Tenant's Rights in Mobile Home, Manufactured Housing, or Houseboat Rentals

IMPORTANT: This is an excerpt from the 2016 Landlord-Tenant Law in Oregon booklet. This booklet and all Resources referred to below are available on this website. This information is for general educational use only. It is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. If you have a specific legal question, you should contact an attorney. The information included here is accurate as of March 2016. Please remember that the law is always changing through the actions of the courts, the legislature, and agencies.

TIME LIMIT WARNING Under state and federal laws there are time limits for taking action to enforce your rights. Most lawsuits related to the rental agreement and the Oregon Residential Landlord and Tenant Act must be filed (started in court) within one year of the incident. There may be other — shorter — time limits that apply in other cases. Ask a lawyer about the time limits that could apply in your situation.

What are my rights if I rent space for a mobile home/manufactured dwelling or houseboat?

Tenants who are renting space in a manufactured dwelling (also known as a “mobile home”) park or in a floating home moorage, but who live in and own (or are buying) a mobile or floating home, have more rights than other tenants. For example, prior to eviction, the landlord must give you a 30-day written notice that explains how you violated the rental agreement. If you correct the problems listed in the notice during the 30 days, you may stay. If you violate the same section within 6 months the landlord can give you a 20-day notice without giving you a chance to correct the problems. ORS 90.630. Other time periods may apply if the landlord’s notice is based on your failure to keep your home in good repair. 

If a mobile home park is going to be closed and converted to a different use, the landlord must provide residents with a closure notice 365 days before the date of closure. The notice must designate the date of closure. The park owner must pay $5,000, $7,000, or $9,000 (depending on the size of the home) to each mobile-home owner who is forced to relocate or abandon his/her property due to the park’s closure. The landlord is not allowed to raise rent during the 365-day notice period, but is allowed to evict tenants for non-payment of rent during the notice period. For more information, contact a lawyer. 

Tenants who live in and own (or are buying) a mobile home or floating home but who rent space that is not part of a manufactured dwelling park or floating home moorage may be evicted with a 180-day notice without cause. 

There are different rules for RVs (recreational vehicles). ORS 90.630. Contact a lawyer if you have questions.