West Virginia mobile home rights cheat sheet

A quick reference to how West Virginia law generally treats mobile home park lot tenancies. West Virginia has a dedicated park law — the Mobile Home Parks provisions of W. Va. Code Chapter 37, Article 15 (which uses the term "factory-built home rental community"). This is general information, not legal advice, and the authors are not lawyers — for a specific situation, consider consulting a licensed attorney in West Virginia. 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 Home Parks act (Ch. 37 Art. 15).	§37-15-1
Written agreement	Required, signed; copy + a copy of the Article to tenant within 7 days.	§37-15-3
Allowed charges	Only fixed rent, utilities, reasonable incidental charges; no fee not in the agreement.	§37-15-3, §37-15-5
Placement protection	New home can't be terminated for 12 months (single) / 5 years (multisection) except good cause.	§37-15-3(c), §37-15-6(a)
Rent cap	No statewide cap; no separate increase-notice period.	(no statute)
Termination notice	3 months' written notice; reason stated with specific facts.	§37-15-6(c),(e)
Self-help barred	No utility shutoff or home removal to evict; court process required.	§37-15-6(d)
Mass eviction	Evicting >25 tenants / 18 months needs 6 months' notice (or agreement/breach); treble damages.	§37-15-6a
Retaliation	Barred (rent hike, service cut, or possession action).	§37-15-7
Entrance fee	Prohibited; no commission unless tenant hired the park; no interior-improvement fee.	§37-15-5(a)
Sell in place	Agreement can't prohibit sale; sell-in-place after a no-cause termination; new owner signs agreement.	§37-15-3(d)(1),(f); §37-15-6(f)
Vendor choice	Owner not restricted in choice of home/goods/services vendors.	§37-15-5(c)
Rules	Must be reasonable, uniform, disclosed; substantial mid-term changes wait for renewal.	§37-15-3a
Security deposit	Itemized return within statutory deadline under the general deposit law.	§37-6A
Habitability	Landlord keeps premises fit and habitable (general landlord-tenant law).	§37-6-30
Title	DMV certificate of title (Ch. 17A).	§17A-3-12b
Real property	Affix to owned land + cancel title + record → treated as real estate.	§17A-3-12b(a)

How to use this

This sheet summarizes; it does not replace the statute or legal advice. West Virginia's Act protects a newly placed home for a 12-month or 5-year good-cause period and requires three months' notice to end a tenancy, but it does not cap rent — gaps this guide flags honestly. Start with your written agreement (and the copy of the Article the park must give you), then check the controlling section for your issue.

Where to read more

• West Virginia 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.