On Tuesday, the Minnesota Senate passed Senate File 2691, also known as the Manufactured Home Park Residents’ Bill of Rights (MHPRBOR), to protect Minnesota’s manufactured home owners and residents of manufactured home parks from the practices of absent, exploitative corporate owners.

The legislation is especially necessary to protect residents, as an increasing number of manufactured housing parks in Minnesota are purchased by out-of-state investors.

“I’ve heard from far too many Minnesotans, whether in Cimarron in Lake Elmo or from other places across the state, of exploitative practices that reap profits while causing misery for the people living in these homes,” said Senator Judy Seeberger (DFL-Afton), who co-authored the bill. “This bill is about guaranteeing dignity, respect, and fair treatment for tens of thousands of Minnesotans, and it will help protect people from abuse.”

Senate File 2691 contains several provisions to protect residents, including:

• Exploitative Lot Rent Increases Prohibited – Lot rents are prohibited from increasing more than 3% compared to the previous year. Park owners may increase rent beyond 3%, but only after providing clear and convincing evidence demonstrating necessity for health and safety reasons.
• Rent Late Fees Capped at 8% – Currently there is an 8% cap on rent late fees for residential tenants. This bill would apply that cap to lot rent for manufactured home park residents.
• Safe Tree Removal Requirement – Park owners would be required to provide upkeep and timely removal of trees that pose safety hazards to residents and their property.
• Utility Updates – Park owners would be required to provide residents with itemized utility bills, and would also be prohibited from passing on costs imposed by utility providers for repairs or interruptions of service. Park owners would also be prohibited from denying park access to utility providers for repair purposes.
• Opportunity to Purchase – Park owners will need to provide 60-day notice of sale to residents of the park, before accepting any offer to purchase the park. An authorized representative of the park residents may submit an offer within that 60-day notice. If denied by the park owners, the owners must provide a written explanation for their decision. Six other states have policies similar to this.
• Alternative Method of Payment – Park owners that use digital payment platforms would be required to offer an alternative method of payment for lot rent.

The bill passed the Senate Tuesday on a vote of 35-31, and now heads to the Minnesota House of Representatives.