Right of first refusal (ROFR)
A legal right that gives residents or their association a chance to match an offer and buy their community before the owner sells it to someone else.
Published May 31, 2026
A right of first refusal, or ROFR, is a right that gives a defined party — often the residents of a manufactured home community or their association — the chance to buy the community before the owner sells it to an outside buyer. In some states, statutes give residents a version of this right when an owner decides to sell or receives an offer.
Where it applies, a right of first refusal usually works like this: the owner must notify residents of an intended sale or a bona fide offer, and the residents (often acting together) are given a window of time to match the terms and purchase the community themselves. The details — what triggers the right, how much notice is required, and how long residents have — vary significantly by state.
A right of first refusal is one of the main pathways toward forming a resident-owned community. Whether one exists, and exactly how it works, depends entirely on your state's law and any agreement.
This is general information, not legal advice.