Can a Virginia park charge an entrance or exit fee?

No. Under Va. Code §55.1-1306(A), a landlord shall not demand or collect 'an entrance fee for the privilege of leasing or occupying a manufactured home lot' or 'an exit fee for moving a manufactured home from a manufactured home park.' The park also can't charge a sale commission unless the tenant expressly hired it, or a fee for interior improvements unless hired. This is general information, not advice about a specific charge — consider consulting a licensed attorney in Virginia.

Is there a cap on late fees in Virginia parks?

Yes. Under Va. Code §55.1-1302(D), a late charge must be in the written agreement and 'shall not exceed the lesser of 10 percent of the periodic rent or 10 percent of the remaining balance due and owed by the tenant.'

Mobile home park fees in Virginia

Q: What charges can a Virginia park put in the lease?

Only rent, utilities, and reasonable incidental charges. Under Va. Code §55.1-1301, the written rental agreement 'shall not provide that the tenant pay any recurring charges except fixed rent, utility charges, or reasonable incidental charges for services or facilities supplied by the landlord.'

Virginia's Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act (Va. Code Title 55.1, Chapter 13) tightly controls park fees: it bans the most abusive ones, limits the agreement to a few categories of charges, and caps late fees. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone disputing a specific charge should consider consulting a licensed attorney in Virginia.

What the statute says

Section 55.1-1306(A) prohibits a landlord from demanding or collecting "an entrance fee for the privilege of leasing or occupying a manufactured home lot"; "a commission on the sale of a manufactured home ... unless the tenant expressly employs him to perform a service in connection with such sale"; "a fee for improvements or installations on the interior of a manufactured home, unless the tenant expressly employs him"; certain fees from television-service providers; and "an exit fee for moving a manufactured home from a manufactured home park." A "guest or invitee of the tenant shall have free access to the tenant's manufactured home site without charge" (subsection B).

Section 55.1-1301 limits all charges: the agreement "shall not provide that the tenant pay any recurring charges except fixed rent, utility charges, or reasonable incidental charges for services or facilities supplied by the landlord." And §55.1-1302(D) caps late fees at "the lesser of 10 percent of the periodic rent or 10 percent of the remaining balance due."

How it works in general

A Virginia park can't charge an entrance fee to move in or an exit fee to move out, can't take a sale commission unless the resident actually hired it, and can't charge for interior improvements it wasn't hired to make. The recurring charges in the lease are limited to rent, utilities, and reasonable incidental charges for services the landlord supplies — nothing else. Late fees are capped at 10% of the rent and must be written into the agreement. Security deposits are governed by the general landlord-tenant deposit law (and can't be increased on an automatic renewal).

Common scenarios

General examples Virginia park residents commonly encounter:

A park tries to charge a move-in "entrance fee" or move-out "exit fee." Both are barred (§55.1-1306).
A park demands a commission on a sale it didn't handle. Barred unless the resident hired it (§55.1-1306(A)(2)).
A late fee exceeds 10% of the rent. That's over the cap (§55.1-1302(D)).

Other authorities that may apply

The Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act (§§55.1-1301, 55.1-1302, 55.1-1306) governs park fees; security deposits follow §55.1-1226, and utility charges follow §55.1-1307. A willful violation of §55.1-1306 lets the tenant recover the greater of one month's rent or actual damages plus attorney fees (§55.1-1318). Federal law can apply in particular situations.