California mobile home laws give park residents stronger protections than ordinary renters because moving a mobile home is expensive, sometimes impossible, and the homeowner usually owns the house while renting only the land underneath it. The core statute is the Mobilehome Residency Law (MRL), supplemented by the Mobilehome Parks Act, and both are enforced by the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Together they control why a park can evict you, how rent and utilities can be charged, your right to sell the home where it sits, and who is responsible for repairs.
Why Mobile Home Residents Are Treated Differently
Standard landlord-tenant rules assume the tenant can pack up and leave. A mobile home owner usually can’t. You own the structure, you’ve paid to install it on a specific pad, and relocating it costs thousands of dollars when it’s physically feasible at all. California law responds to that reality by narrowing the grounds for eviction, regulating transfer fees, and giving residents the right to sell the home in place to a qualified buyer. The MRL applies to the space you rent in a park; the Mobilehome Parks Act sets the operational standards parks must meet.
If you own both the home and the land it sits on, most of these park-specific protections don’t apply to you in the same way, because there’s no park management on the other side of the relationship. The rest of this article is written for park residents.
When a Park Can Evict You
Under Civil Code Section 798.56, management can terminate a mobile home tenancy only for specific reasons.1California Legislative Information. California Civil Code 798.56 There is no no-fault eviction. The permitted grounds are:
- Nonpayment of rent or utilities. The amount has to be at least five days past due, and management must then serve a three-day written notice to pay or vacate.
- Violation of a park rule. Management must give you written notice identifying the specific rule, and you have seven days to fix the problem. If you violate the same rule three or more times within 12 months, management is not required to give additional notice before moving to terminate.
- Substantial annoyance to other residents through conduct on park premises.
- Conviction for certain crimes committed on park premises, including specified felony drug offenses. The tenancy cannot be terminated on this basis if the convicted person has permanently moved out of the home.
- Failure to comply with a government order to correct a code violation within a reasonable time.
- Park condemnation or change of use. Homeowners must receive at least six months’ written notice after all required government permits are approved, and 60 days’ notice before management applies for those permits.
Once a ground for termination is established, management must give a written 60-day notice telling the homeowner to sell or remove the home. A copy of that notice has to go to any lienholders and to the registered owner within 10 days.2California Mobilehome Residency Law (MRL). California Mobilehome Residency Law – HTML Version
Active-duty service members get additional protection under the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. A landlord cannot evict a service member or their dependents without a court order, and a service member who receives permanent change of station orders or deployment orders for 90 days or more can terminate the lease by giving written notice with a copy of the orders. For monthly payers, the lease ends 30 days after the next rent payment is due.3U.S. Department of Justice. Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative – Financial and Housing Rights
Rent Increases and the Long-Term Lease Trap
Every mobile home park rental agreement in California must be in writing and disclose the rent, utility charges, and any fees for services or amenities. The MRL makes this mandatory.
Mobile home park spaces are largely exempt from the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act’s limits on local rent control, which means cities and counties can impose rent stabilization ordinances on parks, and many have. Local caps are often tied to the Consumer Price Index or set as a fixed annual percentage. Some ordinances let park owners seek increases above the cap only by showing higher operating costs or capital improvements.
Here’s the trap. Under Civil Code Section 798.17, signing a lease longer than 12 months can exempt your space from local rent control for the duration of the lease. Park management sometimes offers these longer leases precisely because they lock in predictable escalation while stripping away the local cap. If your city or county has a rent stabilization ordinance, be very careful before signing a lease longer than one year, and consider getting advice from a tenant advocacy group or attorney first.
Changes to Park Rules
Park rules must be in writing, included in your rental agreement, and applied uniformly. When management wants to change a rule, Civil Code Section 798.25 requires a meeting with residents after at least 10 days’ written notice, and residents who did not consent to the change must get written notice at least six months before the new rule takes effect. That six-month lead time is unusually long compared to standard rental housing and is one of the stronger protections in the MRL.
Management may enter your space at reasonable times for utility maintenance, tree care, driveway upkeep, and inspections if you have failed to maintain the space yourself, but cannot do so in a way that interferes with your quiet enjoyment.
Your Right to Sell the Home in Place
You can sell your mobile home without removing it from the park. Management cannot prohibit a sale within the park, cannot require you to use a particular broker or dealer, and cannot charge a transfer or selling fee unless you specifically request a service from management in writing.4Justia Law. California Civil Code 798.70-798.83 – Article 7
Management can require the home to be removed on sale only in limited situations:
- The home no longer qualifies as a “mobilehome” under the MRL’s definition.
- The home is over 20 years old (or over 25 if manufactured after September 15, 1971, and at least 20 feet wide) and fails a health and safety inspection.
- The home is in significantly rundown condition. Management bears the burden of proving this and cannot count the condition of the park’s own property against you.
A buyer must meet the same requirements as any new resident, including a background check and qualification for park residency. Management cannot unreasonably withhold approval of a buyer as a way to block the sale.
Repairs: Who Fixes What
The MRL draws a line between management’s duties and yours.
