Buying a mobile home in Kentucky
What Kentucky buyers face: no mobile-home-specific buyer law; the lease governs, the resulting tenancy is month-to-month by default, and title transfers through the county clerk.
Published June 3, 2026
Buying a manufactured home in a Kentucky community is governed mostly by the written lease and general law rather than a dedicated statute. Kentucky has no mobile home park act and no mobile-home-specific buyer-protection law; where the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act has been adopted locally, its general provisions apply to the resulting tenancy. For a specific purchase, consider consulting a licensed attorney in Kentucky.
What the statute says
Where the URLTA applies, KRS 383.565 governs the resulting tenancy. On the term, KRS 383.565(3) provides:
Unless the rental agreement fixes a definite term, the tenancy is week-to-week in case of a roomer who pays weekly rent, and in all other cases month-to-month.
There is no mobile-home-specific disclosure or buyer-approval statute. Ownership of the home is taken by assignment of the Kentucky certificate of title through the county clerk (KRS Chapter 186A), or, if the home has been converted to real estate under KRS 186A.297, it transfers with the land.
How it works in general
A buyer's relationship with the park is set by the lease and park rules; where the URLTA has been adopted, the lot tenancy is month-to-month unless the lease fixes a term, and the act's general protections apply. Because no statute requires mobile-home-specific disclosures or limits buyer screening, the written documents — the lease, the bill of sale, and the certificate of title — are what define the purchase. A buyer keeping the home in the park should confirm the park's approval and lease terms before closing.
Common scenarios
General examples Kentucky buyers commonly encounter:
- A buyer asks what protections apply. Kentucky has no mobile-home-specific buyer statute; the lease and, where adopted, the general URLTA govern.
- A buyer asks about the lease length. Section 383.565(3) makes it month-to-month unless the agreement fixes a term.
- A buyer takes ownership of the home. The Kentucky certificate of title is assigned through the county clerk, or the home transfers with the land if converted.
Other authorities that may apply
The written lease and park rules are the primary authorities, and whether the URLTA applies depends on local adoption (KRS 383.500). Title transfer runs through the county clerk under KRS Chapter 186A. Federal lending rules and the Fair Housing Act can apply, and mobile home parks are subject to state health licensing under KRS Chapter 219.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Kentucky have special buyer protections for mobile homes?
- No. Kentucky has no dedicated mobile home park statute and no mobile-home-specific buyer-protection law. A purchase and the resulting lot tenancy are governed by the written lease, the park's rules, and — where adopted — the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. This is general information, not advice about a specific purchase — consider consulting a licensed attorney in Kentucky.
- What kind of tenancy will a Kentucky buyer have?
- Month-to-month by default where the URLTA applies. KRS 383.565(3) provides that 'unless the rental agreement fixes a definite term, the tenancy is ... month-to-month.' The lease may fix a longer term.
- How does a Kentucky buyer take title to the home?
- By assignment of the Kentucky certificate of title through the county clerk (KRS Chapter 186A), unless the home has been converted to real estate under KRS 186A.297, in which case it transfers with the land.