Pennsylvania mobile home rights cheat sheet

A quick reference to how Pennsylvania law generally treats manufactured home community lot tenancies. Pennsylvania has a dedicated park law — the Manufactured Home Community Rights Act (68 P.S. §398.1 et seq.) — plus title and tax under the Vehicle Code (75 Pa.C.S.). This is general information, not legal advice, and the authors are not lawyers — for a specific situation, consider consulting a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania. 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 Manufactured Home Community Rights Act (68 P.S. §398.1+).	§1
Written lease	Mandatory written lease, at least one month, renewable.	§4.1
Rent increase	Ground rent changes once per 12 months; 30-day notice; not during a lease term; no cap.	§4.1, §6
Lease renewal	60-day notice of any changed terms; tenant then has 30 days to accept or vacate.	§4.1(c), §13(e)
Eviction — grounds	Only four: nonpayment, 2nd rule violation in 6 months, change of use, community closure.	§3(a)
Eviction — notice	Certified/registered mail; nonpayment cure 20 days (Apr–Aug) / 30 days (Sep–Mar); no self-help.	§3(b)
Uniform enforcement	No eviction if the rule isn't enforced against other residents.	§3(c)
Retaliation	Action within 6 months of asserting rights is presumed retaliatory.	§16
Fee disclosure	All fees/utilities disclosed in writing before lease; undisclosed = void.	§6
Entrance/exit fees	Prohibited outright.	§8
Install/removal fees	≤ actual cost; refundable (treble damages) if park reclaims space ≤ 1 yr w/o fault.	§9
Guest fee	No fee for overnight guests.	§10
Sell in place	Lease term preventing sale is void; buyer approval not unreasonably withheld; no commission unless licensed agent.	§11
Buyer rescission	Buyer gets 5 days to void the sale after disclosure.	§11(b)
Community sale	30-day notice to residents + PHFA.	§11.1
Closure	180-day vacate notice; resident-association purchase offer; relocation $4,000 single / $6,000 multi (or $2,500/appraised floor).	§11.2
Title	PennDOT certificate of title; cancelable when affixed to real property.	75 Pa.C.S. §1140
Tax	Anchored home taxed as real estate; tax-status certification before transfer.	75 Pa.C.S. §1111.1
Enforcement	Attorney General / district attorney / private suit; also an unfair trade practice.	§13, §16.1

How to use this

This sheet summarizes; it does not replace the statute or legal advice. Pennsylvania's Act is enforced by the Attorney General, district attorneys, and private lawsuits, and many violations are also unfair trade practices. Start with your written lease and the required fee disclosure and "Important Notice," then check the controlling section for your issue.

Where to read more

• Pennsylvania 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.