Florida lawmakers are pushing for big changes in how mobile home parks handle rent hikes. If passed, this legislation would shake up life for over 800,000 mobile home residents statewide.
Two bills, House Bill 703 and Senate Bill 1550, called the “Mobile Home Park Lot Tenancies” bills, are on the table. Rep. Paula Stark and Sen. LaVon Bracy Davis filed them, aiming to roll out additional protections by July 2026.
The key aspect would be park owners would have to show receipts. If they want to raise lot rent, they’d need to hand over actual proof: invoices, cost breakdowns, the whole deal. If they cut services or amenities but keep rents high, they’d face penalties.
This isn’t just about paperwork. Courts would get more muscle, too. Judges could dig into why rents are going up, looking at things like how many homes sold in the park, whether new buyers got special deals, and even how many people just walked away from their homes in the last year to dodge eviction.
The legislation reaches further. The grace period for late rent would double to ten days instead of five. Park owners couldn’t force tenants to pay electronically. They’d have to take checks, too.
Relocation aid would get a major bump. If residents get pushed out because the land is being redeveloped, single-section home owners would get $6,500 (up from $3,000), and multi-section owners would see $11,500 (up from $6,000). Or, if they just can’t take their homes with them, they could leave them behind and get $5,000 or $7,000, depending on the size.
Rep. Stark said it plainly: “Mobile homeowners are a critical part of our communities, and this bill helps ensure fairness and accountability in lot tenancies. This should be a bipartisan issue for the benefit of all citizens who need affordable housing.”
The Department of Legal Affairs would enforce these new rules, finally putting some teeth behind oversight of park operations.
Right now, the bills are making their way through committee in both the House and the Senate. For thousands of families, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
