Selling a mobile home in North Carolina

North Carolina has no dedicated mobile home park statute and 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 general law; ownership of the home transfers through its DMV certificate of title. This page compiles that law. For a specific sale, consider consulting a licensed attorney in North Carolina.

What the statute says

North Carolina has no sell-in-place statute for mobile home lots. On how ownership moves, a manufactured home is titled through the Division of Motor Vehicles, so a sale is completed by assigning the certificate of title to the buyer, who applies for a new one. A home that has qualified as real property and had its title surrendered under N.C.G.S. §20-109.2 transfers with the land.

What the law does provide for a selling resident is time: under N.C.G.S. §42-14, ending a manufactured home lot tenancy requires a 60-day notice to quit, which gives a resident facing the loss of the lot a longer window to arrange a sale. There is no statute fixing a right to sell in place, limiting buyer-approval, or capping commissions.

How it works in general

Because no statute guarantees a right to sell in place or limits buyer approval, the written lease and park rules define what a selling resident may do — including whether a buyer who wants to keep the home in the park must be approved as a new tenant and on what terms. Ownership of the home transfers by its DMV certificate of title; a buyer who keeps the home in the park should confirm the park's approval and lease terms before closing. A home converted to real property transfers with the land.

Common scenarios

General examples North Carolina park residents commonly encounter:

• A resident wants to sell where the home 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.
• Ownership changes hands. The home transfers by assigning its DMV certificate of title.

Other authorities that may apply

The written lease and park rules are the primary authorities. Title transfer runs through the Division of Motor Vehicles, and conversion to real property (title surrender under §20-109.2) changes how the home is conveyed. The 60-day notice to quit (§42-14) gives a resident time before a tenancy ends. Federal law such as the Fair Housing Act can apply to buyer screening, and the bill of sale and any financing documents also control.