The Manufactured Housing Tenant's Bill of Rights Act of 2025 seeks to link federally backed financing for manufactured home communities to the implementation of robust consumer protections for residents. It mandates that on and after 180 days from enactment, loans under specified **covered loan programs**—including those from HUD, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac—will only be eligible if the borrower certifies that all manufactured home communities they own or affiliate with include certain **minimum consumer protections** in their lease agreements. These required protections encompass several key tenant rights. They include guaranteeing 1-year renewable lease terms, providing at least 60 days' written notice for rent increases (with extended notice for increases exceeding 5 percent), and establishing a 5-day grace period for rent payments and a 15-day right to cure defaults. Furthermore, tenants who own their manufactured homes gain the right to sell their homes in place within the community, to sublease or assign their pad site lease to a new buyer meeting community criteria, and to post "For Sale" signs. Additional protections include a right to 60-day advance written notice of a community's planned sale or closure, with an opportunity for tenants to negotiate a purchase. Tenancy termination is restricted to cases of material noncompliance or legitimate business reasons, requiring specific written notice. The bill also outlines **penalties** for non-compliance, which can include prohibiting borrowers from securing future federally backed financing for at least two years and mandating specific monetary payments to injured tenants for various violations, such as six months' rent for wrongful termination or repayment of increased rent with interest. To further enhance tenant safeguards, the legislation establishes a **Manufactured Home Community Lending Standards Commission**. This commission is tasked with proposing additional consumer protection standards that exceed the initial minimum requirements, which could then serve as a basis for **covered pricing incentives** in federal loan programs. The bill also directs the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to develop a **standard site-lease agreement** to ensure mortgage loan eligibility for homes in communities utilizing it. The Act clarifies that its provisions do not supersede any State or local laws offering greater tenant protections. All expenses for carrying out this Act will be funded using existing resources available to the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the FHFA, without authorizing new appropriations. A public list of properties covered by these protections will be made available, along with an explanation of how they compare to existing enterprise protections.
Manufactured Housing Tenant’s Bill of Rights Act of 2025
USA119th CongressS-1194| Senate
| Updated: 3/27/2025
The Manufactured Housing Tenant's Bill of Rights Act of 2025 seeks to link federally backed financing for manufactured home communities to the implementation of robust consumer protections for residents. It mandates that on and after 180 days from enactment, loans under specified **covered loan programs**—including those from HUD, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac—will only be eligible if the borrower certifies that all manufactured home communities they own or affiliate with include certain **minimum consumer protections** in their lease agreements. These required protections encompass several key tenant rights. They include guaranteeing 1-year renewable lease terms, providing at least 60 days' written notice for rent increases (with extended notice for increases exceeding 5 percent), and establishing a 5-day grace period for rent payments and a 15-day right to cure defaults. Furthermore, tenants who own their manufactured homes gain the right to sell their homes in place within the community, to sublease or assign their pad site lease to a new buyer meeting community criteria, and to post "For Sale" signs. Additional protections include a right to 60-day advance written notice of a community's planned sale or closure, with an opportunity for tenants to negotiate a purchase. Tenancy termination is restricted to cases of material noncompliance or legitimate business reasons, requiring specific written notice. The bill also outlines **penalties** for non-compliance, which can include prohibiting borrowers from securing future federally backed financing for at least two years and mandating specific monetary payments to injured tenants for various violations, such as six months' rent for wrongful termination or repayment of increased rent with interest. To further enhance tenant safeguards, the legislation establishes a **Manufactured Home Community Lending Standards Commission**. This commission is tasked with proposing additional consumer protection standards that exceed the initial minimum requirements, which could then serve as a basis for **covered pricing incentives** in federal loan programs. The bill also directs the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to develop a **standard site-lease agreement** to ensure mortgage loan eligibility for homes in communities utilizing it. The Act clarifies that its provisions do not supersede any State or local laws offering greater tenant protections. All expenses for carrying out this Act will be funded using existing resources available to the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the FHFA, without authorizing new appropriations. A public list of properties covered by these protections will be made available, along with an explanation of how they compare to existing enterprise protections.