Rhode Island mobile home rights cheat sheet

A quick reference to how Rhode Island law generally treats mobile and manufactured home park lot tenancies. Rhode Island has a dedicated park law — the Mobile and Manufactured Homes Act, R.I. Gen. Laws chapter 31-44. This is general information, not legal advice, and the authors are not lawyers — for a specific situation, consider consulting a licensed attorney in Rhode Island. 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 and Manufactured Homes Act (ch. 31-44).	§31-44-1+
Written lease	Mandatory written lease, at least one year (unless resident requests shorter).	§31-44-7(1)(xiv)
Rent increase	60 days' notice; not during a lease term; must be uniform; no statewide cap.	§31-44-3(6), §31-44-7(6)
Late charge	7-day grace; late charge ≤ 5% of monthly rent.	§31-44-7(6)
Eviction — grounds	Six only: nonpayment, law/rule violation (w/ cure), damage, repeated disturbance, change of use.	§31-44-2(a)
Eviction — notice	60 days (30 for nonpayment); nonpayment cured by paying arrears + 5%.	§31-44-2(b)
Retaliation	Rent hike / eviction within 6 months of protected action presumed a reprisal.	§31-44-5
Entrance fee	Prohibited (hook-up/maintenance fee allowed if disclosed); no cable-install fee.	§31-44-3(8)
Occupant/pet fees	No extra charge for added household members w/ bed space; pet fee only if pet facilities.	§31-44-3(7),(11)
Security deposit	≤ 1 month's rent; 3% interest; return in 30 days or itemize.	§31-44-7.1
Disclosure	All charges + 3-year rent/fee history before lease; fee schedule filed/posted.	§31-44-3(9),(10)
Sell in place	Right to sell; no removal for sale; commission ≤ 10% by written agreement; "for sale" signs.	§31-44-4
Buyer approval	Park may refuse only for good cause; safe code-built home can't be rejected for age/style.	§31-44-4(f)-(h)
Utilities	No markup above the utility's rate; choice of provider; park maintains system; repair-and-deduct.	§31-44-3(4), §31-44-7(1)
Park sale	Incorporated 51% homeowners' association has a right of first refusal.	§31-44-3.1
Closure	1-year notice + up to $4,000 relocation benefits; capped rent during wind-down.	§31-44-3.2
Title / transfer	Conveyed by recorded deed/instrument (recorder of deeds, 10 days); no DMV vehicle title.	§31-44-4.1
Tax	Conveyance tax $1.40 per $500; home taxed locally; new homes HUD-compliant.	§31-44-20; §31-44-15

How to use this

This sheet summarizes; it does not replace the statute or legal advice. Rhode Island's Act is enforced by the Department of Business Regulation, which hears resident complaints, and many disputes can be raised with the director under §31-44-17. Start with your written lease and the required disclosure and fee schedule, then check the controlling section for your issue.

Where to read more

• Rhode Island 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.