Idaho Mobile Home Park Rent Control: 2026 Guide

Is mobile home lot rent controlled in Idaho?

No. Idaho does not cap lot rent, sets no maximum percentage increase, and bars cities and counties from imposing rent control of any kind. There is no statewide or local ceiling on what you may charge for a manufactured-home lot.

What Idaho does regulate is the process. If you own or operate a manufactured-home community, the Manufactured Home Residency Act (Idaho Code Title 55, Chapter 20) requires at least 90 days' written notice before a lot-rent increase, plus uniformity and frequency rules. Miss the notice and the increase is unenforceable — so the risk in Idaho is procedural, not a dollar limit.

No rent cap — statewide or by percentage

Idaho law contains no rent-control statute. No section of the Idaho Code sets a maximum rent, a maximum increase, or a percentage cap for residential or mobile-home lot rent.

The Legislature has been explicit on this point. Idaho Code §55-305(4), governing tenant fees, states: 'Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the amount that can be charged for rent.' The Manufactured Home Residency Act likewise controls notice and uniformity, not the amount. In short, you set the number; the statute only governs how and when you may change it.

Local rent control is prohibited (§55-306, formerly part of §55-307)

Idaho preempts local rent control. Under Idaho Code §55-306, a local governmental unit 'shall not enact, maintain, or enforce an ordinance or resolution' that would regulate rent, fees, or deposits charged for leasing private residential property. No Idaho city or county can cap your rent or impose rent stabilization.

One numbering note: this preemption was located in §55-307 through the 2024 code, which is why older references (and some legal databases) still cite '§55-307.' A 2025 recodification (2025 ch. 65) moved it to its own section, §55-306, and the current §55-307 now covers a tenant's removal of fixtures. The Manufactured Home Residency Act confirms the cross-reference: §55-2006(4) says community rents 'are governed by the provisions of section 55-306, Idaho Code.'

The Manufactured Home Residency Act rent-increase notice (§55-2006)

For manufactured/mobile-home communities, the operative rule is Idaho Code §55-2006. Under subsection (1), a landlord 'may increase or decrease rents after expiration of the lease term, but only with ninety (90) days' written notice to the residents,' delivered by first class mail, certified mail, or personal delivery. The 90-day clock is the single most important compliance item — this is in §55-2006, not §55-2004 or §55-2005.

Three companion rules apply. Increases must be uniform throughout the community, or uniform within each rent tier where rents are tiered by lot size, amenities, or location (§55-2006(2)). You may not amend the rental agreement or rules more than once in any six-month period, and must give 90 days' notice of any such amendment (§55-2006(3)). Finally, a narrow exception: if the lease contains an escalation clause, you may pass through a pro-rata share of increases in the community's ad valorem taxes or utility assessments on just 30 days' notice (§55-2006(5)) — but a base-rent increase still requires the full 90 days.

Rent-increase rules at a glance in Idaho

• Statewide rent cap
  None. Idaho sets no maximum rent and no percentage limit on increases (see §55-305(4)).
• Local rent control
  Prohibited. Idaho Code §55-306 bars any city or county from regulating rent, fees, or deposits on private residential property.
• Lot-rent increase notice (MHP)
  At least 90 days' written notice, and only after the lease term expires — Idaho Code §55-2006(1).
• How notice must be delivered
  First class mail, certified mail, or personal delivery — §55-2006(1).
• Frequency limit
  No more than one rent/rule amendment per six-month period — §55-2006(3).
• Uniformity
  Increases must be uniform across the community, or uniform within each defined rent tier — §55-2006(2).
• Tax/utility escalation pass-through
  30 days' notice, but only for a pro-rata share of ad valorem tax or utility increases under a lease escalation clause — §55-2006(5).
• Non-MHP residential leases
  For ordinary residential rentals (not lots), 30 days' written notice of a rent increase — §55-304(2).

Operator best practices in Idaho

• Calendar the full 90 days
  Back-count from the intended effective date; the 90 days run from written notice, and short notice makes the increase unenforceable (§55-2006(1)).
• Use a provable delivery method
  Send by first class mail, certified mail, or personal delivery and keep proof, so you can document when the 90-day clock started (§55-2006(1)).
• Keep every increase uniform
  Apply the same increase across the community, or consistently within each rent tier, to satisfy §55-2006(2).
• Respect the six-month limit
  Do not stack rent or rule changes more than once per six months (§55-2006(3)).
• Don't count on local rules
  Idaho preempts local rent control (§55-306); a city can neither help nor force you on rent, so your compliance duty is purely under state law.
• Separate escalation pass-throughs from base-rent hikes
  Only ad valorem tax/utility pass-throughs qualify for the 30-day escalation notice; a base-rent increase always needs the full 90 days (§55-2006(5)).
• Mind the 2025 renumbering
  Cite §55-306 (not the old §55-307) for the no-rent-control rule, and pull the current statute text; some databases still show pre-2025 numbering.
• Build a relationship with an Idaho MHP attorney
  The Manufactured Home Residency Act has strict notice, uniformity, and termination provisions; have Idaho counsel review your rent-increase notices, escalation clauses, and community rules before you rely on them.