Mobile home utilities in New Mexico

New Mexico's Mobile Home Park Act (NMSA 1978 §§47-10-1 to 47-10-23) gives residents detailed utility protections — line maintenance, a cost limit, a disclosed administrative fee, itemized bills, and meter-record access. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone disputing a specific charge or outage should consider consulting a licensed attorney in New Mexico.

What the statute says

Under NMSA 1978 §47-10-20(A), "mobile home park owners shall be responsible for maintaining all park-owned exterior utility lines from the mobile home hookups to the main lines in the park, except lines that are damaged by a resident." Section 47-10-20(B) provides that "when a landlord purchases utility services for residents, the charge for utility services billed to residents shall not exceed the cost per unit amount paid by the landlord to the suppliers," and §47-10-20(C) requires "reasonable access to records of meter readings."

The park may charge "a reasonable fee to offset the cost of administration" of providing utilities, but it must be "fully and accurately disclose[d] in writing in a rental agreement," and any increase requires 60 days' written notice (§47-10-21). The landlord must also provide "a monthly itemized bill" that separately lists each utility, "the amount consumed and the cost per unit," and any administrative fee (§47-10-22). A violation of §§47-10-19 through 47-10-22 can carry "a civil penalty not to exceed five hundred dollars" (§47-10-23).

How it works in general

In New Mexico, the park has to maintain the utility lines it owns up to each home's hookup, and when the park buys utilities and resells them, it can't charge residents more than its own per-unit cost. The only add-on allowed is a reasonable administrative fee — and that has to be disclosed in the rental agreement, with 60 days' notice before any increase. Residents get a monthly itemized bill showing each utility, the amount used, and the cost per unit, and can see their meter records. These billing rules have teeth: a violation can bring a civil penalty of up to $500.

Common scenarios

General examples New Mexico park residents commonly encounter:

• A utility bill exceeds the park's cost. Charging above the per-unit cost is barred (§47-10-20(B)).
• A park-owned line fails. The park must maintain it up to the home's hookup (§47-10-20(A)).
• A bill arrives with no breakdown. The bill must be itemized with amount consumed and cost per unit (§47-10-22).

Other authorities that may apply

The Mobile Home Park Act (NMSA 1978 §§47-10-20 to 47-10-23) governs utility-line maintenance, the cost limit, the administrative fee, itemized bills, and penalties; the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission regulates jurisdictional utility service and rates. The written rental agreement sets the disclosed administrative fee.