California Tenant Rights in Manufactured and Mobile Home Parks

California Tenant Defense System | Justice Foundation

Residents of manufactured home parks in California have a specialized set of tenant protections under the Mobilehome Residency Law (MRL) — protections that differ in important ways from those governing traditional apartment tenants. Understanding the MRL gives manufactured home residents access to powerful rights that many don’t know they have.

The Mobilehome Residency Law

The MRL, codified at California Civil Code Sections 798-799.11, governs the relationship between manufactured home park owners (management) and residents who own their homes but rent the underlying land. The MRL provides: minimum 60-day notice for rent increases, just cause requirements for eviction, specific maintenance obligations for common areas and utilities, right to form a resident organization, and numerous procedural protections that exceed what standard landlord-tenant law provides.

Just Cause for MRL Evictions

Under the MRL, management cannot evict a resident except for specific just cause grounds: nonpayment of rent, violation of park rules after notice and opportunity to cure, conviction of a felony or misdemeanor affecting the park or other residents, physical harm to park personnel or other residents, or condemnation of the park. The MRL’s just cause protections are generally stronger than AB 1482’s — they apply to manufactured home parks regardless of when the homes were built or how long the resident has lived there.

Park Rule Changes

Park management cannot unilaterally impose new rules that materially affect residents’ use and enjoyment of their homes without proper process. New rules must be distributed in writing with advance notice. Rule changes that constitute a significant change in the terms of residency may require negotiation with resident organizations. Unreasonable or discriminatory rule enforcement is a violation of the MRL. The Justice Foundation kit covers MRL rights in detail including common area maintenance obligations, guest policies, and dispute resolution procedures for manufactured home park residents.