California Mobile Home Parks

California MHP Rent Stabilization Ordinances (RSO aka SRSO)

California RSOs aka SRSOs (Space Rent Stabilization Ordinances) are NOT to be confused with Rent Control for home and apartment renters. When you see or hear the term “Rent Stabilization Ordinance” being used by residents of mobile/manufactured home parks in California, they do not include home or apartment renters. The laws are distinctly different between renters of homes and apartments vs. renters of mobile/manufactured home spaces and are usually not interchangeable.

Many mobile/manufactured home owners rent the land that the home occupies. For a homeowner, this is not the best situation to be in, especially in a park that is owned by a predatory company. Typically, under the predatory owner business model, as space rents increase above Fair Market Rates (FMRs), your mobile/manufactured home will depreciate in value (loss in equity) while the land value appreciates (gain in equity). The general industry rule of thumb is that for every $10 per month space rent increase, you lose $1,000 in mobile home equity.

Note: The number of spaces for each city or county does not take into account those spaces that have been “leased up” and are no longer protected by an SRSO. Our data is obtained from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), Codes and Standards Automated System (CASAS), and reflects total numbers for parks and spaces. In some instances, we may have received more accurate data from other resources.

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Nolo: California Rent Control and Rent Stabilization Laws

Tuesday, February 20, 2024 – City-by-city rent control rules in California, with information on eviction protection.

In California, rent control (also known as rent stabilization) traditionally referred to city or county ordinances that limited the rent landlords could charge. (Popular perceptions of rent control include restrictions on evictions, as explained below.) Rent control laws typically specify a maximum percentage by which landlords can increase rent (for example, 5%) along with corresponding limits on the frequency of increases (typically once annually). Often the percentage of increase is tied to the area's annual Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is the price for items like gasoline, food and utilities.

This chart indicates which California cities and counties have rent control laws, along with a summary of the local law. Information about limits on evictions and other protections for renters is below the chart. Keep in mind the chart provides only rent-cap summaries, and the actual law might contain important additional details and tenant protections that apply to your situation. For more information on the many local ordinances that affect rent and evictions, including relocation assistance and owner move-ins, see our detailed Rent Control Chart for California.

Nolo: Tenant Protections Chart for California

Consumer Price Index (CPI) U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics

All Urban Consumers, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, California

• Jan 2017 through Oct 2024
• Jan 2007 through Dec 2016
• Jan 1997 through Dec 2006

The last column uses an example (not included in the Bureau of Labor Statistics data) of mobile home space rent starting at $450 per month in the year 1997 and currently (Oct 2024) at $951 per month. The difference in space rent is a 100% increase based on the yearly average CPI which is normally the maximum allowable increase under most California Mobile Home Park Rent Stabilization Ordinances (RSOs).

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index, Los Angeles Area
Western Information Office, 90 7th Street, Suite 14-100, San Francisco, California 94103

CPI Line Chart 1997-2023
Los Angeles, San Francisco, West Urban, City Average