Mobile Home Landlord Refusing to Renew Lease Because They Want to Sell Home

[MIRenter22]

I live in Michigan. I have leased a mobile home for three years now. I lease the mobile home and the lot it resides on with a 12 month lease.

The first year my lease was up for renewal the community manager stopped by (approximately two months before my lease was up) and stated that the owners of the mobile home park were interested in selling the mobile home I was leasing to me. I told her I was not interested in buying and that I would prefer to renew my lease. She stated that she didn't know if the owners would renew it but she would talk to them and see what she could do. She contacted me a week or so later and told me she had talked them into renewing my lease but there would be a slight increase to my rent. My original monthly rent was $994 and they increased it to $1024. A total increase of $30.

Once again, about two months before my lease was up, I received a letter in the mail from the new community manager stating that they would not be renewing my lease as they wanted to sell the mobile home. I talked to him after this, and he confirmed that they did not want to renew my lease because the owners wanted to sell the mobile home. He then tried to talk me into buying which I politely declined and stated that I would rather rent a different home in the community than buy this one. We looked at all of the available homes to rent and I told him I didn't like any of them. He then told me he would try to talk to the owners to see if they would renew the lease again. The next day he called me and said he had good news and bad news. The good news is that the owners had agreed to renew the lease again. The bad news was that my monthly lease amount would be increasing from $1024 per month to $1107 per month. I was shocked that my rent would be increased almost $100 per month but agreed to renew my lease again for the increased amount.

This brings us current. I received a letter in the mail three days ago, 8/23/2019 stating that they would not be renewing my lease because the owners want to sell the mobile home. I haven't spoken with my community manager yet but my gut tells me that they won't give in this time around.



I did some research on the internet about whether this was legal or not. I learned that mobile home landlord/tenant relationships and laws are different than a typical apartment/house landlord/tenant relationship. I read up on the very specific reasons stated in RCW 59.20.080 which explains the only circumstances when a landlord can refuse to renew a mobile home lease and the desire to sell the tenants home is not listed there as far as I can interpret it.

Let me make it clear that I have not violated any rules or laws, been late on any rent, created a nuisance, or any of the other listed reasons that a landlord may refuse to renew a mobile home lease.

So I decided to ask the experts here. FIrst, is it legal for them to refuse to renew my lease the way that they have presented to me? Are the rent hikes (the most recent of 9% of my rent) legal? Do I have any legal options to demand or persuade them to renew my lease again?

I included a picture of the letter I received the other day that has the information of myself and my landlord redacted.

Thanks in advance!

 

[LdiJ]

I live in Michigan. I have leased a mobile home for three years now. I lease the mobile home and the lot it resides on with a 12 month lease.

The first year my lease was up for renewal the community manager stopped by (approximately two months before my lease was up) and stated that the owners of the mobile home park were interested in selling the mobile home I was leasing to me. I told her I was not interested in buying and that I would prefer to renew my lease. She stated that she didn't know if the owners would renew it but she would talk to them and see what she could do. She contacted me a week or so later and told me she had talked them into renewing my lease but there would be a slight increase to my rent. My original monthly rent was $994 and they increased it to $1024. A total increase of $30.

Once again, about two months before my lease was up, I received a letter in the mail from the new community manager stating that they would not be renewing my lease as they wanted to sell the mobile home. I talked to him after this, and he confirmed that they did not want to renew my lease because the owners wanted to sell the mobile home. He then tried to talk me into buying which I politely declined and stated that I would rather rent a different home in the community than buy this one. We looked at all of the available homes to rent and I told him I didn't like any of them. He then told me he would try to talk to the owners to see if they would renew the lease again. The next day he called me and said he had good news and bad news. The good news is that the owners had agreed to renew the lease again. The bad news was that my monthly lease amount would be increasing from $1024 per month to $1107 per month. I was shocked that my rent would be increased almost $100 per month but agreed to renew my lease again for the increased amount.

This brings us current. I received a letter in the mail three days ago, 8/23/2019 stating that they would not be renewing my lease because the owners want to sell the mobile home. I haven't spoken with my community manager yet but my gut tells me that they won't give in this time around.


