Can a Virginia park mark up the utilities it resells?

No, not beyond the statutory limit. Under Va. Code §55.1-1307, 'a landlord who purchases from a publicly regulated utility any electricity, gas, or other utility service, including water and sewer services, for resale or pass-through to a tenant may not charge ... an amount that exceeds the amount permitted under the provisions of § 55.1-1212' — the general landlord-tenant utility-billing limit. This is general information, not advice about a specific bill — consider consulting a licensed attorney in Virginia.

Mobile home utilities in Virginia

Q: Does a Virginia park have to maintain the utilities?

Yes, for what it supplies. Under Va. Code §55.1-1303, the landlord shall 'maintain in good and working order and condition all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and other facilities and appliances supplied or required to be supplied by the landlord,' and 'provide reasonable access to electric, water, and sewage disposal connections for each manufactured home lot.'

Q: Does a Virginia park have to warn before shutting off utilities for work?

Yes — 48 hours. Under Va. Code §55.1-1303(5), 'in the event of a planned disruption by the landlord in electric, water, or sewage disposal services, the landlord shall give written notice to tenants no less than 48 hours prior to the planned disruption in service.'

Virginia's Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act (Va. Code Title 55.1, Chapter 13) protects residents on utilities: a limit on resale charges, a duty to maintain the systems, and advance notice of planned disruptions. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone disputing a specific charge or outage should consider consulting a licensed attorney in Virginia.

What the statute says

Section 55.1-1307 limits resale charges: "a landlord who purchases from a publicly regulated utility any electricity, gas, or other utility service, including water and sewer services, for resale or pass-through to a tenant may not charge for the resale or pass-through of such service an amount that exceeds the amount permitted under the provisions of § 55.1-1212" — the general landlord-tenant law's cap on utility billing.

Section 55.1-1303 sets the maintenance and access duties: the landlord shall "maintain in good and working order and condition all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and other facilities and appliances supplied or required to be supplied by the landlord" (subdivision 3), and "provide reasonable access to electric, water, and sewage disposal connections for each manufactured home lot," with the requirement that "in the event of a planned disruption by the landlord in electric, water, or sewage disposal services, the landlord shall give written notice to tenants no less than 48 hours prior to the planned disruption" (subdivision 5).

How it works in general

If a Virginia park buys utility service from a regulated utility and passes it through to residents, it can't charge more than the statutory limit — it can't profit on the resale beyond what §55.1-1212 allows. The park has to keep the electrical, plumbing, water, and sewer systems it supplies in good working order and provide reasonable access to the connections at each lot. And before any planned shutoff for work on electric, water, or sewage service, the park must give residents at least 48 hours' written notice.

Common scenarios

General examples Virginia park residents commonly encounter:

A park bills more than the statutory limit for resold utilities. That's barred (§55.1-1307).
A supplied water or sewer system breaks. The landlord must keep supplied systems in good working order (§55.1-1303(3)).
A planned outage is coming for repairs. Residents must get at least 48 hours' written notice (§55.1-1303(5)).

Other authorities that may apply

The Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act (§§55.1-1303, 55.1-1307) governs utility charges, maintenance, and disruption notice; the resale cap runs through the general landlord-tenant law (§55.1-1212). The Virginia State Corporation Commission regulates jurisdictional utility service and rates. The written rental agreement sets the billing terms within these limits.