Mobile Home lots for Sale

This section applies to you if you own your mobile home and rent a lot in a mobile home park. Also, these "Rights of Tenants" Guidebook sections apply to you:

If you rent a mobile home, you have the same rights as a tenant in an apartment building or house. Read the earlier sections of this online handbook, which apply to you. To read about your security deposit.

If you own your mobile home and rent the land it sits on but not in a mobile home park, you should talk to a lawyer if you have a problem. (Only some parts of this Guide apply to you.)

What is a mobile home park?

A mobile home park is a piece of land that has, or is laid out to have, two or more mobile homes on it.

How much can I be charged for a security deposit and how do I get it back?

• The park owner may charge up to 3 times the monthly rent for a security deposit.
• For the period before September 12, 2009, the landlord must pay 4% interest on your deposit. For later periods, the park owner must pay you a market-based rate of interest. Your landlord must put your money in a separate, protected bank account (which can be pooled with other deposits). You should get all of the interest earned on your deposit. In the alternative, your post 9/12/09 interest will be based on the Federal Reserve's secondary market 6-month CD rate for each year the landlord has been holding your deposit.

What kind of fees can I be charged?

The park owner may charge fees. Fees may include rent, utilities, incidental service charges, security deposit and an entrance fee. Before you move into the park, the park owner must explain all fees to you in writing. Before increasing any fees, he must give all tenants at least 30 days written notice.

If you are moving into a mobile home that is already in the park, the park owner cannot charge you more than 2 times the monthly rent for an entrance fee. He cannot call this fee something else, in order to get around this limit.

The park owner cannot require you to buy your oil or bottled gas from him. He cannot choose your dealer; that is your choice.

The park owner cannot require you to buy from him any underskirting, equipment for tying down mobile homes or any other equipment.

What kind of rules can the park owner have?

The rules must be reasonably related to keeping order and peace in the mobile home park. All park rules must be fair and reasonable. A rule is presumed to be unfair if it does not apply to all park tenants. (However, the park owner may be able to prove that a non-uniform rule is fair, if he has a compelling reason for the rule.) The park owner must give all tenants at least 30 days notice of any rule change before it takes effect.

These rules are not legal and a park owner cannot enforce them:

• A rule that says the park owner is not responsible for his own negligence
• A rule that says you have to pay the park owner's legal fees (in an eviction, for example)
• A rule that says you must give the park owner a lien on your property if you owe him money
• A rule that gives up your right to challenge the fairness of any park rule or any part of your lease or rental agreement

How do I find out what the park rules are?

Before you sign an agreement to rent, the park owner must give you:

• a copy of the mobile home park rules
  and
• a copy of the Maine mobile home park laws

Does the park owner have to have a reason to evict me?

Yes. He must have a reason and he must be able to prove it in court. His reason must be on this list. (These rules apply to you, all household members and your guests.)