Maryland mobile home rights cheat sheet

A quick reference to how Maryland law generally treats mobile home lot tenancies. Maryland has a dedicated Mobile Homes law — Real Property Article, Title 8A. This is general information, not legal advice, and the authors are not lawyers — for a specific situation, consider consulting a licensed attorney in Maryland. Each line cites the controlling statute; read it at the official source linked in Sources below.

At a glance

Topic	What the law generally provides	Cite
Governing law	Dedicated Mobile Homes law: Real Property Title 8A.	RP Title 8A
Lease term	Park must offer at least a 1-year rental agreement; month-to-month after, with a qualified resident's right to renew.	§8A-202
Rent increase	At a 1-year renewal, 60 days' written notice of the increase.	§8A-202(i)
Park-fee increase	At least 30 days' written notice; un-noticed increase can't be collected.	§8A-401
Entrance / exit fee	Prohibited. No renewal fee; resale inspection fee ≤ $60, once a year.	§8A-402
Eviction — grounds	Only nonpayment or listed violations (application falsehood, safety-law violation, repeated 6-month rule violations).	§8A-1101(a)
Eviction — notice	At least 30 days' written notice, properly delivered, stating a specific reason.	§8A-1101(b)
Retaliation	Barred; damages up to 3 months' rent + fees. Supersedes weaker county ordinances.	§8A-1301
Change of land use	1-year written notice + a relocation plan; parks > 10 sites pay relocation assistance (12 months' rent).	§§8A-202(b)(3), 8A-1201
Security deposit	Max 2 months' rent (or $50); held in a MD account; returned in 45 days with interest; 3× damages for overcharge/wrongful withholding.	§8A-1001
Selling in place	Park may not prevent a sale in the park or require removal because of the sale.	§8A-601
Buyer application	Park may not unreasonably deny a buyer's application to rent the site.	§8A-202(g)
Park sold	30 days' notice to residents + to DHCD before sale.	§8A-202(h)
Required purchases / gratuities	No required permanent-improvement purchase; no forced vendor; no gratuities.	§8A-501
Utilities	Disclose availability, capacity, connection fee before move-in; keep each utility service in repair; no supplier/appliance restriction except safety.	§§8A-201, 8A-801, 8A-501
Park owner duties	Comply with building/housing/zoning/health codes; keep site, fixtures, common areas, utilities in repair; no discrimination.	§8A-801
Title	MVA titles mobile homes (title / MCO / bill of sale); home over 35 ft exempt from excise tax; MVA handles conversion to real property.	MVA; TR §13-810
Storm / construction	Federal HUD Code for the home; park sets reasonable written safety standards.	§8A-301; HUD

How to use this

This sheet summarizes; it does not replace the statute or legal advice. Title 8A imposes "an obligation of good faith" and lets a resident "enforce by civil action any right or duty under this title" with possible damages and attorney's fees (§8A-1501), and a lease clause waiving a statutory right is void (§8A-202(e)). Start with the written rental agreement and park rules, then check the controlling section for your issue.

Where to read more

• Maryland 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.