Mobile home eviction rules in Idaho

Idaho's Manufactured Home Residency Act (Idaho Code Title 55, Chapter 20) limits the grounds on which a manufactured home community landlord may terminate a lot tenancy and establishes required notice periods for each ground. The description below reflects how the statute is generally written; for a specific notice or eviction situation, consider consulting a licensed attorney in Idaho.

What the statute says

The controlling section is Idaho Code §55-2010, "Terminations." It restricts termination to five grounds and sets different notice timelines for each.

For nonpayment of rent or other charges, the statute requires:

3 days [to pay], then [at least] 30 days [to vacate]

For substantial or repeated violation of the rental agreement or community rules, the statute calls for 3 days to cure the violation, followed by 20 days' notice to vacate.

For closure of the community by order of a government authority, the statute references that ground separately. For a taking by eminent domain or a voluntary cessation of lot rental operations, §55-2010(1)(d) requires:

not less than one hundred eighty (180) days' notice

For non-renewal generally (outside those specific grounds), §55-2010(2) requires:

no less than ninety (90) days' written notice

Idaho Code §55-2011 adds that rental agreements are automatically renewed for their original term, except as provided in §55-2010, meaning a landlord generally cannot simply allow a lease to lapse without meeting the §55-2010 conditions.

How it works in general

Idaho's termination framework is "good cause" in structure. The statute enumerates the permitted grounds rather than leaving termination to general contract principles. Each ground carries its own timeline: a 3-day window to pay or cure, followed by either 20 or 30 days to vacate depending on the ground, and a much longer 180-day window when the community itself is ceasing operations. The automatic renewal provision in §55-2011 reinforces continuity of tenancy as the default. Notice must generally be served by personal delivery or certified mail under §55-2020.

Common scenarios

General situations Idaho manufactured home community residents commonly encounter:

• A landlord delivers a written notice citing unpaid lot rent. The 3-day payment window followed by a 30-day notice to vacate is the timeline set by §55-2010(1)(b).
• A landlord cites a violation of a community rule. The 3-day cure period and 20-day notice to vacate in §55-2010(1)(a) are what the statute sets for a substantial or repeated rule violation.
• A park announces it is converting to another use and will stop renting lots. The 180-day minimum notice in §55-2010(1)(d) is the statutory floor for cessation of lot rental operations.
• A resident whose month-to-month tenancy has been running for years receives a 30-day non-renewal notice. Under §55-2011, leases auto-renew unless §55-2010 grounds apply, so the adequacy of any non-renewal notice depends on whether the stated ground and its required notice period were met.

Other authorities that may apply

Chapter 20 sets the substantive grounds and minimum notice periods, but it is not the only authority. Idaho's court procedures for unlawful detainer actions (Idaho Code Title 6, Chapters 3 and related sections) govern the actual court process once notice has been given. The written rental agreement may provide additional tenant protections. Federal laws — including the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and the Fair Housing Act — can impose separate requirements depending on the circumstances. The retaliatory conduct prohibition in §55-2015 is also relevant when a termination follows protected resident activity.