Management is responsible for common areas, roads, driveways, sewage systems, and utility connections, and must keep them in good working order. When something breaks unexpectedly, health and safety issues have to be addressed as soon as possible, and other repairs cannot take longer than 30 days unless unusual circumstances justify the delay.2California Mobilehome Residency Law (MRL). California Mobilehome Residency Law – HTML Version If management is neglecting these duties, you can file a complaint with HCD, which has authority to inspect parks and take enforcement action.
You are responsible for the mobile home itself and accessory structures like awnings, decks, and carports. If you ignore a safety-related maintenance problem, management can issue a written notice requiring repairs, and continued inaction can become grounds for termination under the rule violation process described above. Some local governments offer financial assistance for low-income homeowners who cannot afford necessary repairs.
Utility Billing Limits
If a park bills you separately for water, Civil Code Section 798.40 controls how. You pay only for what you actually use, plus a proportional share of fixed charges from the water provider. The park cannot roll common-area water usage into your bill. Management may add an administrative fee, but that fee is capped at $4.75 (adjusted annually by CPI) or 25 percent of the volumetric charge, whichever is less.5California Legislative Information. California Civil Code Division 2, Part 2, Chapter 2.5, Article 4 If you think you’re being overcharged, you can file a complaint with the California Public Utilities Commission.6California Public Utilities Commission. Utility Complaint
Fair Housing, Disability, and Assistance Animals
Mobile home parks must comply with the federal Fair Housing Act, which requires management to grant reasonable accommodations in rules and policies when a resident with a disability needs one. The most common example involves pet policies. Even in a park with a strict no-pets rule, management must make an exception for assistance animals, including service animals and emotional support animals, and cannot charge pet deposits or extra fees for them.7U.S. Department of Justice / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Joint Statement on Reasonable Accommodations Under the Fair Housing Act
Park offices and clubhouses open to the general public must also meet Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility standards, and the Fair Housing Act requires an accessible route to common-use areas even when a clubhouse is limited to residents.
Title, Registration, and the Real-Property Option
Every mobile home in California is registered and titled through HCD, not the DMV. HCD issues a Certificate of Title and a Registration Card, and together they are your proof of ownership. Without current registration, you’ll face penalties and problems selling, refinancing, or insuring the home.
To register or transfer a home, you submit the Multi-Purpose Transfer Form (HCD RT 476.6G) along with a bill of sale, the previous Certificate of Title, and, for homes with an “L” decal, a tax clearance certificate from the county tax collector confirming property taxes are paid.8California Department of Housing and Community Development. Registration and Titling Forms HCD will not process a transfer with unresolved liens or unpaid taxes.
By default, a mobile home is personal property. The Register Your Mobilehome California program, which previously let owners obtain title and registration with past-due fees and taxes waived, closed on December 31, 2020. Applications postmarked after that date are no longer accepted.9California Department of Housing and Community Development. Registration and Titling New applicants must pay all outstanding fees and taxes to register.
If you own the land under your home, you can convert it from personal property to real property under Health and Safety Code Section 18551. That changes how the home is taxed (it moves to the county property tax roll instead of paying annual HCD registration fees) and opens the door to conventional mortgage financing. The process requires a local building permit and installation on a permanent foundation that meets HCD specifications, proof you own or hold title to the land, release or consent of any lienholders, and foundation plans that match the manufacturer’s instructions or are signed off by a licensed architect or engineer.10California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 18551 A 35-year lease on the land (or a shorter mutually agreed term that can’t be revoked except for cause) also qualifies, so you don’t have to own the land in fee simple. Most park residents won’t be eligible because standard park rental agreements don’t meet these requirements.
For a sale, the seller provides the buyer with a properly endorsed Certificate of Title and a Bill of Sale (HCD RT 475.1), which includes a Statement of Facts section for additional transaction details.11Department of Housing and Community Development. Bill of Sale – Form HCD RT 475.1 Homes with an “L” decal (generally those manufactured after July 1, 1980) also need a tax clearance certificate. The buyer then files the Multi-Purpose Transfer Form with HCD. If the home has already been converted to real property, the sale is handled like any other real estate transaction, with a deed, title insurance, and escrow.
If You and Management Can’t Agree
Several paths exist for working out disputes over rent increases, maintenance failures, rule enforcement, or an attempted termination.
Mediation is often the first step and is sometimes required. Some local jurisdictions with rent control ordinances require mediation before either side can go to court, and city or county programs typically offer it free or at low cost.
If mediation doesn’t resolve the issue, you can file a complaint with HCD through the Mobilehome Residency Law Protection Program. The program was created by the Mobilehome Residency Law Protection Act of 2018, began accepting complaints on July 1, 2020, was originally set to sunset in 2024, and has been extended through January 1, 2027.12California Department of Housing and Community Development. Frequently Asked Questions It is funded by a $10-per-lot annual fee paid by park management (which can be passed on to homeowners), and HCD caseworkers help resolve the most serious alleged MRL violations.13California Department of Housing and Community Development. Mobilehome Residency Law Protection Program
Beyond those options, you can go to court. Civil litigation is available for retaliatory eviction, unfair practices, and other MRL violations, and residents can seek damages or an injunction. Legal aid organizations across the state provide free or reduced-cost help to mobile home residents who can’t afford an attorney, and some tenant advocacy groups focus specifically on mobile home park disputes.