CHAPTER 205-A REGULATION OF MANUFACTURED HOUSING PARKS
Section 205-A:2
205-A:2 Prohibition. –
No person who owns or operates a manufactured housing park shall:
I. Require any person as a precondition to renting, leasing or otherwise occupying a space for manufactured housing in a manufactured housing park to pay an entrance or other fee in an amount greater than the equivalent of 3 months' rent for said space provided that in no event shall any fee of any kind be charged unless for services actually rendered.
II. Deny any resident of a manufactured housing park the right to sell at a price of such resident's own choosing said resident's manufactured housing within the park or require the resident or purchaser to remove the manufactured housing from the park on the basis of the sale thereof. A resident of a manufactured housing park may place no more than 2 "for sale" signs on or in the manufactured housing for the purpose of selling the home. The park owner or operator may reserve the right to approve the purchaser of the manufactured housing as a tenant, but such approval may not be unreasonably withheld. The park owner or operator may require as a condition of said permission that the purchaser and the purchaser's household meet the current rules of the park. In connection with the sale of a tenant's manufactured housing, the park owner or operator shall not:
(a) Make any rule or enter into a contract, which shall abrogate or limit the tenant's right to place "for sale" signs on or in the tenant's manufactured housing; provided, however, the park owner or operator may by rule or contract provision impose reasonable limitations as to size, quality, registration of such signs, requirements that the posting of such signs be pursuant to bona fide efforts to sell, and removal when the home is no longer being offered for sale. No such limitation as to size or quality shall restrict the use of a painted or printed sign which is 216 square inches or less in size and which contains no more than the words "for sale", along with the name, address and telephone number of the seller, or the name, address, and telephone number of the seller's agent or representative;
(b) Charge a commission or fee with respect to the price realized by the seller unless the park owner or operator has acted as an agent for the manufactured housing owner pursuant to a written contract;
(c) Require the purchaser to provide the names of more than 3 references from whom the park owner or operator can seek information concerning the behavior and financial reliability of the purchaser; nor shall the purchaser be required to obtain a written report from any such reference;
(d) For a period of 3 years after the implementation of a rule restricting occupancy, refuse to approve the on-site sale of manufactured housing to any person on the basis of age or family status unless such a restriction on occupancy was included in the rules or lease or rental agreement at the time the seller commenced tenancy in the park.
(e) Impose a non-refundable fee for processing an application for tenancy that exceeds $125, unless the park owner provides the applicant with an itemized breakdown of the application fee. An application fee may exceed $125, provided that it is reasonable.
(f) If the park rules require a pre-sale inspection of the home, fail to provide written notice to the park tenant, within 14 calendar days of receiving written notification from the tenant that he or she is going to attempt to sell his or her home in place, of all repairs and improvements that the park owner requires in order to approve the sale. If the park rules do not require a pre-sale inspection of the home and the tenant makes a written request for a specification of the repairs and improvements that the park owner requires for approval of an on-site sale, the park owner shall have 14 days to provide a written list of the required repairs and improvements. The park owner's response to the tenant is valid for 90 days after which time if a sale has not been completed, the park owner may require additional improvements or repairs of any defective conditions which have arisen since the park owner's initial response. The park owner may not require:
(1) The repair or removal of anything inside the home that does not adversely affect the infrastructure of the park.
(2) Compliance with an aesthetic standard if the standard relates to physical characteristics, such as size, original construction materials or color; provided however that nothing in this subparagraph shall prevent a park owner from requiring compliance with aesthetic standards related to maintenance or repairs of deteriorating or defective features of the home, or the removal of a structure or fixture which was added to the home by the seller without the permission of the park owner.
(g) Fail to provided written notice to the prospective buyer, within 14 calendar days of receipt of the prospective buyer's completed application for tenancy, setting forth the reason for the park owner's refusal to approve or indicating the park owner's approval of the prospective buyer as a park tenant. If the prospective buyer is denied the park owner shall, upon request of the seller, send a notice of the denial to the seller that does not disclose the reason therefor.
