An Act to Support Owners of Manufactured Housing, Mobile
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 2231
Committee: Housing and Economic Development
Amends: 9-A MRSA §9, 9-A MRSA §13, 10 MRSA §9093-B, 10 MRSA §9100, 29-A MRSA §651, 29-A MRSA §669, 29-A MRSA §669-A, 30-A MRSA §4358, 33 MRSA §459-A

Legislative Document
No. 2231
H.P. 1506
House of Representatives, March 10, 2026
An Act to Support Owners of Manufactured Housing, Mobile 
Homes and Tiny Homes
Reported by Representative GERE of Kennebunkport for the Joint Standing Committee on 
Housing and Economic Development pursuant to Public Law 2025, chapter 365, section 2.
Reference to the Committee on Housing and Economic Development suggested and 
ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 218.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  9-A MRSA §9-101, as amended by PL 2017, c. 106, §10, is further amended 
to read:
§9-101.  Scope
This Article applies to all consumer credit transactions made by creditors that are not 
supervised financial organizations, that are made to finance or refinance the acquisition of 
real estate or the initial construction of a dwelling or that are secured by a first-lien 
mortgage on real estate and applies to the servicing of those transactions. For purposes of 
this Article, unless prohibited by federal law, "real estate" includes manufactured housing, 
as defined in Title 10, section 9002, subsection 7, or tiny home, as defined in Title 29-A, 
section 101, subsection 80-C, regardless of whether title to the real property to which the 
manufactured housing or tiny home is affixed is held by the owner of the manufactured 
housing or tiny home, as long as the owner meets the requirements of Title 29-A, section 
669-A.
Sec. 2.  9-A MRSA §13-102, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 362, Pt. B, §1, is 
amended to read:
3.  Dwelling.  "Dwelling" has the same meaning as in the federal Truth in Lending Act, 
Section 103(v) and, unless prohibited by federal law, also includes manufactured housing, 
as defined in Title 10, section 9002, subsection 7, or tiny home, as defined in Title 29-A, 
section 101, subsection 80-C, regardless of whether title to the real property to which the 
manufactured housing or tiny home is affixed is held by the owner of the manufactured 
housing or tiny home, as long as the owner meets the requirements of Title 29-A, section 
669-A.
Sec. 3.  10 MRSA §9093-B, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2025, c. 399, §2, is amended 
to read:
2.  Notice contents.  The notice under subsection 1 must include:
A.  The name, address, telephone number and e-mail address of the owner of the 
manufactured housing community;
B.  The amount of the increase in lot rent or fees, in dollars, and the type of fee 
increased;
C.  The average lot rent and fees by the type of fee, as a dollar amount, for a 
manufactured housing community with equivalent services and amenities in the area 
at the time of the notice;
D.  The average lot rent, calculated pursuant to paragraph C, increased by 1% above 
the Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region, or its successor index, as published 
by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics or its successor 
agency, in dollar amounts, referred to in this section as "the allowed lot rent increase";
E.  The average fee for each type of fee, calculated pursuant to paragraph C, increased 
by 1% above the Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region, or its successor 
index, as published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor 
Statistics or its successor agency, in dollar amounts, referred to in this section as "the 
allowed fee increase"; and
F.  A statement of the manufactured home owner's right to request mediation and the 
requirements to make a request.; and
G.  The percentage change for the previous 12-month period in the Consumer Price 
Index for the Northeast Region, or its successor index, as published by the United 
States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, or its successor agency.
Sec. 4.  10 MRSA §9093-B, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2025, c. 399, §2, is amended 
to read:
3.  Request for mediation.  If the dollar amount of the proposed lot rent increase is 
above the allowed lot rent increase or the dollar amount of the proposed fee increase is 
above the allowed fee increase for the type of fee increased percentage increase in lot rent 
or fees is above the percentage from subsection 2, paragraph G, owners of manufactured 
homes in the housing community, subject to the proposed lot rent or fee increase, may 
request the proposed lot rent or fee increase be subject to mediation, if:
A.  A number of owners representing 51% or more of the households in the community, 
subject to the proposed lot rent or fee increase, sign a written request for mediation; 
and
B.  The written request is mailed, by certified mail, to the owner of the manufactured 
housing community within 90 days of the date of the notice required by subsection 1.
