TALLAHASSEE, Fla. \u2013 A new bill filed in Florida back in January aimed to lay out a litany of rules for mobile home parks in the state \u2014 but its time is running out.<\/p>\n
The bill (HB 703<\/a>) was originally filed back in December by state Rep. Paula Stark (R-St. Cloud), and it amends a Florida statute<\/a> that governs what factors courts may use to determine whether rent increases are \u201cunreasonable.\u201d<\/p>\n Under current law, courts may take factors like prior disclosures, inflation changes, operating costs and taxes into account.<\/p>\n However, this latest bill would expand the law to let courts also consider the following factors:<\/p>\n The number of active sales within a mobile home park at the time the notice of rent increase is issued<\/p>\n Incentives and other discounts being offered to new purchasers by the mobile home park owner or the mobile home owner<\/p>\n The number of mobile homes abandoned to the park owner in the previous 12 months for the purpose of avoiding eviction<\/p>\n But that\u2019s not all. The bill also introduces some key rules for mobile home park owners to keep in mind.<\/p>\n [BELOW: Florida mobile home parks are getting expensive, but not for residents who do this thing]<\/p>\n For example, if a mobile home owner is unable to pay his\/her rent, he\/she would have a 10-day window after receiving notice to pay up. That timeframe is twice what the current law allows.<\/p>\n Other new rules introduced by the legislation are as follows:<\/p>\n Payment Methods: Park owners may not require mobile home owners to use an electronic payment system as the only method to pay rent or user fees.<\/p>\n Rent Increases: If there is a proposed increase in lot rent, all relevant invoices, evidence or proof that shows the expenses or material factors behind the increase must be included in such notice.<\/p>\n Rent Reductions: If an amenity, service or utility is no longer available to mobile home owners, the park owner must reduce their rent.<\/p>\n