I did some research on the internet about whether this was legal or not. I learned that mobile home landlord/tenant relationships and laws are different than a typical apartment/house landlord/tenant relationship. I read up on the very specific reasons stated in RCW 59.20.080 which explains the only circumstances when a landlord can refuse to renew a mobile home lease and the desire to sell the tenants home is not listed there as far as I can interpret it.

Let me make it clear that I have not violated any rules or laws, been late on any rent, created a nuisance, or any of the other listed reasons that a landlord may refuse to renew a mobile home lease.

So I decided to ask the experts here. FIrst, is it legal for them to refuse to renew my lease the way that they have presented to me? Are the rent hikes (the most recent of 9% of my rent) legal? Do I have any legal options to demand or persuade them to renew my lease again?

I included a picture of the letter I received the other day that has the information of myself and my landlord redacted.

Thanks in advance!

No landlord ever can be compelled to renew a lease if they do not want to do so. You are going to have to either move out of the home or buy it.

 

[quincy]

I live in Michigan. I have leased a mobile home for three years now. I lease the mobile home and the lot it resides on with a 12 month lease.

The first year my lease was up for renewal the community manager stopped by (approximately two months before my lease was up) and stated that the owners of the mobile home park were interested in selling the mobile home I was leasing to me. I told her I was not interested in buying and that I would prefer to renew my lease. She stated that she didn't know if the owners would renew it but she would talk to them and see what she could do. She contacted me a week or so later and told me she had talked them into renewing my lease but there would be a slight increase to my rent. My original monthly rent was $994 and they increased it to $1024. A total increase of $30.

Once again, about two months before my lease was up, I received a letter in the mail from the new community manager stating that they would not be renewing my lease as they wanted to sell the mobile home. I talked to him after this, and he confirmed that they did not want to renew my lease because the owners wanted to sell the mobile home. He then tried to talk me into buying which I politely declined and stated that I would rather rent a different home in the community than buy this one. We looked at all of the available homes to rent and I told him I didn't like any of them. He then told me he would try to talk to the owners to see if they would renew the lease again. The next day he called me and said he had good news and bad news. The good news is that the owners had agreed to renew the lease again. The bad news was that my monthly lease amount would be increasing from $1024 per month to $1107 per month. I was shocked that my rent would be increased almost $100 per month but agreed to renew my lease again for the increased amount.

This brings us current. I received a letter in the mail three days ago, 8/23/2019 stating that they would not be renewing my lease because the owners want to sell the mobile home. I haven't spoken with my community manager yet but my gut tells me that they won't give in this time around.


I did some research on the internet about whether this was legal or not. I learned that mobile home landlord/tenant relationships and laws are different than a typical apartment/house landlord/tenant relationship. I read up on the very specific reasons stated in RCW 59.20.080 which explains the only circumstances when a landlord can refuse to renew a mobile home lease and the desire to sell the tenants home is not listed there as far as I can interpret it.

Let me make it clear that I have not violated any rules or laws, been late on any rent, created a nuisance, or any of the other listed reasons that a landlord may refuse to renew a mobile home lease.

So I decided to ask the experts here. FIrst, is it legal for them to refuse to renew my lease the way that they have presented to me? Are the rent hikes (the most recent of 9% of my rent) legal? Do I have any legal options to demand or persuade them to renew my lease again?

I included a picture of the letter I received the other day that has the information of myself and my landlord redacted.

Thanks in advance!

The law you linked to is a Washington state law, not a Michigan law.

 

[Taxing Matters]

I did some research on the internet about whether this was legal or not. I learned that mobile home landlord/tenant relationships and laws are different than a typical apartment/house landlord/tenant relationship. I read up on the very specific reasons stated in RCW 59.20.080 which explains the only circumstances when a landlord can refuse to renew a mobile home lease and the desire to sell the tenants home is not listed there as far as I can interpret it.

Right, but the statute you read and are relying upon, Revised Code of Washington (RCW) section 59.20.080 is a law of Washington state and thus would only help you if this mobile home community was located in Washington state. But you stated you live in Michigan, so the Washington law is useless to you.

