Your mobile home either rests on your own property or a lot in a mobile home park. If you live in a mobile home park, you will need to pay rent for the right to put your mobile home on their land. Mobile home lot rent can get a bit complicated, so we will cover the topic in detail with this mobile home guide on lot rent.
What Is a Mobile Home Lot?
A mobile home lot refers to the piece of property your mobile home sits on in a mobile home park. This does not refer to the mobile home itself but the actual property, measured in square footage or acreage. One person or company owns the mobile park, and you rent the lot from the owner.
Depending on the mobile home park you choose, you may also be able to purchase or rent a mobile home from them. Ideally, you want to supply a brand new mobile home that you can customize per your preferences.
Related Article: How Much Does a New Mobile Home Cost?
What Is Covered in the Lease?
You will sign a lease when you agree to rent a mobile home lot. In the lease, you will learn the details of the agreement. This lease will keep you and the landlord in agreement and protect both parties from dubious behavior. Some of the common topics covered include;
- Duration of lease
- Monthly rent
- Community rules
- Responsibilities of renter and owner
- Rights of renter and owner
If you do not follow the rules of the lease agreement, the landlord can fine you or evict you, even if you own the mobile home. For this reason, you should clearly read through the entire document to understand what you can and cannot do.
At the end of the lease, you and the landlord will discuss whether you want to move forward with the agreement or not. If you do, you will extend the lease or sign a brand new lease.
Related Article: Choosing Land For Your Mobile Home
What Factors Affect Price of Lot Rent?
Rent for a mobile home lot varies greatly. When you know what things tend to affect the rent the most, you will know what to expect from the lots you look at.
Some of the things that affect the price of lot rent include:
- Size of lot
Naturally, the size of the lot will affect the price. Larger lots will cost more. Some people need the larger lots for a larger mobile home or for space to grill out and let the dog run around outside.
- Maintenance provided
Your mobile home park provides certain maintenance on the grounds, such as lawn care and other items. Of course, some provide more maintenance than others.
- Utilities included
Your mobile home may include certain utilities, such as electricity, water, garbage pickup, and cable services. The more utilities, the more expensive the rent will be. All other utilities not covered must be handled by you.
- Location
Naturally, more expensive areas or areas with gorgeous scenery will charge more for rent. Another consideration is that, in some states, mobile home parks cannot exceed a specific amount of rent according to rent control laws in the area. Learn about the different laws in your area to learn more.
- Amenities
Your mobile home park provides certain amenities you get to enjoy, such as a laundry room, pool, community center, and other facilities on the premises.
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What Does Lot Rent Cover?
You need to have a clear understanding of what you pay for with your lot rent and what you do not pay for with this monthly bill.
What IS Covered
The lot rent covers the right to place your mobile home on the property. Whether the rent includes rent on the mobile home as well varies from mobile home park to mobile home park. It also provides access to the amenities available at the park and the maintenance provided by the community. Talk to the staff at the mobile park in question to clarify precisely what amenities they offer.
Some of the most popular mobile home park amenities include:
- Pool
- Playground
- Laundry room
- Community center
What IS NOT Covered
The things not included in rent you need to cover yourself, so you need to understand the process clearly. Items NOT covered in your mobile lot rent include:
- Taxes
You need to pay taxes on your mobile home, even if you rent the property. The taxes will cost about 1 - 2% of the cost of the mobile home, but it varies from state to state. Your lot rent will NOT cover the cost of your taxes.
- Insurance
If you own the mobile home on the land you rent, you need mobile home insurance on it to alleviate the costs of any unexpected events, such as a robbery or act of God. You will be responsible for the expense of the insurance. Insurance can cost quite a bit for mobile homes, especially in Florida and other areas known for extreme weather that increases the risk of damage.
Related Article: Prices Set to Rise for Mobile Homes in 2020
Mobile Home Rent Lot Trends
If you recognize the rent trends of mobile home lots, you can prepare yourself for what to expect. The current low rent for mobile home land falls far below alternative options.
However, this low rent makes the land less valuable, making it less advantageous for mobile landowners to make sense of the expenses. For this reason, we can expect mobile home lot rent to increase significantly in order to even things out for owners. Luckily, we can also assume that the quality of the mobile homes will increase as well.
Want to start your mobile home adventure while lot rents are still relatively low? Learn more about how it works when you order a mobile home through Home Nation!