Sec. 5.  10 MRSA §9100, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. B, §1 and Pt. C, §106 
and amended by PL 1989, c. 6; c. 9, §2; and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is further amended 
to read:
§9100.  Violations; board petition
A violation of this chapter is a violation of Title 5, chapter 10, the unfair trade practices 
laws. The Manufactured Housing Board may petition the Attorney General to initiate legal 
action in any court of competent jurisdiction for monetary or injunctive relief to enforce 
this chapter.
Sec. 6.  29-A MRSA §651, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2009, c. 435, §9, is further 
amended to read:
6.  Manufactured housing.  Beginning October 1, 2007, the Secretary of State shall 
issue certificates of title for new single-unit manufactured housing beginning with model 
year 2007.  Beginning October 1, 2007 and ending September 30, 2009, the Secretary of 
State shall issue a certificate of title for used manufactured housing that was previously 
issued a State of Maine certificate of title.  Beginning October 1, 2009, the Secretary of 
State may issue a certificate of title for used manufactured housing that was previously 
issued a State of Maine certificate of title or a model year 2007 or later model that was 
never issued a certificate of title.  A certificate of title issued pursuant to this subsection 
remains in effect unless cancelled pursuant to section 669 669-A.
Sec. 7.  29-A MRSA §651, sub-§7, as enacted by PL 2019, c. 650, §4, is amended 
to read:
7.  Tiny homes.  The Secretary of State shall issue certificates of title for new tiny 
homes beginning with model year 2020.  The Secretary of State shall issue a certificate of 
title for a used tiny home of any model year that was previously issued a State of Maine 
certificate of title.  A certificate of title issued pursuant to this subsection remains in effect 
unless cancelled pursuant to section 669 669-A.
Sec. 8.  29-A MRSA §669, as amended by PL 2019, c. 650, §8, is repealed.
Sec. 9.  29-A MRSA §669-A is enacted to read:
§669-A.  Cancellation of certificate of title to manufactured housing and tiny homes
1.  Real property transactions.  This section governs the cancellation of a certificate 
of title to manufactured housing, as defined in Title 10, section 9002, subsection 7, or a 
tiny home, as defined in section 101, subsection 80-C, by the owner of the manufactured 
housing or tiny home and the conversion to titling the manufactured housing or tiny home 
as real estate. 
2.  Request for cancellation; cancellation.  An owner of manufactured housing or a 
tiny home may file a written request with the Secretary of State, upon a form acceptable to 
the Secretary of State, for cancellation of the certificate of title to the manufactured housing 
or tiny home after completion of the requirements in subsections 3 and 4 and by returning 
the recorded certificate of title to the Secretary of State.  The Secretary of State shall cancel 
the certificate of title upon receipt of the written request from the owner of the 
manufactured housing or tiny home requesting cancellation of the certificate of title, 
accompanied by the certificate of title and documents listed in subsection 3 that have been 
recorded pursuant to subsection 4.  Upon cancellation of the certificate of title, the Secretary 
of State shall issue a document certifying that the certificate of title has been cancelled.
3.  Required actions.  An owner of manufactured housing or a tiny home that requests 
that the certificate of title to the manufactured housing or tiny home be cancelled by the 
Secretary of State under subsection 2 shall complete the following actions and submit the 
following documents to the Secretary of State.
