An Act to amend 710.15 (1) (ad), 710.15 (1) (ag), 710.15 (1) (c), 710.15 (1) (d), 710.15 (1) (f), 710.15 (1m), 710.15 (3) (a), 710.15 (5m) (f), 710.15 (5m) (g), 710.15 (5m) (h), 710.15 (5m) (i), 710.15 (5m) (j) and 710.15 (5r); to create 710.15 (1) (g), 710.15 (5m) (jm) and 710.15 (6) of the statutes; Relating to: requirements for the rental of mobile and manufactured homes. (FE)
AB424 revises Wisconsin’s mobile home and manufactured home community rental law, found in s. 710.15, to update and clarify key definitions and tenancy rules. The bill defines terms such as “community,” “lease,” “occupant,” “operator,” “resident,” and creates a new definition for “site,” with the overall effect of making the statute more precise about who is covered and what property interests are involved in a manufactured home community.
The bill also strengthens and clarifies lease requirements. It continues to require that rental agreements for mobile home or manufactured home sites be in writing and generally last at least one year, unless the resident requests a shorter term and the operator agrees. It preserves the rule that an operator may not deny renewal or alter lease terms solely because of the age of the home, and it updates the list of lawful grounds for terminating tenancy. New and revised grounds include retirement of a community or site from the rental housing market, health or safety concerns, refusal to sign a lease, material misrepresentation, and violation of a community rule limiting residents to ownership of only one home in the community.
The bill’s impact on state law is to modernize and tighten the statutory framework governing manufactured home communities, while also adding procedural protections. Most notably, it requires at least 90 days’ written notice before permanently retiring a community or site from the rental housing market, and it clarifies when the notice rules in ch. 704 apply to termination of tenancy. It also adds an applicability provision stating that the section does not apply in certain situations where the occupant is not also the resident, and that nonresident renters from a resident or operator are governed by ch. 704.
The overall sentiment reflected in the available record appears neutral to favorable, though the bill’s discussion history is limited. There are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided materials, and the only noted action is that a representative was added as a coauthor, which suggests continued legislative support rather than controversy. The bill appears to be a technical and policy update aimed at clarifying landlord-tenant rules in manufactured housing communities rather than a highly contested measure.
The main points of potential contention are likely to center on the balance between tenant protections and operator flexibility. Manufactured home residents may view the one-year lease default and 90-day notice requirement as important stability measures, while community owners and operators may focus on the expanded termination grounds and the new rule allowing eviction for violating a one-home ownership limit. The bill also distinguishes between residents, occupants, and nonresident renters, which could raise questions about how broadly the statute applies in mixed occupancy arrangements.
AB424 amends Wisconsin Statutes s. 710.15, which governs rental arrangements in mobile home and manufactured home communities. It updates statutory definitions, requires written leases for site rentals, preserves limits on age-based discrimination against manufactured homes, expands and clarifies lawful grounds for termination of tenancy, and imposes a 90-day written notice requirement before permanently retiring a community or site from the rental housing market. It also clarifies that certain nonresident rental arrangements are governed by ch. 704 rather than s. 710.15, affecting residents, occupants, operators, and community owners in manufactured housing communities.
The available legislative record suggests generally neutral-to-supportive sentiment. There are no recorded votes or committee transcripts in the provided materials, and the only listed action is the addition of a coauthor, which typically indicates ongoing support. The bill appears to be viewed as a clarifying and updating measure for manufactured housing rental law rather than a controversial overhaul.
Likely areas of contention involve the balance between tenant stability and property-owner control. Residents and tenant advocates may favor the bill’s lease requirements, age-discrimination protections, and 90-day notice before retirement of a community or site, while operators may be concerned about limits on flexibility and the expanded procedural requirements. The new termination ground for violating a rule limiting residents to ownership of one home in the community could also be debated, as could the bill’s distinctions among residents, occupants, and nonresident renters under different statutory chapters.