Short answer: Illinois mobile home park laws start with a lease most renters never get: under the Mobile Home Landlord and Tenant Rights Act, 765 ILCS 745/6(a) requires the park to offer you a written lease of at least 24 months, and § 6(d) requires 90 days’ notice before any rent increase. If the park closes, § 8.5 guarantees at least 12 months’ notice, and a homeowners’ association gets a right of first refusal when the park is offered for sale.
The Act covers parks with five or more mobile homes. Unlike many states’ laws, it applies whether you lease the lot, the home, or both.
Illinois mobile home park laws at a glance
| Rule | Illinois | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Who is covered | Any lease of a mobile home or lot in a park with 5 or more mobile homes | 765 ILCS 745/1 |
| Lease term the park must offer | At least 24 months, unless you waive it | 765 ILCS 745/6(a) |
| Rent increase notice | 90 days; you have 30 days to accept or reject | 765 ILCS 745/6(d) |
| Late fee grace period | At least 5 days after rent is due | 765 ILCS 745/12(a) |
| Notice for unpaid rent | Not less than 5 days after receipt | 765 ILCS 745/22 |
| Park closure | At least 12 months’ notice, rent frozen at the expiring lease rate | 765 ILCS 745/8.5 |
| Residents’ right to buy | Association has 60 days to match the offered price and terms | 765 ILCS 745/6.25 |
Who the Act protects and the 24-month lease
Under 765 ILCS 745/1, the Act governs any lease of a mobile home or mobile home lot in a park containing five or more mobile homes. Any lease term, written or oral, that conflicts with the Act cannot be enforced.
Before you sign, Section 6 requires the park to show you its lease and offer you a written term of at least 24 months. You can waive that and agree to a different term, including a month-to-month option if you sign a written acknowledgment. Section 8 then makes renewal the default. Every lease must contain an automatic renewal option, unless you give 30 days’ notice that you are leaving, or the park gives 30 days’ written notice of nonrenewal with stated reasons, such as rule violations, health and safety code violations or irregular or nonpayment of rent.
Rent increases, fees and the rent deferral program
Under § 6(d), the park must give 90 days’ notice of any rent increase, and no increase takes effect until 90 days after notice. You then have 30 days to accept or reject it. If you reject it, you must tell the park the date you will move out, before the increase takes effect. Section 6(e) lets a lease build in a specified increase between its first and second years. Section 9 adds that rent may rise on renewal, with notice delivered 90 days before the lease expires.
Illinois does not cap the size of an increase, but it does offer an unusual safety valve. Under § 6.4, you can defer paying the increase for up to one year if, within 30 days of getting the notice or new lease, you swear you will list your home for sale with a licensed seller, show that the new rent would exceed 45% of your income, and provide a tax return to prove it. You keep paying the old rent, stay until the home sells or 12 months pass, and pay the deferred difference from the sale.
Fee rules are strict too. Section 9 requires every charge to be itemized in the lease and on every bill, and bars a transfer or selling fee on a home staying in the park unless a service is rendered. Under § 12, a lease may not:
- charge a late fee without at least 5 days’ grace after rent is due;
- require a security deposit of more than one month’s rent;
- require fees not specified in the lease;
- let the park move your home to a different lot during the lease; or
- waive your right to a jury trial.
Our Illinois late fee laws guide compares the 5-day grace rule with apartment rules.
Grounds and notice for eviction
Section 15 lists three grounds: nonpayment of rent, failure to follow park rules, and failure to comply with local ordinances and state laws regulating mobile homes. Since January 1, 2025, nonpayment is not a ground at all if the park has not applied for its license or renewal and paid its fees under the Mobile Home Park Act.
Notice periods are in Section 22. For overdue rent, the written notice must give you at least 5 days after you receive it to pay. For a lease or rule violation, the notice must name the violation and warn that the lease may be terminated if it continues more than 24 hours after you receive the notice. If the park fines you, it cannot refuse a rent payment or take the fine out of your rent for 45 days after written notice of the fine.
Section 16 bars evictions in reprisal for asserting your rights, complaining in good faith to a government agency about health or safety violations, or organizing or joining a homeowners’ association. It also bars evictions based on immigration or citizenship status. For the court process, see our Illinois eviction process guide.
Selling your home in the park
Section 24 bars the park from interfering with your freedom to sell your home to a buyer of your choice. The park may apply its general, lawful admission standards to the buyer. Before closing, the buyer must sign a written lease unless the buyer plans to move the home out of the park.
Park closure and relocation
If the owner decides to stop operating all or part of the park, § 8.5 entitles you to at least 12 months’ notice. If 12 months or more remain on your lease, you keep the rest of your term up to the closing date. If less remains, you get the rest of the lease plus a written month-to-month tenancy, and your rent must stay at the expiring lease rate until you have had a full 12 months.
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Illinois has no statewide relocation payment in the Act. Section 14.2 directs the Department of Public Health to facilitate a plan for relocating owners forced out when a park closes or is sold for another use, but it does not create a fund owed to you.
Homeowners’ associations and the right of first refusal
To use the Act’s association rights, at least two-thirds of all home owners in the park must consent in writing to join a corporation or not-for-profit corporation under § 6.27.
Once formed, the association holds a right of first refusal under § 6.25. If the owner offers the park for sale, it must give the association’s officers written notice of the price and terms. The owners, through the association, have 60 days from mailing to sign a contract on those terms. If the owner later offers the park at a price at least 20% lower than in the notice, the association gets another 10 days to match.
Worked example: a renewal notice in Will County
Marisol’s 24-month lot lease ends June 30. On March 25, the park delivers notice raising her rent from $720 to $790 at renewal. That is more than the 90 days before expiration required by §§ 6(d) and 9. She has until April 24, 30 days, to accept or reject.
Marisol earns $1,650 a month, so $790 is about 48% of her income, above the 45% line in § 6.4. She files the sworn affidavits and her tax return by April 24 and lists the home with a licensed seller. She keeps paying $720 and may stay up to 12 months or until the home sells, whichever comes first. At closing, she pays the $70-a-month difference for the months she deferred.
Where to complain in Illinois
The Illinois Department of Public Health licenses every park with 5 or more sites, except those in home rule units, and inspects each park every year for license renewal. Under § 6.7, the park must post inspection reports listing health and life safety violations. Report unsafe water, sewage or roads to IDPH or, in a home rule city, to the local licensing authority. Lease and eviction disputes go to court.
Also see our Illinois security deposit law guide, our overview of mobile home park rights and the full mobile home park laws by state list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Illinois Act cover me if I rent the home from the park?
Yes. Section 1 applies to any lease of a mobile home or a mobile home lot in a park with five or more mobile homes. Renting both from the park still puts you under the Act.
Can the park move my home to another lot?
Not during your lease. Section 12(d) bars any lease provision letting the park transfer or move your home to a different lot, even within the same park, while the lease runs.
What can I do if a lot rent increase is more than I can afford?
If the new rent would exceed 45% of your income, § 6.4 lets you defer the increase for up to a year while you sell. You must act within 30 days of the notice and keep paying the old rent.
Can a park evict me if it is not licensed?
Not for unpaid rent. Since January 1, 2025, § 15(b) says nonpayment is not grounds for eviction if the park has not applied for its license or renewal and paid the fees under the Mobile Home Park Act.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. If you have a termination notice, contact legal aid through LSC’s get legal help page before the notice deadline.