Selling a mobile home in Kentucky

Kentucky does not have a dedicated mobile home park statute, and it has no law granting a right to sell a home in place or limiting a park's approval of a buyer. A sale is governed by the written lease, the park's rules, and — where the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act has been adopted locally — its general provisions. For a specific sale, consider consulting a licensed attorney in Kentucky.

What the statute says

Kentucky has no mobile-home-specific sell-in-place statute. Where the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act applies, KRS 383.565(1) leaves the terms to the agreement:

A landlord and a tenant may include in a rental agreement terms and conditions not prohibited by KRS 383.505 to 383.715 or other rule of law, including rent, term of the agreement, and other provisions governing the rights and obligations of the parties.

Title transfer is handled through the certificate-of-title system: a home that is personal property transfers by assignment of the Kentucky certificate of title, while a home converted to real estate under KRS 186A.297 transfers with the land.

How it works in general

Because no statute fixes a right to sell in place, approve buyers, or limit commissions for mobile home lots, the written lease and park rules define what a selling resident may and may not do, including whether a buyer must be approved as a new tenant and on what terms. Where the URLTA has been adopted, its general landlord-tenant provisions apply to the resulting tenancy. The certificate of title (or, after conversion, the real-property deed) is what actually transfers ownership of the home.

Common scenarios

General examples Kentucky park residents commonly encounter:

• A resident wants to sell the home where it sits. The lease and park rules — not a statute — set whether and how that can happen.
• A park screens the buyer as a new tenant. What it may require comes from the lease and, where adopted, the general URLTA rules.
• Ownership changes hands. The Kentucky certificate of title is assigned through the county clerk, or the home transfers with the land if converted to real estate.

Other authorities that may apply

The written lease and park rules are the primary authorities. Whether the URLTA applies depends on local adoption (KRS 383.500). Title transfer runs through the county clerk under KRS Chapter 186A, and federal law such as the Fair Housing Act can apply to buyer screening.