Brief Description: Concerning closure of mobile home parks and manufactured housing communities.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Financial Institutions, Housing & Consumer Protection (originally sponsored by Senators Prentice and Fairley).

Senate Committee on Financial Institutions, Housing & Consumer Protection
House Committee on Housing

Background: Under current law, before a mobile home park closure or conversion, at least 12 months written notice must be given to the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED) and tenants, and be posted at all park entrances. All tenants entering a month-to-month rental agreement, signed after the park closure notice date, must also be given notice. The notice provided to CTED must include: (1) a good faith estimate of the timeline for removal of the mobile homes; and (2) the reason for the closure. This notice is required to be recorded with the county auditor.

In general, rental agreements for mobile home parks are required to contain a covenant providing that, except for acts beyond the landlord's control, the park will not be converted to a use that does not allow the continued use of the mobile home for a period of at least three years from the beginning date of the rental agreement. However, in place of such a covenant, the rental agreement may instead include a statement which provides that the park may be sold or otherwise transferred at any time, resulting in a park closure. This statement must be visually set-off from the other text (e.g. in a box or separated by a blank space).

Summary: Notice to CTED. Landlords must meet additional requirements in regards to notice of mobile home park closures or conversions. The notice sent to CTED must also include a list of the names and mailing addresses of the current registered park tenants. This notice must be sent by the landlord to CTED within 10 business days. After receiving the landlord's notice, CTED is required to send every tenant an application and information on relocation assistance within 10 business days.

Notice to Tenants. In addition to the existing statutory requirements, rental agreements for mobile home tenancies must also include the following statement verbatim: "The park may be sold or otherwise transferred at any time with the result that subsequent owners may close the mobile home park, or that the landlord may close the park at any time after the required notice." This statement must be in bold and located directly above the tenant's signature on the rental agreement.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      46   0
House      93   3   (House amended)
Senate      48   0   (Senate concurred)

Effective: June 7, 2006