Mobile home park fees in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's Manufactured Home Community Rights Act (68 P.S. §398.1 et seq.) tightly controls park fees: it bans some outright, caps others at the park's actual cost, and makes every charge disclose-or-lose-it. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone disputing a specific charge should consider consulting a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania.

What the statute says

Section 8 is the bluntest: "Entrance and exit fees may not be charged." Section 9 caps move-related fees: "Any fee charged by the community owner for the installation or removal of a manufactured home ... shall not exceed the actual cost," and such fees are refundable if the park "acts to recover possession of said space for reasons other than nonpayment of rent or breach ... within one year," with "treble their amount plus court costs and reasonable attorney fees" for failure to refund. Section 7 caps appliance fees at "the actual cost," and Section 10 bars an overnight-guest fee.

Section 6 ties it together with disclosure: all rent, fees, service charges, assessments, and utility charges "shall be fully disclosed in writing to a prospective manufactured home lessee prior to ... acceptance of any initial deposit, fee or rent and prior to execution of the ... lease," and "failure to disclose such rent, fees, service charges and assessments shall render them void and unenforceable." Increases are "unenforceable until 30 days after notice," and "rent shall not be increased during the term of the lease."

How it works in general

A Pennsylvania park can't charge an entrance or exit fee at all, and it can't profit on moving a home — installation and removal fees are limited to actual cost, and they come back (with treble damages) if the park forces the home out within a year for no fault of the resident. Appliance installation fees are likewise capped at cost, and there's no charge for overnight guests. Above all, every fee and service charge has to be disclosed in writing before the lease is signed; a fee the park failed to disclose simply can't be collected, and any increase needs 30 days' notice and can't land mid-lease.

Common scenarios

General examples Pennsylvania park residents commonly encounter:

• A park tries to charge an entrance or "exit" fee. Prohibited outright (§8).
• A move-in or move-out fee looks inflated. It can't exceed the park's actual cost, and is refundable in some cases (§9).
• A new fee appears that wasn't disclosed before signing. It's void and uncollectible (§6).

Other authorities that may apply

The Manufactured Home Community Rights Act (§§6–10) governs park fees; a violation is enforceable by the Attorney General, a district attorney, or a private suit, and is an unfair trade practice (§16.1). The Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 governs a security deposit (§9(b)). Federal law can apply in particular situations.