Pennsylvania Mobile Home Park Rent Control: 2026 Guide

Is mobile home lot rent controlled in Pennsylvania?

No. Pennsylvania does not cap the amount of mobile-home lot rent. There is no statewide rent-control law and no percentage or dollar ceiling on how much you can charge or raise ground rent — the amount is set by the market and your lease.

What Pennsylvania does control is the process. The Manufactured Home Community Rights Act (MHCRA), 68 P.S. § 398.1 et seq., requires a written lease, limits rent changes to once every 12 months, bars mid-term increases, mandates advance written notice, and prohibits several fees. So in Pennsylvania the question is not 'how much' but 'how and when' — get the process right and the increase is enforceable; get it wrong and it is void.

No statewide rent cap in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has no statewide rent control or rent stabilization statute, and no state cap on lot-rent increases for manufactured home communities. Neither the MHCRA nor general PA landlord-tenant law limits the amount or percentage of an increase.

Because there is no rate ceiling, there is no lawful maximum percentage to cite — any figure a tenant hears about a 'legal maximum increase' in Pennsylvania is not from statute. The only hard limits are on frequency (once per 12 months), timing (not during the lease term), and notice (at least 60 days). A rent-control advisory bill (SB 546) was introduced in the 2025-2026 session but remains in committee and is not law.

The MHCRA governs the lease, notice, and fees

Written lease and frequency: Every lot must be under a written lease of at least one month, renewable (68 P.S. § 398.4a(a)). Ground rent 'shall not change more than once in a 12-month period' (§ 398.4a(b)), and 'rent shall not be increased during the term of the lease' (§ 398.6(c)) — increases happen at renewal, not mid-term.

Notice: To raise rent you must give at least 60 days advance written notice. A renewal lease must be offered unless you notify the lessee in writing of any changes at least 60 days before the lease expires (§ 398.4a(c)); and no increased rent is 'effective against a lessee prior to the 61st day after receiving the owner or operator notice' (§ 398.13(e)). An increase is also unenforceable until 30 days after notice is posted in the office and mailed (§ 398.6(c)).

Fees: 'Entrance and exit fees may not be charged' (§ 398.8). Installation/removal fees cannot exceed your actual cost, with treble damages for violations (§ 398.9); and no fee may be charged for overnight guests (§ 398.10). No tying rent to a home sale: any rule or lease term that tries to prevent a resident from selling their home in place is void, and any commission on that sale is void unless you acted as a licensed sales agent under a separate written fee agreement (§ 398.11(a)). You may approve the buyer as a new lessee, but approval 'may not be unreasonably withheld.'

Local rent control in Pennsylvania

No Pennsylvania municipality currently imposes rent control on manufactured-home lot rent (or on residential rent generally). There is no local percentage cap in effect anywhere in the Commonwealth, so operators are not subject to a municipal rent ceiling.

Some commentary references a state law preempting local rent-control ordinances; treat that as unsettled and confirm with counsel rather than relying on a specific citation. The practical bottom line is unchanged: there is no state or local cap on the amount of lot rent in Pennsylvania today. Always check any local ordinance where your community sits before assuming, since local rules can change.

Rent-increase rules at a glance in Pennsylvania

• No amount cap
  No statewide or local limit on how much lot rent can be or how much it can rise; there is no lawful maximum percentage in PA statute.
• Once per 12 months
  Ground rents 'shall not change more than once in a 12-month period' (68 P.S. § 398.4a(b)).
• Not mid-term
  'Rent shall not be increased during the term of the lease' (§ 398.6(c)); increases take effect only at renewal.
• 60 days written notice
  At least 60 days advance written notice of changes/increase (§ 398.4a(c), § 398.13(e)); no increase effective before the 61st day.
• Written lease required
  Every space must be leased in writing for at least one month and be renewable (§ 398.4a(a)).
• Entrance/exit fees banned
  'Entrance and exit fees may not be charged' (§ 398.8); install/removal fees capped at actual cost (§ 398.9); no guest fees (§ 398.10).
• Can't block or tax a home sale
  Rules preventing a resident's in-place home sale are void, and sale commissions are void absent a licensed-agent written agreement; buyer approval can't be unreasonably withheld (§ 398.11(a)).
• Limited eviction/non-renewal grounds
  May terminate, refuse to renew, or evict only for nonpayment, a second rule violation within 6 months, change in land use, or community termination (§ 398.3(a)).

Operator best practices in Pennsylvania

• Put every space under a written lease
  The MHCRA requires it; an unwritten arrangement leaves your rent, fees, and increases unenforceable (§ 398.4a, § 398.6(c)).
• Increase only at renewal, once a year
  Schedule any lot-rent change for lease renewal and never more than once per 12 months to stay inside § 398.4a(b) and § 398.6(c).
• Send 60-day written notice every time
  Give at least 60 days advance written notice, post it in the office, and mail it; do not make any increase effective before the 61st day (§ 398.13(e)).
• Disclose the increase method up front
  On leases over 60 days, spell out how rent will be increased and provide the required fee disclosures before signing (§ 398.6(e)).
• Audit your fee schedule
  Remove any entrance/exit fees and cap installation and removal fees at actual cost; drop guest fees — violations can trigger treble damages (§§ 398.8, 398.9, 398.10).
• Never block or tax a resident's home sale
  Do not condition rent or charge a commission on a resident selling in place; only reasonably screen the incoming buyer as a lessee (§ 398.11(a)).
• Follow the eviction/non-renewal grounds exactly
  Terminate or decline renewal only for the four statutory reasons and use certified/registered-mail notice with the correct cure period (§ 398.3).
• Build a relationship with a Pennsylvania MHP attorney
  MHCRA remedies include treble damages, private causes of action, and Unfair Trade Practices Act exposure; have PA counsel review your lease, notice templates, and fee schedule before you roll out increases.