California Mobile Home Park Laws

California Mobile Home Park Laws — Lot Rent and Evictions (2026)

By Oleg Kachko · Updated August 22, 2026

✓ Law Verified August 2026

California mobile home park laws are their own world: you own the home, you rent the ground, and a separate set of rules, different from ordinary landlord-tenant law, decides what the park can charge, when it can evict, and what happens if the land is sold out from under the whole community. This guide covers those rules in plain English, verified against official California sources as of August 2026.

California Mobile Home Park Laws at a Glance

The law that governs parks Mobilehome Residency Law (MRL), California Civil Code sections 798 through 799.11, together with the Mobilehome Parks Act, Health and Safety Code sections 18200 through 18700, and change-of-use rules at Government Code sections 65863.7 and 65863.8
Notice before a lot rent increase 90 days written notice before any increase in space rent or in fees and charges, under Civil Code 798.30 and 798.32; actual receipt fewer than 90 days before the effective date does not satisfy the 90-day rule, and increases may not be imposed more often than every 90 days.
Cap on lot rent increases YES, in most parks: Civil Code 798.30.5 caps the increase over any 12-month period at 5 percent, or 3 percent plus the regional change in the cost of living, whichever is lower, measured against the lowest gross rental rate charged in the prior 12 months. Two increases in 12 months may not exceed that combined cap. The cap runs through January 1, 2030, when the section is repealed unless extended. It does not apply to a space already covered by a stricter local mobilehome rent stabilization ordinance (many California cities and counties have one, and those local caps often are lower), and certain newly constructed spaces and some pre-February 13, 2020 long-term leases are treated differently, so check your city or county ordinance as well.
Eviction notice periods Nonpayment of rent: rent is not delinquent until 5 days after the due date, then a 3-day notice to pay or quit, and if unpaid, a 60-day notice of termination of tenancy (Civ. Code 798.56(e)); management may refuse a late tender only after 3 legally sufficient 3-day notices in any 12-month period. Rule violation: 7-day written notice to cure the violation (Civ. Code 798.56(d)), and after a second violation of the same rule within 12 months, a 60-day termination notice. Substantial annoyance, failure to comply with law, or condemnation: 60 days written notice. Conviction for the specified drug, prostitution, or violent offenses: 3 days written notice to remove the home (Civ. Code 798.56(c)). Change of use: 15 days written notice that management will appear before a local body seeking change-of-use permits, then 6 months or more written notice of termination after the permits are approved, or 12 months or more if no local permit is required. All terminations must state the reason and the specific facts, and the legal owner, junior lienholders, and registered owner must be sent a copy by certified or registered mail within 10 days (Civ. Code 798.55(b)).

Why Park Living Has Its Own Rulebook in California

The MRL applies only where you own the mobilehome and rent the space (lot) under a rental agreement of 12 months or more or a month-to-month tenancy in a park with 2 or more spaces; it does not apply if you rent the coach itself from the park.

Because you own the structure but not the land, California gives you protections an apartment renter does not have: management must offer you a written rental agreement (Civ. Code 798.15), tenancy can be ended only for the limited statutory reasons in Civ. Code 798.56, you generally have the right to sell your home in place and keep it on the lot (Civ. Code 798.70-798.74),

and management may not unreasonably withhold approval of your buyer or require you to remove the home solely because it was sold (Civ. Code 798.73). Your lender/legal owner also must be sent copies of termination notices within 10 days (Civ. Code 798.55(b)).

Owning the home while renting the ground under it creates a kind of leverage no apartment landlord has: moving a manufactured home typically costs thousands of dollars, and many older homes cannot be moved at all without falling apart.

Lawmakers know that “just move” is not a real option for park residents, which is exactly why California mobile home park laws give lot renters protections apartment tenants never get, limited eviction grounds, longer notice periods, and rules about what happens when the park itself changes hands.

Lot Rent Increases: Your Rights Before You Pay More

Required notice: 90 days written notice before any increase in space rent or in fees and charges, under Civil Code 798.30 and 798.32; actual receipt fewer than 90 days before the effective date does not satisfy the 90-day rule, and increases may not be imposed more often than every 90 days.

Is there a cap? YES, in most parks: Civil Code 798.30.5 caps the increase over any 12-month period at 5 percent, or 3 percent plus the regional change in the cost of living, whichever is lower, measured against the lowest gross rental rate charged in the prior 12 months. Two increases in 12 months may not exceed that combined cap.

The cap runs through January 1, 2030, when the section is repealed unless extended.

It does not apply to a space already covered by a stricter local mobilehome rent stabilization ordinance (many California cities and counties have one, and those local caps often are lower), and certain newly constructed spaces and some pre-February 13, 2020 long-term leases are treated differently, so check your city or county ordinance as well.

Whatever the number on the notice, read it against the rules above before paying. An increase served with short notice, or one that violates a cap where California has one, is challengeable, and park residents who organize respond far more effectively than neighbors acting alone. Many states saw lot-rent fights turn into new legislation in the last two years for exactly this reason.

