California owners of manufactured homes face $350 space-fee hikes, and say they have 'zero protection'

Manufactured-home owners in Encinitas say rising space fees are putting them under pressure, with few practical ways to avoid the increases. Residents at Riviera Mobile Home Park in Leucadia say some of those monthly fees will jump by roughly $350 starting Nov. 1.

Here's what to know

According to CBS 8 San Diego, Riviera Mobile Home Park homeowners are asking the Encinitas City Council to temporarily halt the planned increases while officials consider a permanent limit on annual space-fee hikes. In some cases, 2026 increases reached 17%.

Erin Riley, who has owned a home in the park since 2014, said the increase came as a shock: "The 350 hit me like a brick wall." She also told CBS 8, "We have zero protection, and that's all that we're asking for. Protect us like everyone else in California's protected."

While many renters in California are covered by a 10% yearly limit on rent hikes, people who own manufactured homes and pay to lease the land underneath them do not have a similar statewide limit on space fees.

Homeowner Eva Bueno said the dispute goes beyond household budgets, arguing that stronger oversight is needed: "It's more about seeing a predatory business not get away with what they're getting away with. They need to be regulated."

More background

Residents say a fee increase leaves them with far fewer alternatives than most renters because moving a manufactured home to a cheaper location is not a simple option.

They say the lack of a cap can also devastate their homes' value when it is time to sell. Heidi Hollsworth said, "When they do try to sell, because there is no cap on those space fees, now the value of their home is pennies on the dollar. And the park is coming in and saying, 'Sell it to us instead for practically nothing.' No potential buyer is willing to take on a type of increase on the land fee that is unpredictable."

Homeowner Heidi Hollsworth said the pressure is already reshaping how some neighbors get by. "I know people in the park that have two jobs," she said, adding that some residents are on fixed incomes, use food banks, and are forced to choose "what medications do I buy this month?"

What's being done?

Residents want an urgency moratorium that would pause the Nov. 1 fee increases as Encinitas considers whether to adopt a permanent annual cap on space-fee hikes.

Across California, more than 100 cities and counties have already set their own limits on manufactured-home park space-fee increases. In San Diego County, Oceanside has an 8% cap, while Chula Vista, Escondido, and Imperial Beach also have protections.

Although San Diego approved a tenant protection ordinance in 2023, it did not extend to mobile-home spaces, CBS 8 reported.

For people dealing with restrictive housing rules beyond rent, including rules that block cost-saving habits, working collectively with landlords or community associations can help. Those looking to push for rule changes can check out how to change HOA bylaws.

Where can I learn more?

Across the country, residents of manufactured-home communities and housing developments face similar disputes. The articles here cover rent spikes, resident land purchases, and other rules that can shape affordability.

• In Wisconsin, manufactured-home rents soared after private equity bought parks.

• In New Hampshire, residents bought the land underneath their homes and now set rents.

• In California, a new housing law raised fresh worries about affordability and future homes.

• Elsewhere, renters are pushing back as outrageous HOA demands add new costs and pressure.

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