Full House may consider measure as early as Wednesday 

A bipartisan effort to boost the rights of homeowners in manufactured housing communities is gaining momentum in the state House after unanimous approval of an amendment by Rep. Kate Harper (R-Montgomery) on Tuesday. 

Harper and Rep. Rick Taylor (D-Montgomery) have been working together on a bill to help protect owners of manufactured homes from unreasonable and unexpected ground rent and fee increases. If the bill becomes law, it will mark the first change to the state’s Mobile Home Park Rights Act in nearly four decades. 

“In many of the senior living communities in Montgomery County and other areas of the state, people own their homes but not the ground on which those homes are located,” Harper said. “When you are a senior living on a fixed income, watching the monthly budget is a matter of survival. Unexpected rent or fee increases both produce great anxiety and make it hard for seniors to stay in their homes in these retirement communities.” 

To help potential residents make informed decisions before moving into manufactured housing communities, House Bill 2212 requires owners of those communities to provide potential lessees with a disclosure that includes information on how and when rent can be increased and a three-year history of the rental rate for the tenant’s lot. The disclosure must also include information on utility and user fees charged to residents, as well as general information about the facilities, rules and regulations of the park.   

If a rental agreement is executed prior to the community owner providing the ground rent information, the tenant may choose to void the lease within five days after receipt of the document.  

The bill also changes the name of the existing act to the “Manufactured Home Community Rights Act” to reflect current terminology. 

Once a bill has been amended in the state House, lawmakers must wait 24 hours before voting on the final measure. That vote could be taken by noon on Wednesday, at which point the bill would be sent to the Senate for consideration. 

Rep. Kate Harper
61st District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
(610) 277-3230
(717) 787-2801
Member Site:  KateHarper.net
Contact: Patricia A. Hippler
House Republican Public Relations
(717) 772-9846
Caucus Site:  PAHouseGOP.com