Lot Rent

October 14, 2009 3:07 PM

Do mobile home parks always charge lot rent?

Has anyone ever heard of an instance when a mobile home park doesn't charge lot rent? Are there parks that don't charge lot rent at all? Like is there ever just a one-time fee only? Are there ones that sell the lot to the owner? Any other alternatives? Thanks.

posted by VC Drake to home & garden (5 comments total)

I've owned 2 manufactured homes, and this is something I looked into as well, but it was years ago.

I have indeed seen lots for sale, with utilities ready to hook up. The ones I have seen locally are outside of city limits, where the building code allows this. They also had strict rules regarding the age and type of home allowed. Also: they were not cheap.

You can also just buy an empty lot in an area that allows mobile homes to be placed. It's likely to be out of city limits, and the lack of local codes could mean that others can use their property for things you don't want to be neighbors with. But, yes, it does exist.
posted by The Deej at 3:32 PM on October 14

A relative of mine lives in a park that's going to go condo, so yes, it does happen.
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:15 PM on October 14

In Florida there are a lot of resident owned parks. You buy into them, and there are still some monthly fees for maintenance of common areas, etc.
posted by mareli at 4:26 PM on October 14

"Are there parks that don't charge lot rent at all? Like is there ever just a one-time fee only? Are there ones that sell the lot to the owner? Any other alternatives?"

Yes there are mobile home parks with deeded lots though every one I've seen has been strata with associated strata fees every month. They seem to be mostly geared to rec properties.
posted by Mitheral at 6:06 PM on October 14

There are mobile home parks that own the mobiles and rent them out, but that's probably the opposite direction down the alternatives continuum for you.

Do you own a home in a park now and want to move it, or are you buying one? Is there a specific part of the country you would like to be in?

If what you want is a cheap place to put a mobile home, there are many rural areas where you can buy land and put one. If you work on a ranch or someplace like that you might be able to bring in your own mobile home. Mobile home park managers might get a lot as a perk, but in an existing park it might already have a mobile home on it.
posted by yohko at 11:10 AM on October 15