resident owned community is the term for a mobile home park that the residents bought and now own together, usually through a cooperative. This guide settles two things for you: how the sale process actually works, and what deadlines you must hit to have a real shot. You own your home. You rent the lot. Moving that home can cost $5,000 to $15,000, so “just move” is not an answer. Buying the land under you is often the only permanent fix.
How Resident Owned Community Purchases Actually Work
In a resident owned community, homeowners form a cooperative. Each household buys one share and gets one vote. The co-op takes out a mortgage and buys the whole park. Then the co-op becomes your landlord. You still pay lot rent. However, that rent now covers the loan, taxes, water lines, and repairs, instead of an investor’s profit.
Typically, no one writes a personal check for the purchase price. Nonprofit lenders such as ROC USA and its state partners underwrite the deal and send a technical assistance provider to walk residents through it. As of 2026, ROC USA reports over 300 resident owned communities across 21 states, covering more than 20,000 homeowners. Maine celebrated its 14th resident purchase in August 2026.
The rules that give you a shot come from state mobile-home park acts, not ordinary tenancy law. These acts are usually stronger than the rules for apartment renters. For example, an apartment tenant almost never gets notice that the building is for sale. Park residents often do. Deadlines vary a lot by state, so check your own.
| State | Notice or offer window | Key detail |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 120 days | Opportunity to purchase window under C.R.S. 38-12-217; raised from 90 days by HB22-1287. Certain delays can pause the clock. |
| Maine | 60 days | 2025 law (LD 1145) gives a right of first refusal to match a third-party offer if at least 51% of homeowners support it. |
| New Hampshire | 60 days | Owner must negotiate in good faith; residents must deliver a written purchase and sale agreement inside the 60 days. |
| Massachusetts | 45 days | Under G.L. c. 140, no sale until 45 days after notice; an association of 51%+ of tenants may match a bona fide offer. |
| Minnesota | 45 days | Under Minn. Stat. 327C.095, when a buyer plans to close or convert the park, residents get 45 days to match the cash price. |
Resident Owned Community: Your Rights, Step by Step
In most cases, the process follows the same path no matter which state you live in. Here is the order that works.
1. Save the notice. Photograph it. Write the date you received it on the copy. That date starts your clock. 2. Call a nonprofit technical assistance provider the same week. ROC USA, your state housing finance agency, or a local community loan fund can tell you within days whether the numbers work. 3. Form the group. Most states require support from a majority of homeowners, often 51%. Knock on doors. Get signatures. 4. Incorporate. File the cooperative with your Secretary of State. 5.
Request the financials. Many statutes let your committee demand rent rolls, expenses, and utility costs. 6. Submit a written offer before the deadline. A verbal offer usually does not count.
You can also find your own state’s park rules here: Mobile Home Tenants by State. Some states let residents assign their purchase right to a nonprofit or a city, which helps when financing runs slow.
The Mistakes That Cost Tenants
The biggest mistake is assuming a resident owned community is impossible because nobody in the park has money. That is backwards. The co-op borrows against the park’s own income, much like the investor buying it would. Your neighbors’ credit scores are usually not the deciding factor.
The second mistake is waiting for one hero to do it all. Deals die when three people carry a 60-day sprint alone. Split the work: one team knocks doors, one team handles paperwork, one team keeps the lender updated. Meet weekly and write down decisions.
The third mistake is missing the paper trail. If the owner never sent notice, or refused to negotiate, that failure may be your strongest legal claim later. For example, Maine residents have a cause of action in Superior Court when an owner skips notice or bad-faiths the negotiation. Keep every letter, email, and text. Many tenants who document early can still act after the fact; check with your court or a local legal-aid office.
When to Get Help (Legal Aid or an Attorney)
Call a local legal-aid office right away if you got a sale notice, a park closure notice, a rent spike, or an eviction filing. Eviction response windows are short, sometimes under 10 days, and they do not pause because a sale is pending. If you face an active eviction, treat that as the emergency and get a tenant attorney immediately.
To find free help, start with LSC.gov’s legal-aid finder, your state court’s self-help portal, or your state attorney general’s manufactured housing office. Several states, including Colorado and Minnesota, run park oversight programs that take resident complaints directly. HUD.gov also lists housing counselors near you.
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For the purchase itself, you want a real estate attorney who has closed a resident owned community deal before. Nonprofit providers usually have a short list. As a result, most co-ops do not have to hunt for one alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a resident owned community mean I own my lot outright?
No. The cooperative owns the whole park, and you own a share of the cooperative plus your home. You still pay monthly lot rent to the co-op. However, you and your neighbors vote on what that rent is.
What if my state has no opportunity-to-purchase law?
You can still approach the owner directly and ask for a chance to buy. Many sales happen this way, especially with retiring owners. A federal tax incentive for owners who sell to residents has also been proposed in 2026, so ask a nonprofit provider what is available now.
Can the owner just ignore us and sell anyway?
In states with these laws, ignoring the notice or refusing to negotiate in good faith can expose the owner to a lawsuit. Residents in Maine sued in 2025 over exactly that. Talk to a tenant attorney quickly, because these claims often have tight filing limits.
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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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.