Mobile home eviction rules in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's Manufactured Home Community Rights Act (68 P.S. §398.1 et seq.) sharply limits when and how a park can evict a manufactured home owner: only four grounds, written notice, no self-help, and a strong presumption against retaliation. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone facing a specific notice should consider consulting a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania.

What the statute says

Section 3(a) limits the grounds: a park "may terminate or refuse to renew the lease of a lessee or may evict a lessee ... only for one of the following reasons: (1) Nonpayment of rent. (2) A second or subsequent violation of the rules of the manufactured home community occurring within a six-month period. (3) If there is a change in use of the community land or parts thereof. (4) Termination of the manufactured home community."

Section 3(b) sets the procedure: "A lessee shall not be evicted by any self-help measure," and before any eviction the park "shall notify the ... lessee in writing of the particular breach or violation ... by certified or registered mail." For nonpayment, the notice must allow payment "within 20 days from the date of service if the notice is given on or after April 1 and before September 1, and 30 days if given on or after September 1 and before April 1," and only one such notice is required in a six-month period. Section 3(c) bars eviction "when there is proof that the rules the lessee is accused of violating are not enforced with respect to" other residents.

Section 16 adds a retaliation presumption: any action "to recover possession ... or to change the lease within six months of a lessee's assertion of rights under this act or any other legal right shall raise a presumption that such action constitutes a retaliatory and unlawful eviction."

How it works in general

A Pennsylvania park can evict only for nonpayment, a repeat rule violation within six months, a change in the land's use, or closure of the community — not for arbitrary reasons. It must send written notice by certified or registered mail, and for unpaid rent it has to give 20 days (April–August) or 30 days (September–March) to pay before filing. It can't use self-help — no lockouts or removals without a court order through the eviction process — and it can't evict over a rule it doesn't enforce against everyone. If the park moves to evict or changes the lease within six months after a resident asserts their rights, the law presumes the action is illegal retaliation.

Common scenarios

General examples Pennsylvania park residents commonly encounter:

• A park tries to evict for a first rule violation. It can't — eviction for rules requires a second or subsequent violation within six months (§3(a)).
• Rent is overdue. The park must mail a certified notice giving 20 or 30 days (by season) to pay (§3(b)).
• A park retaliates after a complaint. An eviction or lease change within six months is presumed retaliatory and unlawful (§16).

Other authorities that may apply

The eviction lawsuit runs through the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951; the park-law grounds, notice, and anti-retaliation rules are in the Manufactured Home Community Rights Act (§§3, 16). A violation is also an unfair trade practice (§16.1), enforceable by the Attorney General, a district attorney, or a private suit. Federal protections such as the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and the Fair Housing Act can also apply.