Indiana Mobile Home Park Laws: 180-Day Closure Notice Rule

By Steve Levine · Updated November 3, 2026

Short answer: Indiana mobile home park laws give lot renters one standout protection: a mobile home community must give every home owner written notice at least 180 days before it closes, under IC 16-41-27-35, and skipping that notice is a deceptive act the attorney general or you can sue over. Indiana has no full park tenancy act, but its landlord-tenant code counts the space under a manufactured home as a dwelling unit, so a lot rent increase generally needs 30 days’ written notice under IC 32-31-5-4 unless your written lease says otherwise.

Most of the rest of Chapter 16-41-27 is health and safety code: water, sewage, garbage, streets and licensing. That makes the Indiana Department of Health the agency that inspects your community, even though it does not referee lease disputes.

Indiana mobile home park laws at a glance

Rule	Indiana	Statute
What counts as a community	Leased lots holding at least 5 mobile, manufactured or industrialized homes	IC 16-41-27-5
Lot covered by landlord-tenant law	“Dwelling unit” includes a manufactured home and the space it occupies	IC 32-31-5-3(b)(4)
Lot rent increase or other lease change	30 days’ written notice, unless a written rental agreement provides otherwise	IC 32-31-5-4
Grounds to eject	Unpaid charges, law violations or disorderly conduct, state rule violations, posted community rule violations	IC 16-41-27-30
Notice for unpaid rent	Not less than 10 days, unless agreed otherwise or paid in full	IC 32-31-1-6
Community closure	Written notice at least 180 days before closing	IC 16-41-27-35(a)
Licensing agency	Indiana Department of Health; 4-year licenses	IC 16-41-27-18, -19

Which Indiana laws reach a lot renter

Under IC 16-41-27-5, a “mobile home community” is land subdivided into lots that are leased or otherwise contracted, under common control, holding at least five mobile homes, manufactured homes or industrialized residential structures. The chapter opens, in § 1, by recognizing these homes as suitable and necessary dwelling units in Indiana and giving the state health department power to set health, sanitation and safety standards.

Your lease rights come from Title 32. IC 32-31-5-3(b)(4) defines “dwelling unit” to include a manufactured home or mobile structure and the space it occupies. The security deposit chapter does the same: IC 32-31-3-8 lists “a mobile home space” as a rental unit, so the park’s deposit must follow the rules in our Indiana security deposit law guide.

Lot rent increases in Indiana

Indiana sets no cap on lot rent and no park-specific notice period. The general rule in IC 32-31-5-4 fills the gap: unless a written rental agreement provides otherwise, a landlord must give at least 30 days’ written notice before modifying the rental agreement. A rent increase is a modification.

The “unless” matters. If your written lot lease sets its own notice period for increases, that term controls. Under IC 32-31-5-1(c), though, you cannot waive Chapter 5 as a whole, by contract or otherwise. Cities and counties also cannot step in: IC 32-31-1-20 bars local units from regulating rental rates on private property. Our Indiana rent increase laws guide walks through that preemption.

When the community can remove you

IC 16-41-27-30 lets the owner, operator or caretaker eject a person for four reasons:

nonpayment of charges or fees for accommodations;
violation of law or disorderly conduct;
violation of a state health department rule on mobile home communities; or
violation of a community rule that is publicly posted in the community.

The general landlord-tenant notices still apply. For unpaid rent, IC 32-31-1-6 allows termination on not less than 10 days’ notice, unless you agreed otherwise or you pay in full before the notice period ends. A tenancy at will can be ended on one month’s written notice under IC 32-31-1-1, and a year-to-year tenancy needs notice at least three months before the year ends under IC 32-31-1-3.

No self-help is allowed. Except under a court order, IC 32-31-5-6 bars a landlord from denying or interfering with your access to or possession of your dwelling unit, for example by changing locks. The court process is described in our Indiana eviction process guide.

The community’s lien on your home

One Indiana rule cuts against residents. Under IC 16-41-27-29, the community owner, operator or caretaker has a lien on a guest’s property in the same manner as an innkeeper’s or hotel keeper’s lien. The section adds rules for when a lender holds a perfected security interest in the home. If you fall behind, ask in writing what the community claims and do not assume the home is safe from a lien.

Park rules, fees and selling in place

Indiana has no statute guaranteeing your right to sell your home where it sits, limiting entrance or transfer fees, or requiring park approval decisions within a deadline. The ejection statute only lets the community enforce rules that are publicly posted, so ask for a copy of the posted rules and keep it.

For other changes to your deal, the 30-day written notice rule in IC 32-31-5-4 applies. A new fee added to an existing lot lease is a modification of the rental agreement.

Closure notice and the attorney general

IC 16-41-27-35, added in 2020, requires the operator to give each owner of a home in the community written notice of its intent to close no later than 180 days before the closing date. An operator who skips the notice, or tries to exclude an owner by contract to dodge it, commits a deceptive act under IC 24-5-0.5-4, actionable by the attorney general or by you.

The section does not stop the operator from evicting an owner for nonpayment or another tenancy violation, or from enforcing a lien, during those 180 days. Indiana has no relocation fund, no relocation payment and no residents’ right of first refusal to buy the community.

Worked example: a closure in Elkhart County

Dana owns a manufactured home on a month-to-month lot near Elkhart, paying $425. On September 1, the community gives her written notice that lot rent will rise to $465. Her lease says nothing about notice for increases, so IC 32-31-5-4 requires 30 days, and the new rent cannot apply before October 1.

The next spring, the owner decides to sell the land for warehouses. Dana gets written notice of the closure on March 3, 2027. Under IC 16-41-27-35, the closing date can be no earlier than August 30, 2027, 180 days later. If the owner had given her only 90 days, she could file a complaint with the attorney general or sue under IC 24-5-0.5.

Where to complain in Indiana

The Indiana Department of Health’s Environmental Public Health Division inspects and licenses mobile home communities, focusing on safe facilities, water supply and sewage disposal. It reports about 1,100 communities statewide, and under IC 16-41-27-32 local governments generally cannot license or regulate them, though local health boards may enforce state standards.

For a missing closure notice, file with the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division. See also our overview of mobile home park rights and the national mobile home park laws by state list.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much notice do I get before my Indiana lot rent goes up?

At least 30 days in writing under IC 32-31-5-4, because the lot counts as a dwelling unit under IC 32-31-5-3. A written lease can set a different notice period, so check yours.

Can my community close with only 60 days’ notice?

No. IC 16-41-27-35 requires written notice at least 180 days before closure to every home owner in the community. A shorter notice is a deceptive act under IC 24-5-0.5.

Can the park enforce a rule it never posted?

Ejection under IC 16-41-27-30 for a community rule violation requires that the rule be publicly posted in the community. Unposted rules are a weaker basis for removing you.

Is the health department responsible for my lease?

No. The Department of Health licenses and inspects communities for health and safety. Lease, rent and eviction disputes are handled in court under Title 32.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. If you have a closure or eviction notice, find a lawyer through LSC’s get legal help page.

Sources

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