Buying a mobile home in Missouri

Missouri 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 landlord-tenant law, the title rules, and the Manufactured Housing Commission's regulation of the businesses that sell and install homes. This page compiles that law. For a specific purchase, consider consulting a licensed attorney in Missouri.

What the statute says

Mo. Rev. Stat. §700.010 defines the homes and the regulated businesses. A "manufactured home" is a HUD-size structure built to the federal standards; a "dealer" is a person who sells used or new manufactured homes; an "installer" is "licensed by the commission to install manufactured homes under sections 700.650 to 700.692"; and the "code" is "the standards relating to manufactured homes ... as adopted by the commission." Title runs through the Department of Revenue under §700.320, "in the manner prescribed by law for the acquisition of certificates of title to motor vehicles." Any security deposit the park charges is capped at two months' rent by §535.300.

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, dealers, and installers a buyer deals with, and a manufactured home is built to the federal HUD standards. The buyer takes ownership by transferring the Department of Revenue certificate of title (with sales tax handled at titling), and any security deposit the park requires can't exceed two months' rent. The written lease, bill of sale, and certificate of title are the core documents.

Common scenarios

General examples Missouri buyers commonly encounter:

• A buyer asks what protections apply. Missouri has no mobile-home buyer statute; the lease, title rules, deposit cap, and Commission licensing govern.
• A buyer checks a dealer or installer. The Manufactured Housing Commission licenses those businesses under chapter 700 (§700.010).
• A buyer takes ownership. The home transfers by its Department of Revenue certificate of title (§700.320).

Other authorities that may apply

The Manufactured Housing Commission regulates dealers, installers, and standards under chapter 700; the Department of Revenue handles title. The general landlord-tenant statutes govern the resulting tenancy and the deposit (§535.300), and federal lending rules and the Fair Housing Act can apply. The written lease and sale documents are the papers to review.