Mobile home lot rent rules in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has a dedicated park law — the Manufactured Home Community Rights Act (68 P.S. §398.1 et seq.) — that requires a written lease and controls when 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 Pennsylvania.

What the statute says

Section 4.1 requires a real lease: "Every lease for a manufactured home space shall be in writing and shall be for a duration term of one month, unless a longer period is mutually agreed upon ... and shall be renewable." It then limits increases: "Rents for a mobile home site, commonly known as ground rents, shall not change more than once in a 12-month period" (§4.1(b)), and at renewal the park "shall offer the lessee a renewal lease for the same term and with the same provisions ... unless the manufactured home community owner notifies the lessee in writing of any changes, at least 60 days prior to the expiration of the lease" (§4.1(c)).

Section 6(c) controls the increase itself: increases in rent and fees "shall be unenforceable until 30 days after notice thereof has been posted in the public portion of the community office ... and mailed to the manufactured home lessee. However, rent shall not be increased during the term of the lease." There is no statute capping the amount of an increase.

How it works in general

A Pennsylvania park resident is entitled to a written lease (at least a month, renewable), and the park can change ground rent only once in any 12-month period. A rent increase can't take effect in the middle of a lease term — only at a new or renewed lease — and any increase is unenforceable until at least 30 days after the park posts and mails written notice. At renewal, the park must give 60 days' notice of any changed terms, and the resident then has 30 days to accept or give notice to vacate. There is no statewide cap on the amount, so the lease and the market set the figure while the Act fixes the timing and notice.

Common scenarios

General examples Pennsylvania park residents commonly encounter:

• A park tries to raise rent twice in a year. Ground rent can change only once in any 12-month period (§4.1(b)).
• A rent increase is announced mid-lease. It can't take effect during the lease term, and not until 30 days after written notice (§6(c)).
• A lease is up for renewal. The park must give 60 days' notice of any changes, and the resident has 30 days to accept or give notice to vacate (§4.1(c); §13(e)).

Other authorities that may apply

The Manufactured Home Community Rights Act (68 P.S. §398.1 et seq.) governs the written lease and the timing of increases; a violation is enforceable by the Attorney General, a district attorney, or a private lawsuit (and is an unfair trade practice under §16.1). The Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 supplies general tenancy rules. Federal law such as the Fair Housing Act can apply to how an increase is administered.