Who regulates utilities serving Florida mobile home parks?

Public utilities in Florida are regulated by the Florida Public Service Commission. Chapter 723 limits what a park may charge to resell utility service, but the underlying utility rates are a separate matter. This is general information, not advice about a specific bill.

Mobile home utilities and submetering in Florida

Q: Can a Florida park charge more than the utility company for resold electricity, gas, or water?

Florida Statutes §723.045 says no mobile home park owner may charge for the resale of electricity, gas, or water 'greater than that amount charged by the public utility.' The statute caps resale at the public utility's rate, with limited exceptions.

Q: What is a utility pass-through charge?

Under §723.003, a pass-through charge is the homeowner's proportionate share of the actual direct costs and impact or hookup fees for a governmentally mandated capital improvement, which can include certain regulated-utility costs. It is a defined category, not an open-ended surcharge.

When a Florida mobile home park bills residents for water, electricity, or gas, Chapter 723 puts a clear limit on what the park can charge to resell those utilities. The headline rule is a price cap tied to the public utility's own rate. This is general information about how the law works; for a specific bill or charge, consider consulting a licensed attorney in Florida.

What the statute says

Florida Statutes §723.045, "Sale of utilities by park owner or developer," limits resale pricing:

No mobile home park owner or developer...shall charge, demand, or receive, directly or indirectly, any amount for the resale of such electricity, gas, or water greater than that amount charged by the public utility.

In other words, when a park resells utility service to residents, it generally cannot mark the service up above what the public utility charges, subject to the limited exceptions in the statute.

Separately, §723.003 defines a "pass-through charge" as the homeowner's proportionate share of the actual direct costs and impact or hookup fees "for a governmentally mandated capital improvement," a category that can include certain costs for regulated utilities.

How it works in general

The resale cap in §723.045 is a consumer-protection rule: a park acting as a middleman for utility service is not supposed to profit on the resale by charging more than the utility's rate. That is different from a pass-through charge, which is a defined, narrow category tied to governmentally mandated capital improvements. Underneath all of this, the public utilities themselves are regulated by the Florida Public Service Commission, which sets the rates the cap refers back to.

Common scenarios

General examples Florida park residents commonly encounter:

A submetered water or electric bill from the park looks higher than expected. The §723.045 cap — no more than the public utility's amount — is the reference point.
A park describes a charge as a utility "pass-through." Whether it fits the §723.003 definition is the question that matters.
A resident wants to understand the underlying rate. That rate is set through the Public Service Commission, not the park.

Other authorities that may apply

Beyond Chapter 723, the Florida Public Service Commission's rules govern the regulated utilities themselves. A park's rental agreement and prospectus describe how utilities are provided and billed. And federal rules can apply to specific utility programs. The statute caps resale; these other authorities fill in how the service is delivered and priced.