A.  If the owner of the manufactured housing or tiny home owns the real property upon 
which the manufactured housing or tiny home is affixed, the owner shall record the 
following documents in the registry of deeds for the county in which the real property 
is located:
(1)  The original certificate of title to the manufactured housing or tiny home; 
(2)  A description of the manufactured housing or tiny home, including model year, 
make, width, length and identification number, if applicable, and a statement by 
any recorded lienholder on the certificate of title that the security interest has been 
released or that such security interest will be released upon cancellation of the 
certificate of title as set forth in this section;
(3)  The legal description of the real property;  
(4)  A sworn statement by the owner of the real property, as shown on the real 
property deed, that the owner of the real property is the owner of the manufactured 
housing or tiny home and that the manufactured housing or tiny home is 
permanently affixed to the real property in accordance with state law; and
(5) A deed substantially similar to the applicable form of a deed in subsection 11, 
or 13.
B. If the owner of the manufactured housing or tiny home does not own the real 
property upon which the manufactured housing or tiny home is affixed, the owner shall 
record the following documents in the registry of deeds for the county in which the real 
property is located:
(1)  The original certificate of title to the manufactured housing or tiny home; 
(2)  A description of the manufactured housing or tiny home, including model year, 
make, width, length and identification number, if applicable, and a statement by 
any recorded lienholder on the certificate of title that the security interest has been 
released or that such security interest will be released upon cancellation of the 
certificate of title as set forth in this section; and
(3)  A deed substantially similar to the applicable form of the deed in subsection 
11, 12 or 13, that includes the signature of the owner of the real property upon 
which the manufactured housing or tiny home is affixed stating that the 
manufactured housing or tiny home is affixed to the real property in accordance 
with state law.
4.  Recording.  The register of deeds, upon receipt of the documents set forth in 
subsection 3, shall record the documents.
5. Consent from real property owner. If consent of the owner of real property to 
which a manufactured housing or tiny home is affixed is required on a statutory form set 
forth in subsection 11, 12 or 13, the owner may not unreasonably withhold consent. If the 
owner of a manufactured housing community or mobile home park is asked to sign a deed 
under this section, the owner shall sign the deed within 15 days of a written request for 
signature being mailed to the owner or delivered to the owner's place of business for 
signature. The owner may not charge more than $25 for a signature on a deed.
6.  Liens.  For purposes of perfection, realization and foreclosure of security interests, 
if a certificate of title has been cancelled pursuant to this section, a separate security interest 
in the manufactured housing or tiny home does not exist, and the manufactured housing or 
tiny home may be secured only as part of the real estate through a mortgage under Title 33.
7.  Applicability.  This section applies to manufactured housing or tiny homes required 
to be titled under section 651 and to any person who voluntarily elects to cancel a certificate 
of title to manufactured housing or a tiny home pursuant to this section.
8.  Taxation not affected.  This section may not be construed to affect the taxation of 
manufactured housing or tiny homes.
9.  No change to common law.  Except as otherwise provided in this section, this 
section may not be construed to modify or change existing common law.
10. Recording of deed; property considered real estate. Upon recording of a deed 
in the registry of deeds, manufactured housing or tiny homes situated on land not belonging 
to the owners of the manufactured housing or tiny home are deemed real estate for all 
purposes. 
11.  Form of manufactured housing warranty deed.  
FORM FOR MANUFACTURED HOUSING WARRANTY DEED
……………, of ………………, …………… County, State of ……………, for 
consideration paid, grant to ……………………, (complete mailing address) 
…………………, of …………….. Street, Town (City) of …………….., ……………. 
County, State of ………………, with warranty covenants, the ………….. (Description of 
manufactured housing being conveyed: name of manufacturer, model and serial number 
and incumbrances, exceptions, reservations, if any) situated, or to be situated, at 
………………. (state name of park, if any, and street address), Town (City) of 
………………, ………………..County, State of Maine.
The tract or parcel of land upon which the manufactured housing is situated, or is to be 
situated, is owned by …………………….. by deed dated …………………….. and 
recorded at Book ……, Page ……. in the ……………… County Registry of Deeds. 