III. Require manufactured housing at the time of sale or otherwise, which is safe, sanitary and in conformance with aesthetic standards, if any, of general applicability contained in the rules, to be removed from the park. For the purposes hereof, manufactured housing shall be presumed to be safe if it is established that the manufactured housing was constructed to any nationally recognized building or construction code or standard. Failure to meet any such standard or code, in and of itself, shall raise no presumption that the manufactured housing is unsafe; nor may such failure be used as a reason for withholding approval of an on-site sale. The park owner or operator shall have the burden of showing that manufactured housing is unsafe, unsanitary, or fails to meet the aesthetic standards of the park. No aesthetic standard shall be applied against manufactured housing if such standard relates to physical characteristics, such as size, original construction materials or color.
IV. Require any tenant to purchase any goods or services, including but not limited to fuel oil, paving, snow plowing, dairy products, laundry services, bakery products, or food products, from any particular person or company. The park owner or operator may require skirting on the manufactured housing and may make rules governing the size and number of out-buildings and additions; but in such case, must provide the tenant with reasonable options as to the type of materials and construction. The park owner or operator may also impose reasonable conditions relating to central fuel and gas metering systems in the park; provided that if such conditions are imposed, the charges for such goods or services shall not exceed the average prevailing price in the locality for similar goods and services.
V. Prevent any person or company from selling to or delivering to or otherwise supplying and servicing any tenant with goods or services, or make any charge or request any fee from any such person or company for such activities; provided, that a park owner or operator may prohibit or regulate the soliciting or peddling of sales, goods or services within the park premises.
VI. Require any tenant, or person seeking space in the manufactured housing park, to purchase manufactured housing from any particular person unless the person designated is the park owner or operator and the requirement is imposed only in connection with the initial leasing or renting of a newly-constructed lot or space not previously leased or rented to any other person.
VII. Fail to disclose to each prospective tenant, in writing and a reasonable time prior to the entering into of any rental agreement, all terms and conditions of the tenancy, including rental, utility, entrance and service charges.
VIII. Make or attempt to enforce any rule which:
(a) Establishes an additional charge or increased rental payments, directly or indirectly, for persons under the age of 18 residing in manufactured housing. The park owner or operator may make reasonable rules governing the number of adults or total number of persons permitted to reside in manufactured housing and may establish an additional charge not to exceed 10 percent of gross monthly rent per adult per month where the number of adults residing in manufactured housing exceeds the limit established by such rules.
(b) Requires a tenant to get prior permission of the park owner or operator before an overnight guest can stay in the park; provided, however, a park owner or operator may require prior permission for any guest who stays longer than 30 days, which permission shall not be unreasonably withheld.
(c) Imposes a charge for pets, unless the park owner or operator establishes that services are rendered and expenses are actually incurred because of the existence of such pets; provided that the park owner or operator may make rules, which at the time of implementation, affect only new tenants and the addition of pets by current park residents, governing the number or type of pets per site and providing for a penalty, after 30 days notice, of not more than $10 per month for each violation of such rules. Nothing herein shall be construed as requiring a park owner or operator to permit pets, other than those which remain entirely within the manufactured housing and normally require no outside facilities.
(d) Requires a tenant to sell or otherwise dispose of any personal property, fixture, or pet which the tenant had prior permission from the park owner or former park owner to possess or use; provided, however, that such a rule may be made and enforced if it is necessary to protect the health and safety of other tenants in the park.
IX. Charge or attempt to charge a tenant for repair or maintenance to any underground system, such as oil tanks, or water, electrical or septic systems, for causes not due to the negligence of the tenant or transfer or attempt to transfer to a current tenant responsibility for such repair or maintenance to the tenant by gift or otherwise of all or part of any such underground system.
