Senate passes cap on annual space‑rent increases for owners of manufactured homes, exempts small parks
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Summary
House Bill 3054 limits annual manufactured‑home space rent increases for homeowners to 6% (with certain exceptions), exempts parks with 30 or fewer spaces and allows a one-time larger increase for infrastructure if a majority of homeowners approve; bill passed after extended floor debate focused on seniors and institutional investors.
The Senate passed House Bill 3054 on Thursday, a negotiated measure that seeks to limit rising space rents in manufactured‑home parks and marinas while preserving avenues for park owners to fund major repairs.
Under the bill as repassed, owners of manufactured homes who rent the pad or space where their home sits would be subject to a maximum annual space‑rent increase of 6 percent; parks and marinas with 30 or fewer spaces are exempt from the new cap. The bill allows an affected park to raise space rent up to 12 percent once every five years to cover significant infrastructure repairs, but that higher increase requires approval by homeowners occupying at least 51 percent of occupied spaces.
Senator Jeff Golden, who carried the bill on the floor, described the financial pressure many seniors face when space rents rise and argued the cap targets situations where homeowners are effectively captive customers. "These residents are typically on Social Security or other forms of sparse fixed income," Golden said in floor remarks that drew on testimony submitted to the Legislature. "No one should be forced to choose between paying rent and buying enough food."
Supporters pointed to testimony from hundreds of manufactured‑home residents documenting rapid rent hikes and argued the measure corrects a gap in earlier statewide rent laws that did not treat space‑rent situations the same as apartments or houses.
Opponents, including Senator Dick Meek, said the bill undercuts investor confidence by changing rules soon after prior rent‑related law and risks harming housing supply. "We are already changing the rules," Meek said, urging caution about altering conditions for private investors who finance or operate parks.
Senators representing districts with many manufactured‑home residents also emphasized stories of failed infrastructure and the difficulty of moving homes, which proponents said creates a captive tenancy. The House had made several changes in conference, including the small‑park exemption and removing a cap on rent increases when homes are sold to a new buyer.
On passage the clerk recorded that House Bill 3054 received the constitutional majority and was declared passed. Sponsors said the bill represents a balance between tenant protections and owners' ability to keep parks maintained, and they encouraged continued attention to affordable housing solutions.