Signed this …………….. day of ……………., ………...
(Here add acknowledgment)
………………., owner of the tract or parcel of land upon which the aforesaid manufactured 
housing is situated, or is to be situated, hereby consents to the conveyance of the 
manufactured housing.
Signed this ……………… day of …………., ……...
(Here add acknowledgment)
[  ] Check box if the manufactured housing has been relocated from one site to another 
within Maine. The manufactured housing was previously located at ……………….. (state 
name of park, if any, and street address), Town (City) of ……………………, 
……………… County, State of Maine and title, if any, to the same was recorded at Book 
……., Page ……., in the ……………… County Registry of Deeds. If the relocation is to 
a county of the State of Maine other than the county in which the deed to the grantor was 
recorded, a duplicate original of the deed must be recorded in the registry of deeds of that 
county at the same time this deed is recorded.
12.  Form of manufactured housing quitclaim deed.  
FORM FOR MANUFACTURED HOUSING QUITCLAIM DEED
…………., of ……………, …………… County, State of …………, for consideration 
paid, grant to ………….., (complete mailing address) ……………, of …………. Street, 
Town (City) of …………., …………. County, State of ……………., with warranty 
covenants, the ………… (Description of manufactured housing being conveyed: name of 
manufacturer, model and serial number and incumbrances, exceptions, reservations, if any) 
situated, or to be situated, at …………… (state name of park, if any, and street address), 
Town (City) of …………., …………… County, State of Maine.
The tract or parcel of land upon which the manufactured housing is situated, or is to be 
situated, is owned by …………. by deed dated …………. and recorded at Book ………., 
Page ……. in the ……………. County Registry of Deeds.
Signed this ………….. day of ……………, …….
(Here add acknowledgment)
…………….., owner of the tract or parcel of land upon which the aforesaid manufactured 
housing is situated, or is to be situated, hereby consents to the conveyance of the 
manufactured housing.
Signed this …………… day of ……………., ……..
(Here add acknowledgment)
[  ] Check box if the manufactured housing has been relocated from one site to another 
within Maine. The manufactured housing was previously located at ……………… (state 
name of park, if any, and street address), Town (City) of ………………., ……………. 
County, State of Maine and title, if any, to the same was recorded at Book …….., Page 
……, in the …………… County Registry of Deeds. If the relocation is to a county of the 
duplicate original of the deed must be recorded in the registry of deeds of that county at the 
same time this deed is recorded.
13.  Form of out-of-state transfer statement.  
FORM FOR OUT-OF-STATE TRANSFER STATEMENT
…………., of …………., County, State of …………., for consideration paid, grant to 
………….., (complete mailing address) ………………, of …………… Street, Town 
(City) of ……………, …………. County, State of ……….., the …………. (Description 
of manufactured housing being conveyed: name of manufacturer, model and serial number 
and incumbrances, exceptions, reservations, if any) situated at ……….. (state name of park, 
if any, and street address), Town (City) ………… of ………… County, State of Maine.
The tract or parcel of land upon which the manufactured housing was situated is owned by 
……….. by deed …………. dated …………. and recorded at Book ……., Page ……. in 
the ……….. County Registry of Deeds.
Signed this ………… day of ……….., ……….
(Here add acknowledgment)
…………., owner of the tract or parcel of land upon which the aforesaid manufactured 
housing was situated, hereby consents to the conveyance of the manufactured housing.
Signed this ………….. day of …………. , ……….
(Here add acknowledgment)
…………., holder of (lien, attachment or encumbrance) hereby consent to the conveyance 
of the aforesaid manufactured housing, subject to condition that the aforesaid (lien, 
attachment or encumbrance) shall remain in force and effect thereon.
Signed this ………… day of ………….., ………...
