A bill to control rent increases in manufactured home parks in New York passed in both houses.
If signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul, the legislation would require mobile home park owners to provide a written justification and documentation for rent increases over 3%.
Building on 2019 legislation — the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, which capped rent increases at 3% — this new legislation would close a loophole that allowed park owners to raise rents above 3% without providing any justification for the increases.
In August 2025, the Times Herald-Record reported on rent increases over 3% at a Newburgh manufactured home park while residents faced multiple problems related to a chronically malfunctioning and undersized septic system, land erosion and water issues.
Sponsored by New York State Senator James Skoufis (D-Orange County) and Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-Dutchess/Columbia), the bill faced four failed cycles in the Senate-Assembly legislative loop, passing in one chamber but not the other and vice versa, after being introduced in 2021.
“This is a significant victory for over 84,000 families across New York State,” Yvonne Maldonado, a community organizer and volunteer leader at Manufactured Housing Action, said in an email statement about the passing of the bill. “It provides much-needed transparency — ensuring that when a park owner raises lot rent above 3%, residents have the right to request documentation that clearly justifies the increase.”
Housing stock and rent increases in manufactured home parks
In a manufactured home park, the people often own the homes but rent the lot the unit sits on.
With 192,890 units, manufactured homes in New York State comprise 2.4% of its housing stock, according to a 2023 report by Rural Housing Coalition of New York. In rural areas, manufactured housing numbers represented 10.3%, or 100,802 homes. Dutchess, Ulster and Saratoga counties had the highest concentration of manufactured housing communities.
“In rural communities, manufactured and mobile homes are often the only affordable housing available,” Barrett said in a statement. “This common-sense legislation will protect tenants from bad actors and unreasonable rent increases and ensure that park owners are transparent and accountable to their tenants.”
What’s next?
The bill will go next to Hochul’s desk to be signed into law.
Contact reporter Vandana Saras at vsaras@usatodayco.com and @orangecountynyreporter on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: NY bill aims to end unjustified rent hikes in mobile home parks
Reporting by Vandana Saras, Middletown Times Herald- Record / Times Herald-Record
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