{"id":84587,"date":"2026-10-13T08:21:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T12:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=84587"},"modified":"2026-10-11T20:31:06","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T00:31:06","slug":"understanding-rent-hikes-at-manufactured-home-communities-causes-and-cures-plus-how-manufactured-housing-institute-mhi-gives-apparent-cover-to-predatory-mhc-operators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2026\/10\/13\/understanding-rent-hikes-at-manufactured-home-communities-causes-and-cures-plus-how-manufactured-housing-institute-mhi-gives-apparent-cover-to-predatory-mhc-operators\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Rent Hikes at Manufactured Home Communities-Causes and Cures. Plus How Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) Gives Apparent Cover to \u2018Predatory\u2019 MHC Operators\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By L. A. “Tony” Kovach<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like it or not, the law of supply and demand<\/strong> is at work everywhere in the U.S., including at land-lease manufactured housing communities (MHC). What are often called ‘trailer parks’ or ‘mobile home parks’<\/a> may more accurately be called manufactured home communities (MHCs), because there have been no new ‘mobile homes’ built in the U.S.A. for over 50 years<\/a>. Let’s briefly focus on the causes and cures for commonly reported (and correctly so) concerns about the often-stiff hikes of ‘lot rents’ in MHCs.<\/p>\n\n\n

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As MHC resident-advocate Tim Sheahan aptly said in testimony to the FHFA<\/a>: “I have been a volunteer homeowner advocate for over 20 years serving at the local, state and national level…” Sheahan<\/a> said he witnessed \u201cthe best of manufactured housing done right\u201d and \u201cmanufactured housing done extremely wrong.\u201d Per Sheahan<\/a>: “my city of San Marcos had a population of less than 4,000 and was part of the dramatic manufactured housing community development boom of the 1970s, adding over 3,000 pads among 18 manufactured home communities, which led to more than a doubling of the population by the mid 1970s.”  Some key points (bold added) from Sheahan<\/a>: “Initially, stiff competition among various developers during the only time a true \u201cfree market\u201d situation existed in these communities commonly led to very reasonable starting rents<\/strong>. In fact, I\u2019ve been told that in my community, which happened to be developed by actor Ray Bolger, from The Wizard of Oz movie, and his partners, lot rents were $50\/per month, as was often the case in other MH communities in the area. As the communities filled with \u201cim-mobile\u201d homes, free market forces such as competition were lost and lot rents for captive homeowners skyrocketed in many areas<\/strong>.” That in a nutshell is the law of supply and demand at work in MHCs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Less new competition equaled higher lot rents<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When zoning makes it difficult to develop new land lease communities easily, properly and with lower costs, an array of smaller (including mom and pop) operations can’t develop a ‘park’ (MHC). When developing becomes rare<\/strong> due in part to zoning\/regulatory barriers and local resistance, those who already have an MHC have what amounts to a localized monopoly<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frank Rolfe and his partner Dave Reynolds have been Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) members for years<\/a> (example: MHP Funds and MHBay).  Quoting Rolfe doesn’t imply<\/em> agreeing with him. We’ve been routine critics<\/a> of his business practices<\/a>. That said, understanding how they (and others who are often MHI members) operate is necessary. Quoting Rolfe on ‘Why You Should Never Build a Mobile Home Park<\/a>.’<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“If you like having a monopoly, holding all the cards, knowing the tenants won’t move their homes out, never worrying about someone building a new property near you and taking one of the tenant’s biggest assets if they default, then you’re going to love mobile home parks<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rolfe doesn’t hide it, he celebrates it. The bold was added. As a result of such local monopolies, Rolfe and Reynolds<\/a> could boldly say: “Push Rents Relentlessly<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the communications style of Rolfe and giant Equity LifeStyle Properties (ELS) are different, ELS said similarly in their investor relations pitch<\/a>. Quoting ELS doesn’t imply endorsing their business model.<\/a> These quotes are for understanding purposes.  Per ELS<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Supply Constrained Asset Class<\/strong>“<\/p>\n\n\n\n