DOVER, DE – June 24, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Governor Jack Markell signed legislation Wednesday that will end the practice of manufactured housing community owners requiring lump sum rental payments.
House Bill 107, which was sponsored by Rep. John Atkins and Sen. George Bunting, requires that rental payments or rental increases for manufactured housing must be paid in equal amounts over a calendar year. The law 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 request such a payment plan and the landlord agrees.
“Manufactured housing is an important component of Delaware’s affordable housing stock,” Markell said. “More than half of Delaware’s manufactured homes are situated on leased land and many are owned by seniors or those with disabilities on fixed incomes. House Bill 107 makes manufactured housing more affordable by giving tenants the option of paying their ground rent in 12 monthly installments.”
Atkins said he has a large manufacturing housing population in his district that was very vocal about this issue, which prompted him to make this issue one of the first ones he tackled after returning to Dover.
“Manufactured home residents just want to be treated fairly and equally, not like second-class citizens,” Atkins said. “Thanks to House Bill 107, residents of manufactured housing communities will be treated no differently than any other renter in the state.”
Added Bunting: “I have been working on manufactured housing issues for 20 years, and it takes a lot of hard work to get these bills passed. I want to congratulate the Delaware Manufactured Home Owners Association for its members hard in getting House Bill 107 to the Governor’s desk.”