The Park Cannot Evict You for Just Any Reason

Civil Code 798.56 lists the only lawful reasons: (a) failure to comply with a local ordinance or state law or regulation relating to mobilehomes within a reasonable time after written notice; (b) conduct by the homeowner or a resident on park premises that constitutes a substantial annoyance to other homeowners or residents; (c) conviction for prostitution, or for specified controlled substance or violent felony offenses committed on the park premises;

(d) failure to comply with a reasonable written park rule or regulation after written notice, where the same rule has been violated twice within 12 months and written notice was given each time; (e) nonpayment of rent, utility charges, or reasonable incidental service charges; (f) condemnation of the park; and (g) change of use of the park or the part of it on which your space sits.

Nonpayment must be for amounts due for at least 5 days after the due date.

No other reason is a lawful ground, and you may be able to raise an improper-ground defense in an unlawful detainer case.

This list matters enormously: it means a park in California cannot simply non-renew you to free up the lot the way an apartment landlord might. If an eviction notice arrives, check it against the legal grounds first, park evictions fail in court most often because the stated reason is not on the list, or the notice skipped a required warning step.

If the Park Sells or Closes

When the park is sold: California does not give mobilehome residents a general right of first refusal when a park is sold.

Civil Code 798.80 gives a conditional advance-notice right: if homeowners have formed a resident organization (nonprofit corporation, stock cooperative, or similar entity) for the purpose of buying the park, and that organization has notified the owner in writing that residents are interested in purchasing, and renews that notice once each year, then the owner must give the organization’s president, secretary,

and treasurer written notice of intent to sell not less than 30 days and not more than one year before signing a listing agreement with a broker or offering the park for sale. The statute expressly is not a right of first refusal and does not reach sales the owner did not initiate (for example, foreclosure, family transfers, or government takings).

Separately, Government Code 65863.11 gives residents a right of first refusal in the change-of-use/conversion context, and the state Mobilehome Park Rehabilitation and Resident Ownership Program (MPRROP) at HCD offers financing to resident organizations and qualified nonprofits that want to buy their park.

SB 749 (Allen, 2025-2026) would add a full preservation-notice and competitive-bid pathway for residents and nonprofits, but as of August 2026 it has not been enacted, so it is not current law.

When the park closes: Before a park is closed or converted, the person proposing the change must file a relocation/conversion impact report with the local government and give a copy to a resident of each mobilehome at least 60 days before the hearing on the report (Gov. Code 65863.7).

Homeowners must get 15 days written notice that management will appear before the local body seeking change-of-use permits, and once permits are approved, 6 months or more written notice of termination of tenancy; if no local permit is required, the notice is 12 months or more (Civ. Code 798.56(g)).

The local agency may condition approval on mitigation, and if a displaced resident cannot obtain adequate housing in another mobilehome park, the party proposing the change must pay that resident the in-place market value of the mobilehome (Gov. Code 65863.7).

California sets no single statewide dollar relocation payment; amounts are set case by case in the impact report or by local ordinance, so the exact figure is UNVERIFIED as a statewide number and you may need to check your city or county mobilehome conversion ordinance.

Fees the Park Can and Cannot Charge in California

Civil Code 798.31 bars any fee except rent, utilities, and reasonable incidental service charges, and no fee may be charged for services actually included in the rent. Civil Code 798.37 bars any fee for entry, installation, hookup, or landscaping as a condition of tenancy, except an actual local-government-imposed cost tied to your specific site.

Civil Code 798.72 bars any transfer, selling, or listing fee when you sell your home in place, and bars a fee for the park’s showing of a home for sale.

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Civil Code 798.34 bars a guest fee where the guest stays no more than 20 consecutive days or 30 total days in a calendar year, and bars a fee for a live-in caregiver or for a homeowner’s grandchildren living with them.

Civil Code 798.39 caps any security deposit at two months’ rent, collectible only at initial occupancy, with no additional deposits later, and the deposit is generally refundable after 12 months of on-time payment.

Civil Code 798.36 limits fees for enforcing park rules, and Civil Code 798.41 governs unbundling utilities from rent, requiring a corresponding rent reduction; utilities submetered by the park are also regulated (Civ. Code 798.40-798.44), and you may be able to challenge a markup above the serving utility’s rate.

The park’s side of the bargain: Under Civil Code 798.15(d) the rental agreement must describe the physical improvements the park will provide, and Civil Code 798.37.5 requires management to maintain trees and driveways in the common areas and on the space (with allocation rules for trees).

The Mobilehome Parks Act and Title 25 of the California Code of Regulations require the park operator to keep park roadways, water, sewer, gas and electrical systems, lighting, drainage, permanent buildings, restrooms, pools, laundry and other common facilities under the park’s ownership and control in good repair and in compliance with health and safety standards (Health & Safety Code 18400.1, 18603, 18605, 18610).

