Can an Illinois park require a buyer to purchase the home from the park owner?

No. Section 765 ILCS 745/12a bars any lease provision requiring a tenant 'to purchase a mobile home from the park owner,' and no such requirement may be a condition of entering a lease. This is general information, not advice about a specific purchase — consider consulting a licensed attorney in Illinois.

What must an Illinois park disclose to a prospective buyer?

Section 6.5 requires a written disclosure with every lease or sale, including the rent charged 'in the past 5 years,' fees beyond base rent, security-deposit rights, and 'a 3-year rent increase projection,' plus the owner's contact information. The disclosure must be updated at least once a year.

Does a buyer who keeps the home in the park need a lease?

Yes. Under Section 24, a purchaser who is not removing the home 'must obtain a written and signed lease' before closing. The park may apply general, lawful qualifications for new residents to the buyer's application.

Buying a mobile home in Illinois

Buying a manufactured home in an Illinois community comes with statutory disclosures and protections. The Mobile Home Landlord and Tenant Rights Act (765 ILCS 745) requires the park to disclose rent history and fees, bars a park from forcing buyers to purchase from the owner, and requires the buyer to sign a lease before closing. For a specific purchase, consider consulting a licensed attorney in Illinois.

What the statute says

Section 6.5, "Disclosure," requires a written disclosure with every lease or sale, including:

(1) the rent charged for the mobile home or lot in the past 5 years; ... (7) information on a 3-year rent increase projection which includes the 2 years of the lease and the year immediately following.

Section 12a bars any lease provision "requiring the tenant to purchase a mobile home from the park owner," and provides that "no such requirement shall be made as a condition precedent to entering into a lease agreement." Section 24 requires that a purchaser who keeps the home in the park "must obtain a written and signed lease" before closing, while allowing the park to apply "general qualifications or lawful restrictions on park residents."

How it works in general

Before buying, a prospective resident is entitled to the written disclosure — including the five-year rent history and the three-year rent projection — which shows the cost trajectory of the lot. A park cannot make buying a particular home from the park owner a condition of the lease. A buyer keeping the home in the park must sign a lease and may be screened under the park's general, lawful resident qualifications; a buyer removing the home must use an installer licensed under the Manufactured Home Installers Act. Section 4 also bars renting or offering a home or lot that does not conform to applicable sanitation, housing, and health codes.

Common scenarios

General examples Illinois buyers commonly encounter:

A park steers a buyer toward homes it owns. Section 12a bars requiring purchase from the park owner as a lease condition.
A buyer wants to know the rent history. Section 6.5 entitles them to a five-year rent history and a three-year projection in writing.
A buyer plans to keep the home in place. Section 24 requires a signed lease before closing, subject to the park's general resident qualifications.

Other authorities that may apply

Title transfer for a manufactured home runs through the Illinois Secretary of State, and converting a home to real property is governed by separate Illinois law. The Mobile Home Park Act (210 ILCS 115) governs park licensing and conditions through the Illinois Department of Public Health. Federal lending rules and the Fair Housing Act can apply, and the written lease and disclosure are the core documents to review.