to other homeowners or interference with management. The act eliminates this as a permissible reason for termination of tenancy. When a landlord intends to change the use of the land on which a park sits, and the change will result in eviction of the home owners, the amount of prior notice that the landlord is required to provide to the home owners is increased from 6 months to 12 months. A notice to quit tenancy and a notice of nonpayment of rent must include language notifying a home owner of the home owner's right to file a complaint through the program.

Currently, management may charge an amount up to 2 month's rent as a security deposit for a multiwide unit. The act reduces the amount to no more than one month's rent.

The act clarifies management's duties concerning maintenance and repair of a park and creates new duties relating to the maintenance and repair of water, sewer, and other utility service lines or related connections. Management must annually provide certain information concerning water usage and billing to home owners and post the information in a clearly visible location in at least one common area of the park. If management charges home owners for water usage in the park, management must provide each home owner a monthly water bill showing the amount owed by the home owner, the total amount owed by all home owners in the park, the methodologies used to determine the amount billed to each home owner, and, if management purchases the water from a provider, the total amount paid by management to the provider.

The act prohibits management from taking retaliatory action against a home owner who exercises any right conferred upon the home owner by law. An action by management is presumed to be retaliatory if the action was taken within 120 days after the home owner made an effort to secure or enforce the home owner's rights, and management may rebut a presumption of retaliation with sufficient evidence that an action was taken against the home owner for a nonretaliatory purpose.

The act allows management to add or amend rules and regulations only after acquiring the consent of each home owner or after providing written notice of the amendment to each home owner at least 60 days before the amendment becomes effective. A home owner may file a complaint challenging a rule, regulation, or amendment pursuant to the program within 60 days after receiving the notice. If a home owner files a complaint, and the new or amended rule or regulation will increase a cost to the home owner in an amount equal to or exceeding 10% of the home owner's monthly rent obligation under the rental agreement, management may not enforce the rule, regulation, or amendment unless and until the parties reach an agreement concerning the rule, regulation, or amendment or the dispute resolution process concludes with a written determination that the rule, regulation, or amendment may be enforced.

The act requires management to respect the privacy of home owners. Management has a right of entry to the land upon which a mobile home is situated for the maintenance of utilities and to ensure compliance with applicable codes, statutes, ordinances, administrative rules, rental agreements, and the rules of the community. A landlord shall not make entry in a manner that interferes with a home owner's peaceful enjoyment of the land except in the case of an emergency. Except when posting notices that are required by law or by a rental agreement, management shall make a reasonable effort to notify a home owner of management's intention to make entry at least 48 hours before making entry.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)