Owning a mobile home has not spared one Florida resident from rising housing costs, with rent for the land beneath his home reaching $850 a month.
Club Wildwood resident Harry Moniz said another increase will push that bill close to $900, adding to the financial strain of staying in a community he has called home for years.
Here's what to know
Moniz lives at Club Wildwood in Hudson, Florida, where his monthly lot rent started at roughly $675, according to Tampa Bay 28. Today, Moniz pays $850 each month for the land beneath a home he owns, and an expected lot rent increase could push that to over $900 each month.
"Every year it goes up. In the contract it says they have a ceiling of 6%," Moniz told the station.
Lot rent increases remain an ongoing stress for residents who do not own the land beneath their manufactured or mobile homes, and not just in Hudson. Tampa Bay 28 reported similar issues in Manatee County, Lakeland, and Clearwater.
"There's a lot of good people here, and they are all tight," Moniz said. "You know you've gotta decide if you are going to buy food? Am I going to get my medication? What's it going to be? You gotta pay your rent."
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More background
Andrew Rumbach, an urban planner who studies manufactured housing at the Urban Institute, identified investment firms' purchases of mobile home parks as a factor reshaping the industry. Sun Communities owns Club Wildwood.
"Not all private equity is bad. Some private equity has upgraded these parks, but in many instances there's a more predatory kind of investment where they are looking to maximize their profit," Rumbach said.
In addition to raising lot rents, landlords and real estate firms across the country have reportedly prevented renters from adopting money-saving practices, such as upgrading to energy-efficient appliances and hanging clotheslines to dry laundry.
What's being done?
Tampa Bay 28 reported that proposals in Florida's two legislative chambers would have required park owners to explain the reasons for some lot-rent hikes. Neither advanced out of committee, though sponsors said they intend to pursue protections in future legislative sessions.
New York has taken steps to cap annual increases, Rumbach pointed out. He also acknowledged park owners' concerns that limits could threaten their ability to stay in business.
According to Tampa Bay 28, Sun Communities' website recognizes that higher rents can disrupt residents' longer-term financial plans. The site recommends setting aside funds for higher rent, knowing applicable legal protections, and examining lease terms closely.
For Moniz, remaining in the community also means staying close to people he cares about.
"I [have] a lot of friends here," he said. "I don't want to leave. But what are you going to do?"
Where can I learn more?
Florida's mobile home residents aren't alone in facing rising costs to stay in their homes.
• California seniors say a park sale nearly doubled their rent from $825 to $1,600.
• In California, manufactured-home owners facing $350 space-fee hikes say they have no protection.
• In Iowa, a trailer owner says private equity raised rents and shifted utility costs.
• California mobile home tenants rallied against pass-through fees after officials rejected a freeze.
• In Oklahoma, mobile home residents hauled water after shutoffs triggered by $11,000 bills.
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