Michigan also has a law on manufactured home parks. But it appears that for it to apply to you, you must own the manufactured home itself and simply rent the lot from the landlord. Yet it seems from your post that your landlord owns the home and you are renting the home, not the lot. In that situation, you are an ordinary tenant like any other. The reason that states have special rules for manufactured home parks where the tenant owns the home but rents the lot is that moving those homes can be difficult and expensive if the lease is terminated, so the states provide some protection against tenants having to move the actual homes on short notice. But if you don't own the home and just rent it, then you are in no different situation than one who rents an apartment or house someplace else, and the general landlord tenant laws would therefore apply to you.

 

[MIRenter22]

The law you linked to is a Washington state law, not a Michigan law.

As far as I can tell the laws are the same in Michigan [link removed]

 

[MIRenter22]

Right, but the statute you read and are relying upon, Revised Code of Washington (RCW) section 59.20.080 is a law of Washington state and thus would only help you if this mobile home community was located in Washington state. But you stated you live in Michigan, so the Washington law is useless to you.

Michigan also has a law on manufactured home parks. But it appears that for it to apply to you, you must own the manufactured home itself and simply rent the lot from the landlord. Yet it seems from your post that your landlord owns the home and you are renting the home, not the lot. In that situation, you are an ordinary tenant like any other. The reason that states have special rules for manufactured home parks where the tenant owns the home but rents the lot is that moving those homes can be difficult and expensive if the lease is terminated, so the states provide some protection against tenants having to move the actual homes on short notice. But if you don't own the home and just rent it, then you are in no different situation than one who rents an apartment or house someplace else, and the general landlord tenant laws would therefore apply to you.

I do not own the home. I pay monthly rent that covers home rent and lot rent combined.

 

[quincy]

Commercial links are not permitted on this forum.

Here is a link to MCL 125.2328, an excerpt of the Mobile Home Commission Act:
http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?mcl-125-2328
The mobile home owner can increase a tenant's rent at the end of any lease period.

 

[Taxing Matters]

I do not own the home. I pay monthly rent that covers home rent and lot rent combined.

Then the law in Michigan that is similar to the Washington law does not help you. The article you linked from a Michigan law firm makes clear that there is an important distinction between owning the home and just renting the lot — in which case the statute does apply — and not owning the home and simply renting it, in which case the ordinary landlord-tenant laws apply.

 

[MIRenter22]

Commercial links are not permitted on this forum.

Here is a link to MCL 125.2328, an excerpt of the Mobile Home Commission Act:
http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?mcl-125-2328
The mobile home owner can increase a tenant's rent at the end of any lease period.

Sorry about that. Thank you for providing the link that is allowed.

 

[quincy]

You might want to look for another place to live.

 

[MIRenter22]

Then the law in Michigan that is similar to the Washington law does not help you. The article you linked from a Michigan law firm makes clear that there is an important distinction between owning the home and just renting the lot — in which case the statute does apply — and not owning the home and simply renting it, in which case the ordinary landlord-tenant laws apply.

OK thank you for the clarification. It doesn't look like I will have any solid ground to stand on to negotiate another lease renewal. I'm at the mercy of the owners unfortunately.

 

[quincy]

OK thank you for the clarification. It doesn't look like I will have any solid ground to stand on to negotiate another lease renewal. I'm at the mercy of the owners unfortunately.

Unfortunately, that is the common plight of all tenants. Good luck.

 

[adjusterjack]

OK thank you for the clarification. It doesn't look like I will have any solid ground to stand on to negotiate another lease renewal. I'm at the mercy of the owners unfortunately.

You've been given more than 2 1/2 months notice. That's more than fair. And plenty of time to find another place to live. If you like living in a mobile home, I'm sure that there are other parks with mobile home rentals.

 

[quincy]

You've been given more than 2 1/2 months notice. That's more than fair. And plenty of time to find another place to live. If you like living in a mobile home, I'm sure that there are other parks with mobile home rentals.

In Michigan? Yup. That's a good bet.

 

[TigerD]

You rented a trailer for $1,100 a month?
You can buy a house for less. Move.