Buying a mobile home in Louisiana

Louisiana has no dedicated mobile home park act and no mobile-home-specific buyer-protection statute. What governs a purchase is the written lease, the general civil law, the title rules, and the Manufactured Housing Commission's licensing of the businesses that sell and install homes. This page compiles that law. For a specific purchase, consider consulting a licensed attorney in Louisiana.

What the statute says

La. R.S. 51:911.22 defines the homes and the regulator. A "manufactured home" is "a factory-built, residential dwelling unit constructed to standards and codes ... promulgated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), under the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974," while a "mobile home" is one "built to voluntary standards prior to" that Act. The "Commission" is "the Louisiana Manufactured Housing Commission," and the "Code" incorporates the federal HUD standards "along with any construction or installation-related standards adopted by the Louisiana Manufactured Housing Commission."

How it works in general

A buyer's relationship with the park is set by the lease and park rules; there is no mobile-home-specific disclosure or buyer-approval statute. The Manufactured Housing Commission licenses the manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and installers a buyer deals with, and the home must bear the HUD seal if it is a manufactured home. Whether the home is movable (titled through the Office of Motor Vehicles) or immobilized as real estate (R.S. 9:1149.6) determines how the buyer takes ownership. The written lease, bill of sale, and certificate of title are the core documents.

Common scenarios

General examples Louisiana buyers commonly encounter:

• A buyer asks what protections apply. Louisiana has no mobile-home buyer statute; the lease, the title rules, and Commission licensing govern.
• A buyer checks a dealer or installer. The Manufactured Housing Commission licenses those businesses under R.S. 51:911.21 et seq.
• A buyer takes ownership. A movable home transfers by its OMV certificate of title; an immobilized home transfers with the land.

Other authorities that may apply

The Manufactured Housing Commission regulates dealers, installers, and warranties; the Office of Motor Vehicles handles title while the home is movable. The Civil Code lease articles govern the resulting tenancy, and federal lending rules and the Fair Housing Act can apply. The written lease and sale documents are the papers to review.