(Here add acknowledgment)
Sec. 10.  30-A MRSA §4358, sub-§3, as corrected by RR 1993, c. 1, §76 and 
amended by PL 2003, c. 689, Pt. B, §6, is further amended to read:
3.  Regulation of mobile home parks.  This subsection governs a municipality's 
regulation of mobile home parks.
A.  Except as required under Title 38, or an ordinance adopted pursuant to Title 38, a 
municipality shall may not require:
(1)  The size of any mobile home park lot served by a public sewer system to be 
larger than the smaller of:
(a)  Six thousand five hundred Four thousand square feet; or
(b)  The area of the smallest residential lot permitted in the municipality;
(2)  The size of any mobile home park lot with on-site subsurface waste water 
wastewater disposal to be larger than 20,000 10,000 square feet; or
(3)  The size of any mobile home park lot served by a central on-site subsurface 
waste water wastewater disposal system approved by the Department of Health 
and Human Services to be larger than 12,000 5,000 square feet, provided that a 
municipality may require that the overall density of the mobile home park be no 
more than one home for every 20,000 square feet.
B.  A municipality shall may not require the overall area of a mobile home park to be 
greater than the combined area of its mobile home park lots plus:
(1)  The area required for road rights-of-way;
(2)  The area required for buffer strips, if any; and
(3)  For mobile home parks served by a public sewer, an additional area for open 
space, storage or recreation, as those terms are defined by local ordinances 
applicable to all residential developments.  A municipality shall may not require 
this additional area to be greater than 10% of the combined area of the individual 
lots within a mobile home park; and
(4)  The area of any setbacks required under Title 38 or an ordinance adopted 
pursuant to Title 38.
C.  Except as required under Title 38 or an ordinance adopted pursuant to Title 38, a 
municipality shall may not require setbacks that have the effect of requiring lots larger 
than those permitted under paragraph A.
D.  Notwithstanding paragraph C, a municipality may require that mobile homes on 
lots adjacent to a public road be set back from the public road according to requirements 
applicable to other residential developments.
E.  A municipality shall may not require road frontage on individual lots within a 
mobile home park that has the effect of requiring a manufactured home on the lot to be 
placed parallel to an adjacent private or public roadway.
F.  Except as provided by paragraph G, municipal road standards shall do not apply to 
private roads within a mobile home park unless the developer intends to offer the roads 
to the municipality for acceptance as town ways.
G.  A municipality may require by ordinance or rule that privately owned roads within 
a mobile home park:
(1)  Be built according to acceptable engineering standards and with a professional 
engineer's seal as required by the Manufactured Housing Board;
(2)  Have a right-of-way up to 23 feet in width, 20 feet of which the municipality 
may require to be paved; and
(3)  Conform to reasonable safety standards applicable to intersections with public 
ways adjacent to the mobile home park.
H.  The Manufactured Housing Board shall develop standards for construction of roads 
within a mobile home park no later than January 1, 1990.  The board shall submit these 
standards to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
legal affairs matters for that committee's review.
I.  A municipality may require buffer strips, not to exceed 50 feet, including individual 
lot setbacks, along any mobile home park boundary which abuts land used for 
residential use if the per-acre density of homes within the mobile home park is at least 
times greater than:
(1)  The density of residential development on immediately adjacent parcels of 
land; or
(2)  If the immediately adjacent parcels of land are undeveloped, the maximum net 
residential density permitted by applicable municipal ordinances or state law.
No structures, streets or utilities may be placed in the buffer strip, except that utilities 
may cross a buffer strip to provide services to a mobile home park.  Municipalities may 
impose reasonable natural screening requirements within the first 25 feet of the buffer 
strip as measured from the exterior boundaries of the mobile home park if the 
requirements are no greater than those for other residential developments.
J.  A municipality shall may not require electrical utilities and telephone lines to be 
located underground within a mobile home park.  A municipality shall allow a 
developer to install utilities anywhere within the mobile home park.