Health & Safety Code 18603 requires a responsible person available by phone or in person at all times to respond to emergencies involving park utilities and common facilities, residing in the park where there are 50 or more units.

Enforcement is by HCD or by the city or county acting as local enforcement agency, and you may be able to file a complaint and, in some cases, sue for failure to maintain the premises.

The Trapped-Equity Problem and How to Protect Yourself

The economics of a mobile home park in California are unlike any apartment: you own the home, but moving it typically costs thousands of dollars, often more than an older home is worth, and many parks will not accept a home past a certain age. That is why lot-rent disputes feel so different here: walking away is rarely a real option, and park owners know it.

The law is what balances that power gap, which makes knowing the exact notice rules, fee limits, and eviction grounds in California worth more to a park resident than to almost any other kind of tenant.

Protect yourself the way the long-time residents do: keep every rent notice and rule change in writing, photograph the condition of your lot and the park’s common areas a couple of times a year, and read the community rules before signing anything, in most states the written rules you were given are what a court will hold both sides to.

Selling Your Home Without Losing Its Value

When it is time to leave, most residents sell the home in place rather than move it, and this is where park rules matter most.

Many states limit a park’s power to block an in-place sale: the park can usually screen the buyer the way it screens any new resident, but it generally cannot force you to remove a home just because you are selling, and it cannot demand a cut of your sale price unless it actually acted as your sales agent.

Get the park’s buyer-approval requirements in writing early, keep the lot rent current through the sale, and never sign a rule change mid-sale without reading it, a home that can stay on its lot is worth far more than one that has to be moved.

The Strongest Protection Is the Lot Next Door

Everything about park life is shared, the roads, the water lines, the rent schedule, the fate of the land itself. That is why the single most effective move a park resident in California can make is joining or forming a residents association. A park owner can ignore one complaint about a rent increase; ignoring a letter signed by sixty households is a different decision.

Associations are also how residents use park-sale rights in the states that grant them, organized communities have bought their own parks across the country, usually with help from nonprofit lenders who specialize in exactly this.

Keep your own records the same way any tenant should: the lease for your lot, every rent notice, every rule change, photos of anything the park fails to maintain. California mobile home park laws reward the resident who can show a judge dates and documents, and most disputes never reach a judge once the park realizes you have them.

Recent changes in California: The statewide space-rent cap in Civil Code 798.30.5 (lower of 5 percent, or 3 percent plus cost-of-living) remains in effect and is scheduled to repeal on January 1, 2030, and AB 1128 (2025-2026) — which would extend it to 2036 and broaden which parks are covered — was still in Assembly Judiciary as of mid-2026 and is not law.

AB 391 (Chapter, signed October 6, 2025, effective January 1, 2026) lets parks deliver MRL notices and the annual MRL copy by email only with your affirmative written consent, which you may revoke in writing at any time, and requires notices to go to both the homeowner and the resident.

SB 749 (Allen) would require 12-month and 6-month closure notices to residents and public agencies plus a resident/nonprofit competitive-bid preservation pathway, but it stalled in Assembly committee in August 2025 and has not been enacted, so the current closure notice rules are still Civil Code 798.56(g) and Government Code 65863.7 — check your local mobilehome rent stabilization or conversion ordinance,

since many California cities and counties impose stricter caps and closure protections.

California Mobile Home Park Laws: Quick Answers

Can the park raise lot rent whenever it wants? The California mobile home park laws above set the notice rules, and any cap, that apply before an increase is valid.

Can the park make me remove my home? Only for the legal grounds listed in the California mobile home park laws, and only through the court process, never by padlock or tow truck.

Do apartment tenant rights apply to me? Partly. The California mobile home park laws are their own chapter, and this page plus the state guides linked below cover both layers.

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Official California Sources & Resources

Making California Mobile Home Park Laws Work for You

The California mobile home park laws only protect residents who use them, and parks count on most residents never reading the act. Read your lot lease against this page, calendar every notice deadline the moment a letter arrives, and talk to your neighbors, nearly every protection in the California mobile home park laws gets stronger when residents act together.

If the park ignores the rules, the state agency and local legal aid both handle park disputes, and a written complaint citing the act gets a very different response than a phone call. Under the California mobile home park laws, the resident with documents and neighbors is never as trapped as the park hopes.

This guide to california mobile home park laws was last verified against official sources in August 2026. Lot-rent caps and park-sale laws are moving fast in many states, re-check before acting on a deadline.

More California Tenant Rights Guides

Disclaimer: This guide is informational only and is not legal advice. Landlord-tenant laws change and vary by city and county within a state. Verify current rules with your state, your local court, or a free legal-aid office before acting. If you are facing eviction, contact a local tenant attorney or legal-aid organization right away.

Renting? Protect your belongings — compare renters insurance at Home Insure Guide. Divorce involving a lease? See Divorce Help Guide. Unsafe housing / toxic mold injury? Some cases qualify — see Mass Tort Info.