Michigan Mobile Home Park Rent Control: 2026 Guide

Is mobile home lot rent controlled in Michigan?

No. Michigan has no statewide rent control and no cap on how much you can charge for a mobile home park lot. Lot rent is set by your lease and the market, not by any state-imposed ceiling or percentage limit.

Just as important for operators: no Michigan city, county, township, or village can impose rent control on you either. A 1988 state law preempts every form of local rent control, so your ability to price lots is protected statewide.

The main constraints are the ones you agree to in the lease, plus a handful of consumer-protection rules that bar unfair or deceptive practices. Within those guardrails, you set the rent.

No rent control, and no local rent control either

Michigan does not regulate the amount of residential rent, and that includes manufactured-housing lot rent. There is no statutory rent board, no cap, and no formula.

Local rent control is expressly forbidden by MCL 123.411 (1988 PA 226). The statute states that, subject to narrow exceptions, 'a local governmental unit shall not enact, maintain, or enforce an ordinance or resolution that would have the effect of controlling the amount of rent charged for leasing private residential property.' It defines 'local governmental unit' broadly to include counties, cities, villages, and townships.

Practical takeaway: no Michigan community can adopt a rent-control or rent-stabilization ordinance that applies to your park. Pricing authority stays with you and your lease.

What the Mobile Home Commission Act does — and does not — require on notice

Michigan does NOT set a mobile-home-park-specific statutory rent-increase notice period. The Mobile Home Commission Act (MCL 125.2301 et seq.) governs parks, but it contains no rent cap and no required number of days' notice for a lot-rent increase. The Michigan Courts Landlord-Tenant Benchbook confirms there is no rent-increase notice period required by statute or administrative rule.

Because there is no fixed statutory day-count, the timing and notice of any increase are governed by your lease. Under MCL 600.5775, you cannot change rent in the middle of a lease term, but that section expressly 'does not prohibit a change of the rental payments or the terms or conditions of tenancy' once the term expires — so raise rent at renewal, following whatever notice your lease specifies.

Be skeptical of online articles claiming a mandatory '30-day' or '90-day' Michigan lot-rent notice. Those figures conflict with each other and are not found in any Michigan statute. Follow your lease and applicable tenancy-termination rules instead of an invented deadline.

No percentage cap — but stay clear of unfair-practice rules

There is no percentage limit on lot-rent increases in Michigan. The amount is a business decision constrained only by your lease and market conditions.

The one place operators get into trouble is the Mobile Home Commission Act's ban on unfair or deceptive practices. Under MCL 125.2328, an owner or operator 'shall not engage ... in any of the following unfair or deceptive methods, acts, or practices,' including charging entrance or exit fees or coercing tenants to buy goods or services as a condition of tenancy.

So price the lot rent freely, but keep the fee structure clean and transparent, and make sure lease terms comply with the Truth in Renting Act (MCL 554.631 et seq.), which polices unlawful or misleading lease provisions.

Rent-increase rules at a glance in Michigan

• Statewide cap
  None. No rent control and no statutory limit on the amount or frequency of a lot-rent increase.
• Local rent control
  Prohibited. MCL 123.411(2) bars any county, city, village, or township from controlling the amount of rent charged for private residential property.
• Percentage limit
  None. There is no maximum percentage increase; lot rent is set by lease and market.
• MHP-specific notice period
  None set by statute. Neither the Mobile Home Commission Act nor Michigan administrative rules fix a day-count for lot-rent increases; the lease governs notice and timing.
• Mid-lease increases
  Not allowed. MCL 600.5775 prohibits changing rent during the lease term but permits changes after the term expires.
• Fee guardrails
  MCL 125.2328 bars unfair or deceptive practices such as entrance fees, exit fees, and coerced purchases; keep fees separate from and clearer than the base lot rent.

Operator best practices in Michigan

• Put rent-change terms in the lease
  Since Michigan sets no statutory MHP notice period, spell out increase timing and notice in the written lease so expectations are clear and enforceable.
• Raise rent at renewal, not mid-term
  Time increases to take effect after the lease term expires, consistent with MCL 600.5775, which bars changing rent during an active term.
• Give generous written notice anyway
  Even without a statutory deadline, provide clear advance written notice of the new amount and effective date; it reduces disputes and supports collection.
• Keep fees clean and disclosed
  Avoid entrance/exit fees and coerced purchases prohibited by MCL 125.2328, and make sure lease provisions comply with the Truth in Renting Act (MCL 554.631 et seq.).
• Apply increases consistently
  Set lot rent by market rather than by tenant, and document your rationale to avoid discrimination or unfair-practice claims.
• Build a relationship with a Michigan MHP attorney
  Manufactured-housing rules (the Mobile Home Commission Act, just-cause eviction under MCL 600.5771-5785, and the Truth in Renting Act) are specialized; have Michigan counsel review your lease, notices, and fee schedule.