Legislation requiring that rental payments or rental increases for manufactured housing must be divvied out in equal amounts over a calendar year, rather than a lump sum payment, won approval in the House of Representatives Tuesday afternoon.
House Bill 107, sponsored by Rep. John Atkins, D-Millsboro, prohibits a manufactured housing community landlord from requiring that a tenant pay a year’s worth of rental payments or rental increases in one lump sum, unless the tenant requests such a payment plan and the landlord agrees.
"I'm very pleased with it," said Wendy Simmons, president of the Pot Nets Home Owners' Association, in Long Neck.
"I think it will give a lot of people more opportunities and keep them from having to walk away from their homes," she said.
“I have a large amount of manufactured housing in my district, and this is something my constituents have been talking about since the election season,” Atkins said. “They just want to be treated equally. This bill will allow people living in manufactured homes to pay their rent monthly, just like any other renter in the state.”
Simmons said the first 15 days of the month are usually when manufactured homeowners have the most difficulty coming up with lump-sum payments for lot rent.
"Hopefully this will eliminate a lot of potential problems for our residents, particularly those on a fixed income," she said.
HB 107 passed the House by a 21-15 vote that was almost entirely along party lines, with no Republicans voting in favor. However, in the Senate, the bill sailed through by a 17-2 vote.
Under the legislation, there is nothing that prevents a manufactured home landlord and tenant from agreeing to a lump sum payment for rent or a rental increase, but lump payments are otherwise forbidden.
The law requires that rental payments shall be made in equal amounts monthly during a calendar year.
