Mobile Home Park Rights — Lot Rent and Evictions (2026)

By Steve Levine · Updated November 3, 2026

Short answer: If you own a manufactured home but rent the lot, your mobile home park rights come from a separate set of state laws written for that situation, not just the ordinary landlord-tenant code. Most of the largest states require advance written notice of lot rent increases (from 30 days in Pennsylvania and Ohio to 90 days in Florida and Illinois), limit evictions to listed reasons, and require months of notice before a park closes or changes use. A few, including Washington and New York, now cap how much lot rent can rise.

Why Mobile Home Park Rights Work Differently

An apartment tenant who is evicted packs boxes. A homeowner on a rented lot has to move a house, which can cost thousands of dollars and is sometimes impossible for older homes. That gives the park owner unusual leverage, and legislatures have responded with special rules.

The California Senate Judiciary Committee put the problem plainly in a 2024 bill analysis: many mobilehome owners own their home but rent the lot it sits on, and the park can evict them for nonpayment or other specified grounds. Georgia’s state handbook adds a legal wrinkle: mobile homes are treated as personal property, not real estate, unless they are permanently affixed to the land, so ordinary landlord-tenant rules may not apply the same way, according to the Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook.

Most of these statutes apply only to communities of a certain size. Illinois’s Mobile Home Landlord and Tenant Rights Act covers parks with five or more mobile homes, and North Carolina’s conversion-notice law defines a community as land designed for at least five homes.

Key Mobile Home Park Rights in the 12 Largest States

State	Key rule for lot renters	Statute
California	Park may end a tenancy only for listed reasons, such as nonpayment, substantial annoyance of other residents, a rule violation, or a change of use, and must give at least 60 days’ written notice to sell or remove the home	Cal. Civ. Code §§ 798.55, 798.56 (Senate Judiciary analysis)
Texas	Initial lease of at least 6 months must be offered; renewal offer or notice to vacate due at least 60 days before the lease expires; 180 days’ notice before a land-use change	Tex. Prop. Code §§ 94.052, 94.055, 94.204
Florida	Written notice at least 90 days before any lot rent increase; at least 6 months’ notice of eviction for a change in use	Fla. Stat. § 723.037; § 723.061
New York	Increases including lot rent and fees generally limited to 3%, or up to 6% if a court finds it justifiable; no eviction for change of use until 2 years after notice; up to $15,000 moving stipend for homeowners	N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 233 (NY Attorney General guide)
Pennsylvania	Rent increases enforceable only 30 days after posted and mailed notice, and not during the lease term; eviction only for nonpayment, 2 or more rule violations in 6 months, change of use, or closure	Manufactured Home Community Rights Act (PA Attorney General)
Illinois	90 days’ notice of any rent increase, and no increase takes effect until 90 days after notice	765 ILCS 745/6(d)
Ohio	Fee and rent increases need at least 30 days’ written notice and cannot take effect during a resident’s rental agreement; homeowners get at least 180 days to vacate if the park is sold for another use	Ohio Rev. Code § 4781.40
Georgia	Park owner must keep the lot and common areas in good repair; the home itself is the owner’s responsibility	Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook
North Carolina	Notice to quit for a manufactured home space must be given at least 60 days before the end of the rental period; 180 days’ notice before conversion to another use	N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-14; § 42-14.3
Michigan	Tenancy may not be terminated without “just cause,” as defined in the statute	MCL 600.5775
New Jersey	Park must offer a written lease of at least 12 months and give written notice of fee changes 30 days before they take effect; Anti-Eviction Act protections apply to lot renters	N.J.S.A. 46:8C-2 et seq. (NJ DCA Truth in Renting)
Washington	No rent increase in the first 12 months of a tenancy, and no more than 5% in any 12-month period, absent an exemption; 3 months’ written notice of any increase	RCW 59.20.370; RCW 59.20.090

Lot Rent Increases

Most states regulate the notice, not the amount. Florida’s § 723.037 requires at least 90 days’ written notice before any lot rent increase, reduction in services, or rule change. Illinois requires 90 days under 765 ILCS 745/6(d), and the same act lets some tenants defer part of an increase for up to a year if they meet strict conditions.

A few states limit the size. New York generally caps increases at 3 percent, including lot rent, fees and utilities, and allows up to 6 percent only if a court finds the increase justifiable when residents challenge it, according to the New York Attorney General. Washington’s cap is in RCW 59.20.370.

Watch for increases mid-lease. Pennsylvania’s Attorney General says rent cannot be increased during the lease term, and Ohio’s § 4781.40(B) says no fee or rental fee may be increased during the term of a rental agreement. For apartment-style rent rules, see how much a landlord can raise the rent.

A Worked Example: Washington

Consider a hypothetical retiree in Spokane who has rented her lot for three years at $800 a month. The park sends a notice raising the rent to $900, a 12.5 percent increase, effective in 30 days.

Two rules apply. Under RCW 59.20.370(1)(b), absent an exemption, the most the rent can rise in any 12-month period is 5 percent, or $40, for a maximum of $840. Under RCW 59.20.090(2), the park must give written notice three months before any increase, so a 30-day notice is too short.

