California mobile home rights cheat sheet

A quick reference to how California law generally treats mobile and manufactured home lot tenancies. California has the Mobilehome Residency Law (MRL), Civil Code §§798–799.11, a dedicated statute that provides substantial protections for mobilehome park residents, supplemented by HCD's title and installation authority in the Health and Safety Code. This is general information, not legal advice, and the authors are not lawyers — for a specific situation, consider consulting a licensed attorney in California. Each line cites the controlling authority; read it at the official source linked in Sources below.

At a glance

Topic	What the law generally provides	Cite
Dedicated park act	Yes. Mobilehome Residency Law, California Civil Code §§798–799.11.	Civil Code §798
Lot rent increase notice	At least 90 days' written notice before the date of any increase.	§798.30
Rent cap	None statewide under the MRL. Local rent-stabilization ordinances may apply to covered parks.	§798.30
Permitted fees	Only rent, utilities, and incidental reasonable charges for services actually rendered.	§798.31
New unlisted fee notice	60 days' written notice required before imposing a charge for an unlisted service.	§798.32
Eviction grounds	Seven specific grounds only (nonpayment, rule violation, criminal conviction, regulatory noncompliance, nuisance, condemnation, change of use).	§798.56
Eviction notice	Not less than 60 days to sell or remove the home; copies to lienholders within 10 days.	§798.55
Nonpayment notice	3-day written notice to pay or vacate after rent is 5 days past due.	§798.56(e)
Right to sell in place	Yes. Homeowners may list and sell without using a park-designated agent or dealer.	§798.71
Buyer approval deadline	Park must respond within 15 business days of a complete application; silence = deemed approval.	§798.74
Escrow requirement	Sale agreement must include a fully executed rental agreement or signed agreement on terms.	§798.75
Utility billing	Separate billing permitted with a simultaneous rent reduction equal to the 12-month average cost.	§798.41
Utility interruption notice	72 hours' advance written notice for planned outages over two hours.	§798.42
LPG price cap	Park-sold LPG capped at 110% of management's actual cost where residents cannot buy elsewhere.	§798.44
Title / registration	Personal property titled and registered with HCD (not the DMV).	HSC §18075
Affixture to real property	Home on a permanent foundation on owner-held land becomes real property after certificate of occupancy.	HSC §18551
Installation	Permit required from HCD or local enforcement agency for every installation or reinstallation.	HSC §18613

How to use this

This sheet summarizes; it does not replace the statute or legal advice. California's MRL is detailed — the exact notice periods, cure windows, and exceptions live in the sections cited. Local rent-control ordinances in many California cities and counties also apply to mobilehome parks and may add further protections or procedures. Other authorities — federal law, local ordinances, HCD regulations, and the written rental agreement — can all apply simultaneously.

Where to read more

• California topic guides on FightMyPark: lot rent, eviction, fees, utilities, buying, selling, title, and storm.
• The official statute text and agency pages, linked in the Sources section below.