An Act To Prohibit Unfair Charges in Mobile Home Parks
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1355
Committee: Legal and Veterans Affairs
Sponsors: SMITH, HOBBINS, BARSTOW, BURNS, JACKSON, TRAHAN, MILLS, PERRY
Amends: 10 MRSA §9097, 10 MRSA §9097-C

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE 
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122nd MAINE 'LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 1355 
H.P.938 
House of Representatives, March 17,2005 
An Act To Prohibit Unfair Charges in Mobile Home Parks 
Submitted by the Department of the Attorney General pursuant to Joint Rule 204. 
Reference to the Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative SMITH of Monmouth. 
Cosponsored by Senator HOBBINS of York and 
'If/~ frI· 71/tu~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: BARSTOW of Gorham, BURNS of Berwick, JACKSON of Fort Kent, 
TRAHAN of Waldoboro, Senators: MILLS of Somerset, PERRY of Penobscot. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 10 MRSA §9097, sub-§3, as amended by PL 1993, c. 180, 
§1, is further amended to read: 
3. 
Fees. 
The owner of a mobile home park or the owner's 
agents may not charge any fees to tenants other than charges for 
rent, utilities, reasonable incidental service charges, entrance 
fees or security deposits, unless otherwise provided for in the 
original lease or agreement. 
The owner of a mobile home park or 
the owner's agents may not charge any entrance fee, regardless of 
what that fee is called, to a tenant who is moving into a mobile 
home currently in the mobile home park that is greater than 2 
times the amount of the monthly rent. 
The owner of a mobile home 
park or the owner's agents may not charge any exit fee to any 
tenant who is removing that tenant's mobile home from the mobile 
home park. 
Sec. 2. 10 MRSA §9097-C is enacted to read: 
§9Q97-C. 
Penalties for late payment of rent 
The owner of a mobile home park or the owner's agents may 
assess a penalty against a tenant for late payment of rent under 
this section. 
1. 
Late payment. 
A payment of rent is late if it is not 
made within 15 days from the time the payment is due. 
2. 
Maximum penalty. 
The owner of a mobile home park or the 
owner's agents may not assess a penalty for the late payment of 
rent that exceeds 4% of the amount due for one month. 
3. 
Notice in writing. 
The owner of a mobile home park or 
the owner's agents may not assess a penalty for the late payment 
of rent unless the owner of a mobile home park or the owner's 
agents gives the tenant written notice at the time the owner of a 
mobile home park or the owner's agents and tenant enter into the 
rental agreement that a penalty, up to 4°", of one month's rent, 
may be charged for the late payment of rent. 
SUMMARY 
This bill makes the following changes to the mobile home 
park landlord and tenant law. 
1. It prohibits mobile home park owners or owners' agents 
from charging otherwise illegal entrance fees regardless of what 
those fees are called and prohibits park owners or owners' agents 
Page l-LR0559(l) 
from charging exit fees to tenants for removing homes from the 
park. 
2. 
It limits the penalty for late payment of rent to 4% of 
the amount due for one month. 
Also, rent is not late if it is 
made within 15 days from the time the payment is due.