Although you may own your manufactured home, when you buy a manufactured home and have it placed in a manufactured home community you might be required to abide by rules of the community.
Rules concerning storage of items outdoors, as well as what you can and can’t do in the areas adjacent to your home, will be covered in any community organization’s rules and regulations. Failure to abide by the rules could cause fines and even eviction from the community, which is obviously something you won’t want to face.
On the flip side, the community itself will have certain responsibilities they will need to abide by in order to maintain the quality of life expected by those living in the manufactured home community.
With many communities, any common areas of the community are to be maintained by the owner of the property on which the community is located. Depending on the amenities provided in the community, the owner or a management association will be responsible to maintain those amenities.
Often, this means you won’t ever be responsible for mowing or maintaining the grounds surrounding your home. However, in some communities the common areas will be maintained by owners but your actual lot will need to be maintained by you.
Additionally, their responsibilities can include insuring all homeowners living there abide by the rules and take action to abate any nuisances which may occur. Nuisance can mean individual residents who diminish the quality of life of other residents, or the overall value of the property. However, a nuisance can also be pests such as rodents moving into the area, which could also affect the quality of life for the residents.
Depending on the size of the community, the owner may also be responsible for clearing snow and maintaining clear paths in the area. This doesn’t necessarily mean shoveling every sidewalk to every home, but insuring all home owners can get to their individual units to take care of their own sidewalks and parking areas.
The owner will also be responsible, in most cases, to insure outsiders do not take up space reserved for homeowners living within the community. Many times, owners will place parking restriction signs around the community to ensure this is not an issue.
In some communities, a swimming pool or what is often called a community room, is available for those living there and it will be their responsibility to maintain it in top condition and have it available as stipulated in any community agreement required to be signed by the homeowners.
Remember, before you choose a manufactured home community in which to place your manufactured home, it’s best to become familiar with the various rules and regulations associated with each community.
Otherwise, you may end up stuck under a leasing agreement in a community with rules you don’t prefer. Most manufactured home communities are happy to provide all rules to you, before you choose to lease a lot within their area. After all, they want their residents to want to be there and be happy to follow their set rules.
