IOWA MANUFACTURED HOme RESIDENTS' Bill of RIGHTS

Rent Protection
Right now, with only 60-day notice, park owners can impose rent increases of any amount they choose. We can no longer allow predatory out-of-state investors to target Iowa residents of manufactured housing communities with rent gouging. We need statewide protections against unjustified rent increases, including a statewide cap on frequency and percentage of rent increases and a much longer notice period for proposed increases.
 

Good Cause Eviction Standards

Owners must be required to show good cause before evicting a resident. Standards for good cause must be consistent and enforced across the state.

Fair Fees

Fees must be capped at reasonable levels and tied to good cause, so that owners cannot abuse fee systems to circumvent rent protections or target individual families for eviction. We need statewide limits on how much owners can charge in late fees, and a standard time frame before late fees can be assessed.

Fair, Legal Leases

State law must require lease provisions that spell out park owners’ responsibilities to maintain clean and safe parks and prohibit abusive lease provisions. The state must adopt a clear, effective mechanism for enforcing these guidelines and requiring owners to remove illegal provisions from leases.

Resident Rights if Property Up for Sale

To prevent mass displacement of low-income Iowans and destruction of affordable housing stock, local residents must be offered first right of purchase when their communities are up for sale. Current owners should be barred from evicting residents for a period long enough to allow residents to pursue local ownership.  If residents are forced to move as a last resort, owners profiting from the sale of park must be required to provide significant relocation assistance.