Mobile home park maintenance is the part of park life that causes the most confusion and the most anger. You own your home, but you rent the lot under it. So when the road floods, the water line breaks, or the sewer backs up, who pays? This guide settles that line for you. It explains what the park must fix, what stays yours, and what to do when the park ignores you.
How Mobile Home Park Maintenance Actually Works
Most states have a separate law just for manufactured home communities. These acts exist because your situation is different. A regular renter can pack a truck and leave. You cannot. Moving a manufactured home typically costs $5,000 to $15,000, and many older homes will not survive the trip. Lawmakers knew that. As a result, park acts often give you stronger repair rights than ordinary tenancy law does.
The dividing line is usually the hookup. Everything from the street to your connection point belongs to the park. Everything past that point belongs to you. For example, if the water main under the road bursts, that is the park’s bill. If the pipe under your floor freezes, that is yours. The same logic covers electrical pedestals, sewer laterals, and gas lines.
Deadlines and penalties are where states differ the most. Here are exact figures from four state park acts:
| State | What the park must maintain | Exact deadline or penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | Roads, common areas, water, electricity, sewer/septic to the hookup (RCW 59.20.130) | 24 hours to start work if the defect is imminently hazardous to life; 48 hours if water, electric, or sewer service is out; 7 days for other required repairs. Tenants may repair and deduct up to one month’s lot rent per calendar year. |
| Oregon | Rented space, vacant spaces, and common areas kept habitable (ORS 90.730) | 7 days to fix an essential service; 30 days for all other violations. Tenancy may end no sooner than 30 days after written notice. |
| Colorado | Roads passable for emergency vehicles and school buses, drainage, snow removal, common areas (C.R.S. 38-12-212.3) | Within 24 hours of a water service disruption, the park must supply alternate potable water and portable toilets. |
| Florida | Common areas and improvements in good repair; utility connections in proper operating condition (Fla. Stat. 723.022) | No fixed hour count, but a park owner who violates the chapter can be sued for damages plus attorney fees under Fla. Stat. 723.068. |
| California | Physical improvements in common facilities in good working order (Civ. Code 798.87) | Substantial failure is a public nuisance. A prevailing homeowner may be awarded up to $2,000 per willful violation (Civ. Code 798.86). |
Mobile Home Park Maintenance: Your Rights, Step by Step
Follow these steps in order. Skipping the paperwork is the single most common reason tenants lose these fights.
1. Write it down before you call. Note the date, the problem, and the exact location. 2. Take photos and video. Get a wide shot and a close shot. Include a timestamp if your phone allows it. 3. Send written notice. Text and email count in most states, but certified mail is strongest. Say plainly what is broken and ask for a repair date. 4. Keep a copy of everything. Save the receipt or the delivery confirmation.
5. Start the clock. Your state’s deadline usually begins when the park receives your written notice, not when you first complained in person. 6. Call your local health or building department. An inspector’s report is powerful evidence, and it costs nothing. 7. Ask about repair-and-deduct. Washington and several other states allow it, but only after proper notice and, in Washington, after you submit two bids.
The Mistakes That Cost Tenants
The biggest mistake is withholding rent without a legal basis. Repair-and-deduct is a specific statutory right with specific steps. Simply not paying is usually treated as nonpayment, and that can lead to eviction. Follow your state’s written process instead.
The second mistake is accepting a park rule that transfers the park’s duties to you. For example, a rule that says residents must repair their own sewer lateral back to the main will often not hold up, because the park act sets the duty. However, you may still need a court or agency to say so. Keep the rulebook, and keep the lease.
The third mistake is trusting a verbal promise. Managers change. A promise made in the office in March disappears by June. Send a short follow-up email after every conversation: “Confirming what we discussed today.” Typically, that one habit wins more cases than anything else. A fourth mistake is assuming ordinary tenant law applies. In most cases, a manufactured home park act controls, and it may give you more. You can find your state’s rules through our mobile home tenant guides by state.
When to Get Help (Legal Aid or an Attorney)
Call a lawyer right away if you are facing eviction, a lot rent increase tied to your complaints, or a park closure notice. Retaliation after a maintenance complaint is illegal in most states, but proving it takes speed and records. You may be able to raise retaliation as a defense — check with your court or a local legal-aid office.
Free help exists. Start with the Legal Services Corporation directory at lsc.gov/find-legal-aid. Your state court’s self-help portal often has free forms and plain-English guides. HUD-approved housing counselors are also free; find one at hud.gov/findacounselor. If a legal term confuses you, the Cornell Legal Information Institute at law.cornell.edu/wex defines it in plain English.
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Many states also run a mobile home ombudsman or complaint program. California, Florida, Washington, Oregon, and Colorado all have one. These offices can investigate a park’s failure without you filing a lawsuit. Many tenants in those states can resolve a mobile home park maintenance dispute this way, at no cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who fixes a water leak between the meter and my home?
It depends on where the meter and hookup sit. In most cases, the park maintains the line up to your point of hookup, and you maintain everything past it. Check your lease and your state’s park act, because a few states place submetered lines with the park.
Can the park charge me for road repairs through a pass-through fee?
Some states allow certain pass-through charges, but they must be disclosed in advance and follow the statute. A charge that simply relabels the park’s own mobile home park maintenance duty as a resident fee is often challengeable. Ask your state’s mobile home program before paying under protest.
What if the park says my home is too old and orders me to replace the skirting?
Skirting is usually your responsibility, so that request may be valid. However, the park must give proper written notice and reasonable time to comply, and it cannot enforce the rule against one resident only. Selective enforcement is a real defense in many states.
Protect your stuff while you sort this out
A landlord’s insurance does not cover your belongings — renters insurance does, often for a few dollars a month. Compare options before your next move.
Find Your State’s Exact Rules
Notice periods, deposit caps, and the eviction timeline all change from state to state. Pick your state to see the exact days, dollar limits, and steps that apply where you live.
See Tenant Rights in All 50 States →
Sources & How to Verify
The rules on this page are drawn from official government and legal-aid sources. Tenant law changes, so always confirm the exact rule with your state’s statute or a local legal-aid office.
- HUD: hud.gov — federal renter protections and fair housing
- Legal Services Corporation: lsc.gov — find free legal aid in your state
- Cornell Legal Information Institute: law.cornell.edu/wex — plain-English legal definitions
- Your state statute & court self-help portal: search “[your state] landlord tenant act” and “[your state] court self-help eviction” for the exact law and forms
Content last reviewed August 2026. If you notice outdated information, please contact us.
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- Notices, Letters & Documents
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- Tenant Rights Legal Glossary
Informational only — not legal advice. Tenant Rights Info is an independent educational resource, not a law firm, and this page does not provide legal advice. Landlord-tenant law varies by state and city and changes over time, so always verify the exact rule with your state’s statute, your local court’s self-help portal, or a legal-aid office. For urgent situations like an active eviction, contact a local legal-aid office or a licensed tenant attorney in your state right away.