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Committee extends 8% late‑fee cap to manufactured home park residents
Summary
Senate File 1207 would clarify that the existing statutory cap on rent late fees — 8% of overdue rent — explicitly applies to residents of manufactured home communities. The committee voted to send the bill to the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee by voice vote.
Senator Roger Putnam introduced Senate File 1207 to clarify that the statewide 8% cap on late fees for overdue rent applies to manufactured home park residents. Putnam framed the bill as a narrow statutory correction meant to align treatment of manufactured home residents with other renters; ‘‘the simple change will make clear that manufactured housing residents have the same protections against excessive late fees as all other residents and all other kinds of homes across the state,’’ Putnam said.
Several witnesses offered testimony. Stearns County Commissioner Joe Persky recounted constituent complaints and enforcement difficulties in his area, noting that corporate ownership of parks has changed the operating dynamics he observed earlier in his career. Rosalinda Moreno, a resident and member of Fe Justicia, described a recurring sewage backup in her Cold Spring park that she said park management has not fully repaired and warned of threats related to rising bills and retaliatory threats from management. Attorney Shana Jimenez (Housing Justice Center) explained that manufactured homeowners typically own their homes but rent the lot and therefore are vulnerable to fees and enforcement tied to lot rent.
Mark Bruner of the Manufactured Modular Home Association said the association generally supports the intent of capping late fees at 8% but asked to work with legislators to ensure the statutory reference does not create unintended consequences for different business models. The committee’s counsel and Senator Putnam clarified that the provision mirrors existing language in Minnesota law (section cited in committee: 504B) that currently caps late fees at 8% for other renters.
Senator Port moved the bill; the committee passed the motion by voice vote and referred SF 1207 to the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.
Why it matters: Witnesses told the committee manufactured home park residents have limited mobility and often rely on fixed incomes, making them particularly vulnerable to high late fees. Counsel confirmed the bill is intended to state explicitly that the 8% cap applies to manufactured home park lot rent overdue payments.
