Do you own a mobile home that is parked on land, which you lease from a mobile home park? If so, you’re not alone. According to the California Department of Housing and Community Development, as of Jun 1, 2023, there are 5,908 Mobile home and RV Parks in the state of California, which accommodate about 375,438 mobile home spaces. Mobile homes are proving to be a more affordable option for housing in the state, and lawmakers are drafting laws to deal with the specificities of mobile home living.

Mobile homes do not pertain to the exact same conditions that current landlord-tenant law covers. In general, the tenants at a mobile home park have less liberties with regards to modifications to their home and so on. Due to the unique nature of mobile home parks, California has adopted two new laws to provide special protection for the owners and occupants of mobile homes.

The Mobile home Residency Law (MRL) functions as the landlord-tenant law for mobile home parks. It addresses the rights and duties of the mobile homeowners and residents as well as the park owner or management. It also addresses such topics as the resale of a mobile home, rental agreements and rent increases, and the termination of an owner’s tenancy.

            You can find the MRL at: California Civil Code §§ 798-799.11

The Mobile home Parks Act addresses the health and safety requirements of mobile homes and parks. It addresses the minimum standards for the common areas and facilities of the park as well as the mobile homes in the park. These standards are unique since they need to accommodate mobile homes, rather than residential homes.

You can find the MPA at: California Health & Safety Code §§ 18200-18712.

For assistance with general mobile home park problems, you can contact the state’s Mobile Home Assistance Center.

A private organization where you might find assistance and a community with other mobile homeowners is the Mobile Home Park Owners Allegiance (MHPHOA).

When researching the Rights of Mobile home Park Homeowners, staff here at the Riverside County Law Library found it most interesting that there is a provision regarding pets. Many members of the RCLL staff are huge animal lovers and were interested to learn that a Mobile home Park homeowner has a right to at least one pet.

You can find the code at: California Civil Code § 798.23.5

For more information on laws related to mobile homes, manufactured homes, and tenant rights, please visit the remote databases available on the Legal Databases webpage. If you are interested in a resource available only onsite, such as Westlaw or OnLaw, please email us at lawlibrary.riverside@rclawlibrary.org or call us at (951) 368-0368, so we may assist you by connecting you to those resources on this topic!

Written by: Terry Conaway, Librarian