Mobile home rent regulations – Pictured: Orlando, FL Skyline – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Sean Pavone
Tallahassee, Florida – This week, a new law was introduced in Florida with the goal of establishing a long list of regulations for mobile home parks in the state.
State Senator LaVon Bracy Davis (D-Ocoee) submitted the bill (SB 1550) on Friday. It changes a Florida legislation that specifies the criteria that courts may apply when deciding whether rent hikes are “unreasonable.”
However, state Representative Paula Stark (R-St. Cloud), who is supporting the House version of the bill, was the original author of the proposal.
Courts may now consider things including past disclosures, changes in inflation, operating expenses, and taxes.
But this most recent measure would broaden the statute to allow judges to take into account the following factors:
The number of active sales in a mobile home park at the time the notice of rent increase is given; the incentives and other discounts that the park owner or other mobile home owners are providing to prospective buyers; and the number of mobile homes that have been abandoned by the park owner in the past 12 months in order to avoid eviction
That’s not all, though. Additionally, the measure presents several important guidelines that owners of mobile home parks should be aware of.
For instance, the owner of a mobile home would have ten days from the date of notification to make rent payments if they were unable to. That period of time is twice as long as what the law currently permits.
The following are additional new regulations brought about by the legislation:
Payment Options: Mobile home owners may not be required by park owners to pay rent or user fees only through an electronic payment system.
Park owners are required to accept checks, and rent is deemed paid when the check is delivered.
Rent Increases: Any notice of a proposed increase in lot rent must contain all pertinent invoices, supporting documentation, and verification of the costs or significant circumstances that led to the increase.
Rent Reductions: The park owner is required to lower rent if a service, amenity, or utility is no longer offered to owners of mobile homes.
Land-Use Payouts: The owner of a mobile home is entitled to $6,500 from the state (or $11,500 for a multi-section mobile home) in addition to compensation for moving costs if the park’s land-use changes and the owner must relocate.
The current state legislation sets that amount at $3,000 (or $6,000 for a multi-section mobile home).
Abandonment Payouts: Following a change in land use, a mobile home owner may choose to leave their home and receive $5,000 from the state (or $7,000 for a multi-section mobile home) in lieu of receiving payment.
This is more than the $1,375 (or $2,750 for a multi-section mobile home) amount set under the current state legislation.
The park owner will have to pay the state $1,375 for a single-section mobile home and $2,750 for a multi-section mobile home if this option is chosen.
The bill is scheduled to go into effect on July 1 if it is passed.
Regarding her proposed legislation, Rep. Stark sent News 6 the following statement:
“I’ve filed HB 703 – Mobile Home Park Lot Tenancies, legislation to strengthen protections and clarify the rights of mobile home owners across Florida. This bill updates how lot rental increases are determined, improves billing and payment transparency, and enhances enforcement… Mobile home owners are a critical part of our communities, and this bill helps ensure fairness and accountability in lot tenancies.
This should be a bipartisan issue for the benefit of all of our citizens who need to maintain the opportunity of affordable housing.”
– Florida State Rep. Paula Stark (R-St. Cloud)
In the meantime, a different bill that was submitted back in November aims to further alter mobile home parks. More information on that law is available here.
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Melissa’s career in writing started more than 20 years ago. Today, she lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys.
