Mobile home lot rent rules in Ohio

Ohio has a dedicated manufactured home park law — Ohio Rev. Code §§4781.36 to 4781.52 — that controls when and how lot rent can change, though it does not cap the amount. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone dealing with a specific increase should consider consulting a licensed attorney in Ohio.

What the statute says

Ohio Rev. Code §4781.40(A)(1) entitles a homeowner to a real lease: "The park operator shall offer each home owner a written rental agreement for a manufactured home park lot for a term of one year or more that contains terms essentially the same as any alternative month-to-month rental agreement offered to current and prospective tenants and owners."

Section 4781.40(B) controls increases:

No fees, charges, assessments, or rental fees so disclosed may be increased nor rules changed by a park operator without specifying the date of implementation of the changed fees, charges, assessments, rental fees, or rules, which date shall be not less than thirty days after written notice of the change and its effective date to all tenants or owners in the manufactured home park, and no fee, charge, assessment, or rental fee shall be increased during the term of any tenant's or owner's rental agreement.

There is no statute capping the amount of an increase; the written rental agreement controls the rent itself.

How it works in general

An Ohio park can raise lot rent only at renewal — never in the middle of a rental agreement's term — and only after giving every resident at least 30 days' written notice that states the new amount and its effective date. A homeowner is also entitled to be offered a written rental agreement of one year or more (with terms essentially the same as any month-to-month deal the park offers), which locks the rent for that term. There is no statewide cap on the amount, and §4781.52 stops a municipality or township from setting one where the state law already governs the parties' rights — so the lease and the market set the figure while §4781.40 fixes the timing.

Common scenarios

General examples Ohio park residents commonly encounter:

• A rent increase is announced on short notice. It can't take effect until at least 30 days after written notice stating the new amount and date (§4781.40(B)).
• The park tries to raise rent mid-lease. It can't — no rental fee may be increased during the term of a rental agreement (§4781.40(B)).
• A resident looks for a statewide cap. Ohio sets none; the written rental agreement controls the amount.

Other authorities that may apply

The manufactured home park law (§§4781.36 to 4781.52) governs rent timing and the one-year rental-agreement offer; a violation lets the resident recover actual damages and, on a judgment, attorneys' fees, or terminate the agreement (§4781.40(I)). The Division of Industrial Compliance in the Ohio Department of Commerce administers the park rules. Federal law such as the Fair Housing Act can apply to how an increase is administered.