House approves 6% annual cap on site rents for most manufactured-home parks

Representative Marsh presented House Bill 30 54, arguing the measure would provide relief to manufactured-home homeowners who own their units but rent the land beneath them.

Marsh said Oregon has roughly 62,000 manufactured homes and more than 1,000 parks and that residents often are on fixed incomes with limited options when site rents rise. "House Bill 30 54 as amended is a thoughtful, nuanced approach that will provide some relief to the manufactured home residents who have so few options when the rent goes up," Representative Marsh said.

The bill, as amended in the dash-2, does five main things: it caps annual rent increases for residents who own their homes on sites in parks and marinas with more than 30 spaces at 6% (small parks of 30 or fewer spaces are exempt); it allows larger-park owners to propose a one-time increase of up to 12% once every five years for substantial infrastructure repairs or upgrades if a majority (51%) of occupied spaces approve; it prohibits landlords from conditioning a sale on cosmetic or aesthetic changes to the home; it bars landlords from requiring interior inspections of a home as a condition of sale; and it removes a previously proposed cap on resetting rents at the point of sale.

Supporters, including Representative Neuron, said the bill addresses predatory practices and infrastructure neglect in larger parks and preserves an important source of affordable housing. Representative Neuron said residents described unsafe water and requirements that could prevent home sales, and praised the tenant-vote provision for infrastructure increases.

Opponents, including Representatives Helfrich, Bobby Levy, Boyce, and others, argued the bill would reduce owners' ability to maintain parks, discourage private investment, and push owners to close parks for redevelopment. Representative Helfrich said the measure "seeks to penalize private housing providers" and warned it could reduce maintenance and investment. Several speakers pointed to prior state-authorized rent increases in publicly managed affordable portfolios as evidence that inflation and costs sometimes require higher increases than a fixed 6%.

Several members asked technical questions during floor debate. Representatives Drazen and others questioned whether the 6% cap would be revisited or adjusted and whether the bill treated state-owned affordable portfolios differently; Representative Marsh and other carriers said the 6% is a straight cap for impacted parks and that the bill was crafted to reflect testimony and protect residents who own homes while preserving owners' ability to reset rents on sale.

Representative Bossard Davis moved to refer the bill to rules for additional work, citing limited hearings after major amendments; that motion failed on the floor. After debate the House voted and the clerk declared House Bill 30 54 passed by the constitutional majority.

The bill contains both protections for homeowners who rent land and narrow exceptions for infrastructure financing, but leaves in place the market reset at sale. It will proceed to the Senate as passed by the House.

Votes at a glance: The clerk declared House Bill 30 54 passed by a constitutional majority; the transcript records individual 'aye' and 'no' calls during roll but does not publish a full roll-call tally in the floor transcript excerpt.