X. Fail to provide each tenant with the name, address and telephone number of a manager or agent who resides within 10 miles of the park, if the park owner or operator does not reside within 25 miles of the park, which manager or agent shall:
(a) Be reasonably available in person, by means of telephone, or by telephone recording device checked at least twice daily to receive reports of the need for emergency repairs within the park;
(b) Be authorized to make or contract emergency repairs without specific authorization from the park owner or operator; and
(c) Be authorized to make or contract to make necessary non-emergency repairs if the park owner or operator cannot be reached within a reasonable amount of time.
XI. Fail to provide each person who applies to be a tenant of the park with a written copy of the rules of said manufactured housing park. Said rules shall set forth the terms and conditions of the tenancy and shall contain the following notice at the top of the first page printed in capital typewritten letters or in 10 point bold face print:
IMPORTANT NOTICE REQUIRED BY LAW THE RULES SET FORTH BELOW GOVERN THE TERMS OF YOUR RENTAL AGREEMENT WITH THIS MANUFACTURED HOUSING PARK. THE LAW REQUIRES ALL RULES OF THIS PARK TO BE REASONABLE. NO RULE MAY BE CHANGED WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT UNLESS THIS PARK GIVES YOU 90 DAYS ADVANCE NOTICE OF THE CHANGE. SUBJECT TO THE TERMS OF ANY WRITTEN LEASE AGREEMENT, YOU MAY CONTINUE TO STAY IN THIS PARK AS LONG AS YOU PAY YOUR RENT AND ANY OTHER LAWFUL CHARGES, FOLLOW THE RULES OF THE PARK AND APPLICABLE LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL LAW, DO NOT DAMAGE PARK PROPERTY AND DO NOT REPEATEDLY BOTHER OTHER TENANTS IN THE PARK. YOU MAY BE EVICTED FOR NONPAYMENT OF RENT, BUT ONLY IF YOU FAIL TO PAY ALL RENT DUE WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER YOU RECEIVE WRITTEN NOTICE THAT YOU ARE BEHIND IN YOUR RENT. YOU MAY ALSO BE EVICTED FOR NOT FOLLOWING THE RULES OF THIS PARK, BUT ONLY IF THE RULES ARE REASONABLE, YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN WRITTEN NOTICE OF YOUR FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE RULES, AND YOU THEN CONTINUE TO BREAK THE RULES. YOU MAY NOT BE EVICTED FOR JOINING A TENANT ORGANIZATION. IF THIS PARK WISHES TO EVICT YOU, IT MUST GIVE YOU 60 DAYS ADVANCE NOTICE, EXCEPT IF YOU ARE BEHIND IN YOUR RENT, IN WHICH CASE ONLY 30 DAYS NOTICE IS REQUIRED. THE EVICTION NOTICE MUST GIVE YOU THE REASON FOR THE PROPOSED EVICTION. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SELL YOUR HOME IN PLACE TO ANYONE AS LONG AS THE BUYER AND HIS HOUSEHOLD MEET THE RULES OF THIS PARK. YOU MUST NOTIFY THE PARK IF YOU INTEND TO SELL YOUR HOME. FAILURE TO DO SO MAY MEAN THAT THE BUYER WILL BE REQUIRED TO MOVE THE HOME FROM THE PARK. COPIES OF THE LAW UNDER WHICH THIS NOTICE IS REQUIRED, RSA 205-A, MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE CONSUMER PROTECTION AND ANTITRUST BUREAU OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, 33 CAPITOL STREET, CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE 03301 OR MAY BE ACCESSED FROM THE GENERAL COURT WEBSITE FOR THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.
XII. Fail to respond to a written request of the consumer protection and antitrust bureau of the department of justice by not mailing or delivering a copy of the current park rules to the bureau within 7 days of receipt of the request. The bureau shall send the request by certified or registered mail. Failure to comply with this paragraph shall not constitute a defense to a possessory action.