K.  Except as required under Title 38, or an ordinance adopted pursuant to Title 38, a 
municipality may not enact or enforce land use regulations or ordinances, including, 
but not limited to, subdivision regulations or ordinances, which limit the number of lots 
in a mobile home park, which circumvent the intent of this section or which conflict 
with the provisions of this section.
L.  Notwithstanding any provision in this subsection, a person developing or expanding 
a mobile home park has the burden of proving that development will not pollute a 
public water supply or aquifer or violate any state law relating to land development, 
subdivision or use.
M.  A municipality shall permit mobile home parks to expand and to be developed in 
a number of environmentally suitable locations in the municipality with reasonable 
consideration being given to permit existing mobile home parks to expand in their 
existing locations.  A municipality may not select a location for a mobile home park 
development which is not reasonably suitable because of:
(1)  Prior lot division;
(2)  Locational setting within the municipality;
(3)  Natural features; or
(4)  Other similar factors.
This paragraph is effective January 1, 1990.
Sec. 11.  33 MRSA §459-A is enacted to read:
§459-A.  Purchase of manufactured housing community or mobile home park
After signing a purchase and sale agreement, or similar legal instrument to and prior to 
executing a transfer in interest of a manufactured housing community or mobile home park, 
as defined in Title 10, section 9091, subsection 2, the purchaser shall hire a qualified 3rd 
party to conduct an inspection of the community's infrastructure.  For purposes of this 
section, infrastructure includes, but is not limited to, roads, sidewalks, water and sewer 
systems, utilities, digital connectivity and landscaping.
SUMMARY
This bill is reported out by the Joint Standing Committee on Housing and Economic 
Development pursuant to Resolve 2025, chapter 365. The committee has not taken a 
position on the substance of this bill.  By reporting this bill out, the committee is not 
suggesting and does not intend to suggest that it agrees or disagrees with any aspect of this 
bill.  The committee is reporting the bill out for the sole purpose of having a bill printed 
that can be referred to the committee for an appropriate public hearing and subsequent 
processing in the normal course.
The bill does the following:
1. It authorizes the Manufactured Housing Board to petition the Office of the Attorney 
General to investigate a violation of, and enforce the provisions of, in the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 10, chapter 953;
2. It amends the provisions in Title 10, chapter 953, that require the owner of a 
manufactured housing community proposing to raise the lot rent or fees in the community 
to participate in mediation with the owners of the community impacted by a proposed lot 
rent or fee increase under certain circumstances.  It requires the community owner to notify 
the homeowners of the community of the percent change in the Consumer Price Index for 
the Northeast Region during the 12-month period prior to the proposed lot rent or fee 
increase.  It clarifies that only the homeowners impacted by the proposed increase may 
request the community owner participate in mediation and that a request is permitted only 
if the proposed lot rent or fee increase is a percentage increase higher than the Consumer 
Price Index percent increase provided in the notice. 
3.  It clarifies that for purposes of Title 9-A, Article 9, "real estate" includes 
manufactured housing or tiny homes regardless of whether title to the real property to which 
the housing or home is affixed is owned by the owner of the housing or home.
4. It clarifies for purposes of the Maine Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage 
Licensing Act of 2009, that the term "dwelling" includes manufactured housing or tiny 
homes regardless of whether title to the real property to which the housing or home is 
affixed is owned by the owner of the housing or home.
5. It allows the owner of manufactured housing or a tiny home to request the Secretary 
of State to cancel the certificate of title for the manufactured housing or tiny home as long 
as the owner files certain documents in the registry of deeds in the county where the 
manufactured housing or tiny home is located.  Completion of the actions by the owner and 
the Secretary of State renders the manufactured housing or tiny home real estate for 
purposes of obtaining financing. 
6. It changes the minimum lot size required for a lot in a manufactured housing 
community.
7. It requires a purchaser of a manufactured housing community to hire a professional 
to inspect the infrastructure of the community prior to the purchase.