The Florida Senate

723.031  Mobile home lot rental agreements.--

(1)  No rental agreement shall contain any rule or regulation prohibited by this chapter, nor shall it provide for promulgation of any rule or regulation inconsistent with this chapter or amendment of any rule or regulation inconsistently with this chapter.

(2)  Whether or not a tenancy is covered by a valid written rental agreement, the required statutory provisions shall be deemed to be a part of the rental agreement.

(3)  The homeowner shall have no financial obligation to the park owner as a condition of occupancy in the park, except the lot rental amount. The parties may agree otherwise as to user fees which the homeowner chooses to incur. No user fees shall be charged by the park owner to the mobile home owner for any services which were previously provided by the park owner and included in the lot rental amount unless there is a corresponding decrease in the lot rental amount.

(4)  No rental agreement shall be offered by a park owner for a term of less than 1 year, and if there is no written rental agreement, no rental term shall be less than 1 year from the date of initial occupancy; however, the initial term may be less than 1 year in order to permit the park owner to have all rental agreements within the park commence at the same time. Thereafter, all terms shall be for a minimum of 1 year.

(5)  The rental agreement shall contain the lot rental amount and services included. An increase in lot rental amount upon expiration of the term of the lot rental agreement shall be in accordance with ss. 723.033 and 723.037 or s. 723.059(4), whichever is applicable, provided that, pursuant to s. 723.059(4), the amount of the lot rental increase is disclosed and agreed to by the purchaser, in writing. An increase in lot rental amount shall not be arbitrary or discriminatory between similarly situated tenants in the park. No lot rental amount may be increased during the term of the lot rental agreement, except:

(a)  When the manner of the increase is disclosed in a lot rental agreement with a term exceeding 12 months and which provides for such increases not more frequently than annually.

(b)  For pass-through charges as defined in s. 723.003(10).

(c)  That no charge may be collected that results in payment of money for sums previously collected as part of the lot rental amount. The provisions hereof notwithstanding, the mobile home park owner may pass on, at any time during the term of the lot rental agreement, ad valorem property taxes and utility charges, or increases of either, provided that the ad valorem property taxes and the utility charges are not otherwise being collected in the remainder of the lot rental amount and provided further that the passing on of such ad valorem taxes or utility charges, or increases of either, was disclosed prior to tenancy, was being passed on as a matter of custom between the mobile home park owner and the mobile home owner, or such passing on was authorized by law. Such ad valorem taxes and utility charges shall be a part of the lot rental amount as defined by this chapter. Other provisions of this chapter notwithstanding, pass-on charges may be passed on only within 1 year of the date a mobile home park owner remits payment of the charge. A mobile home park owner is prohibited from passing on any fine, interest, fee, or increase in a charge resulting from a park owner's payment of the charge after the date such charges become delinquent. Nothing herein shall prohibit a park owner and a homeowner from mutually agreeing to an alternative manner of payment to the park owner of the charges.

(6)  Except for pass-through charges, as defined in this chapter, failure on the part of the mobile home park owner or developer to disclose fully all fees, charges, or assessments prior to tenancy, unless it can be shown that such fees, charges, or assessments have been collected as a matter of custom between the mobile home park owner and the mobile home owner, shall prevent the park owner or operator from collecting said fees, charges, or assessments; and refusal by the mobile home owner to pay any such fee, charge, or assessment shall not be used by the park owner or developer as a cause for eviction in any court of law.

(7)  No park owner may increase the lot rental amount until an approved prospectus has been delivered if one is required. This subsection shall not be construed to prohibit those increases in lot rental amount for those lot rental agreements for which an approved prospectus was required to be delivered and which was delivered on or before July 1, 1986, if the mobile home park owner had:

(a)  Filed a prospectus with the division prior to entering into the lot rental agreement;

(b)  Made a good faith effort to correct deficiencies cited by the division by responding within the time limit set by the division, if one was set; and

(c)  Delivered the approved prospectus to the mobile home owner within 45 days of approval by the division.

This subsection shall not preclude the finding that a lot rental increase is invalid on other grounds and shall not be construed to limit any rights of a mobile home owner or to preclude a mobile home owner from seeking any remedies allowed by this chapter, including a determination that the lot rental agreement or any part thereof is unreasonable.

(8)  If a mobile home owner has deposited or advanced money on a rental agreement as security for performance of the rental agreement, which money is held in excess of 3 months by the mobile home park owner or his or her agent, such deposit shall be handled pursuant to s. 83.49

(9)  No rental agreement shall provide for the eviction of a mobile home owner on a ground other than one contained in s. 723.061

(10)  The rules and regulations and the prospectus shall be deemed to be incorporated into the rental agreement.

History.--s. 1, ch. 84-80; s. 6, ch. 86-162; s. 14, ch. 88-147; s. 8, ch. 90-198; s. 9, ch. 96-396; s. 1778, ch. 97-102.