If the park claims an exemption, § 59.20.370(2) requires the notice to include facts supporting it. If not, subsection (3) requires her to give the park a chance to cure by sending a written demand to reduce the increase to a lawful amount. She should send that demand, keep a copy, and keep paying her current $800 rent on time while the dispute is resolved. Stopping payment entirely would risk a nonpayment eviction.

Eviction Grounds and Notice

Lot renters usually have stronger eviction protection than apartment tenants. Michigan’s MCL 600.5775 bars termination without just cause, defined to include unlawful use of the site, violating a reasonable park rule, intentional injury or damage, and failing to pay rent on time three or more times in 12 months after notice. Pennsylvania limits eviction to four grounds, and its Attorney General notes the park must tell you in writing, by certified or registered mail, why you are being evicted before starting proceedings.

Nonpayment notices are short. In Florida, a park may terminate if lot rent stays unpaid for 5 days after a written demand, under § 723.061(1)(a). In Texas, a park may evict for unpaid amounts equal to at least one month’s rent if the tenant has not paid in full before the 10th day after receiving written notice, under Tex. Prop. Code § 94.206. Texas also requires a court-issued writ of possession before the park can lock you out or require the home’s removal, under § 94.203.

California’s notice runs to the home, not just the tenant. Under Civil Code § 798.55(b)(1), as the Senate analysis summarizes, the park must give at least 60 days’ notice to sell or remove the home, and send a copy to the legal owner and lienholders within 10 days. Our guide to how the eviction process works explains the court stage.

Selling Your Home in Place

Being able to sell without moving the home protects most of its value. New Jersey bars a park from denying a resident the right to sell within the park or requiring the home to be moved solely because it is being sold, and bars sale commissions unless the park acted as the sales agent, according to the state’s Truth in Renting guide. The park may approve the buyer, but cannot unreasonably withhold approval.

Pennsylvania’s Attorney General says a park cannot prevent you from selling or claim a fee on the sale without a separate written agreement, though it may reserve the right to approve the buyer as a resident. Pennsylvania also bars entrance and exit fees. In Florida, a buyer’s failure to obtain required park approval is itself an eviction ground under § 723.061(1)(e), so get the buyer approved before closing.

When the Park Closes or Changes Use

Closure is the biggest risk lot renters face, and most large states require long notice:

New York: no eviction proceedings until two years after notice of a change of use, plus a stipend of up to $15,000 for homeowners.
Florida: at least 6 months’ notice of eviction for a change in use, under § 723.061(1)(d).
Pennsylvania: notice within 60 days of deciding to close, with a vacate date at least 180 days after the notice, according to the Attorney General.
Texas: notice no later than the 180th day before a land-use change, under § 94.204.
North Carolina: 180 days’ notice to each homeowner and the state Housing Finance Agency, under G.S. 42-14.3.
Ohio: at least 180 days for homeowners, and 120 days for tenants, after notice that the park is sold for another use, under § 4781.40(A)(3).

Some states give residents a chance to buy. Washington’s code includes a notice-of-opportunity-to-compete-to-purchase process for manufactured home communities, starting at RCW 59.20.325. If your park is for sale, organize early and ask your state housing finance agency about resident-ownership help.

Repairs and Park Rules

As a rule, the park maintains the land, roads and common systems, and you maintain your home. Georgia’s handbook says the landowner must keep the lot and common areas in good repair but is not responsible for repairing a home it does not own. Ohio’s § 4781.40(C) requires park rules that are not unreasonable, arbitrary or capricious, delivered before you sign and posted in the park. Pennsylvania requires written, posted rules applied uniformly. For repair disputes, our guide to the warranty of habitability covers the general principles.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much can my park raise lot rent?

In most states there is no cap, only a notice rule. New York generally limits increases to 3 percent (up to 6 percent if justifiable), and Washington limits them to 5 percent in any 12-month period, with none in the first 12 months, absent an exemption.

How much notice must the park give before an increase?

It ranges from 30 days in Pennsylvania and Ohio to 90 days in Florida and Illinois and three months in Washington. Check your lease too, since it may promise more.

Can the park evict me and keep my home?

Eviction ends your right to keep the home on the lot, not your ownership of the home. California requires notice to sell or remove the home, and Texas requires a court writ before the park can require removal.

Can the park refuse the person buying my home?

Parks in New Jersey and Pennsylvania may approve buyers as residents, and New Jersey bars unreasonably withholding approval. In Florida, an unapproved buyer can be evicted where park rules require approval.

What happens if the park closes?

You are entitled to advance notice that ranges from 180 days in Pennsylvania, Texas, North Carolina and Ohio to two years in New York. New York also requires a stipend of up to $15,000 for homeowners.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. If you have received an eviction, closure or rent-increase notice, contact a legal aid office through LSC’s legal help finder or a licensed attorney. Your next step: find the date on your most recent rent-increase notice and compare it with your state’s notice period in the table above.

Sources

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