Florida Senate - 2026                                     SB 652
       
       
        
       By Senator Bernard
       
       
       
       
       
       24-00926-26                                            2026652__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to mobile homes; amending s. 723.022,
    3         F.S.; revising the general obligations of mobile home
    4         park owners; amending s. 723.023, F.S.; revising the
    5         general obligations of mobile home owners; amending s.
    6         723.024, F.S.; authorizing a unit of local government
    7         to adopt and enforce local codes or ordinances for
    8         specified purposes; making technical changes;
    9         reenacting s. 723.0615(1), F.S., relating to
   10         retaliatory conduct of a mobile home park owner, to
   11         incorporate the amendment made to s. 723.022, F.S., in
   12         a reference thereto; reenacting ss. 723.004(5) and
   13         723.005, F.S., relating to preemption of subject
   14         matter and regulation by the Division of Florida
   15         Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes,
   16         respectively, to incorporate the amendments made to
   17         ss. 723.022 and 723.023, F.S., in references thereto;
   18         providing an effective date.
   19          
   20  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   21  
   22         Section 1. Subsections (6), (7), and (8) are added to
   23  section 723.022, Florida Statutes, to read:
   24         723.022 Mobile home park owner’s general obligations.—A
   25  mobile home park owner shall at all times:
   26         (6) Require mobile home owners to maintain a current mobile
   27  home registration sticker on their mobile home at all times.
   28         (7) Maintain up-to-date records regarding the owner of each
   29  mobile home in the mobile home park and provide such records to
   30  the county or municipal code enforcement entity upon request for
   31  the purpose of enforcing a mobile home owner’s general
   32  obligations pursuant to s. 723.023.
   33         (8) Require each mobile home owner to maintain the mobile
   34  home and its lot in accordance with all applicable building,
   35  housing, fire, and health codes and require other persons on the
   36  premises, with the mobile home owner’s consent, to comply with
   37  such codes.
   38         Section 2. Subsection (1) of section 723.023, Florida
   39  Statutes, is amended to read:
   40         723.023 Mobile home owner’s general obligations.—A mobile
   41  home owner shall:
   42         (1) At all times comply with all obligations imposed on
   43  mobile home owners by applicable provisions of building,
   44  housing, fire, and health codes, including compliance with all
   45  building permits and construction requirements for construction
   46  on the mobile home and lot. The home owner is responsible for
   47  all fines imposed by the local government for noncompliance with
   48  any local codes.
   49         Section 3. Section 723.024, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   50  read:
   51         723.024 Compliance by mobile home park owners and mobile
   52  home owners.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter
   53  or of any local law, ordinance, or code:
   54         (1) If a unit of local government finds that a violation of
   55  a local code or ordinance has occurred, the unit of local
   56  government must shall cite the responsible party for the
   57  violation and enforce the citation under its local code and
   58  ordinance enforcement authority. A unit of local government may
   59  adopt and enforce local codes or ordinances to ensure compliance
   60  with ss. 723.022 and 723.023.
   61         (2) A lien, penalty, fine, or other administrative or civil
   62  proceeding may not be brought against a mobile home owner or
   63  mobile home for any duty or responsibility of the mobile home
   64  park owner under s. 723.022 or against a mobile home park owner
   65  or mobile home park property for any duty or responsibility of
   66  the mobile home owner under s. 723.023.
   67         Section 4. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
   68  made by this act to section 723.022, Florida Statutes, in a
   69  reference thereto, subsection (1) of section 723.0615, Florida
   70  Statutes, is reenacted to read:
   71         723.0615 Retaliatory conduct.—
   72         (1) It is unlawful for a mobile home park owner to
   73  discriminatorily increase a home owner’s rent or
   74  discriminatorily decrease services to a home owner, or to bring
   75  or threaten to bring an action for possession or other civil
   76  action, primarily because the park owner is retaliating against
   77  the home owner. In order for the home owner to raise the defense
   78  of retaliatory conduct, the home owner must have acted in good
   79  faith and not for any improper purposes, such as to harass or to
   80  cause unnecessary delay or for frivolous purpose or needless
   81  increase in the cost of litigation. Examples of conduct for
   82  which the park owner may not retaliate include, but are not
   83  limited to, situations where:
   84         (a) The home owner has in good faith complained to a
   85  governmental agency charged with responsibility for enforcement
   86  of a building, housing, or health code of a suspected violation
   87  applicable to the mobile home park;
   88         (b) The home owner has organized, encouraged, or
   89  participated in a homeowners’ organization; or
   90         (c) The home owner has complained to the park owner for
   91  failure to comply with s. 723.022.
   92         Section 5. For the purpose of incorporating the amendments
   93  made by this act to sections 723.022 and 723.023, Florida
   94  Statutes, in references thereto, subsection (5) of section
   95  723.004, Florida Statutes, is reenacted to read:
   96         723.004 Legislative intent; preemption of subject matter.—
   97         (5) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent
   98  the enforcement of a right or duty under this section, s.
   99  723.022, s. 723.023, s. 723.031, s. 723.032, s. 723.033, s.
  100  723.035, s. 723.037, s. 723.038, s. 723.061, s. 723.0615, s.
  101  723.062, s. 723.063, or s. 723.081 by civil action after the
  102  party has exhausted its administrative remedies, if any.
  103         Section 6. For the purpose of incorporating the amendments
  104  made by this act to sections 723.022 and 723.023, Florida
  105  Statutes, in references thereto, section 723.005, Florida
  106  Statutes, is reenacted to read:
  107         723.005 Regulation by division.—The division has the power
  108  and duty to enforce and ensure compliance with the provisions of
  109  this chapter and rules promulgated pursuant hereto relating to
  110  the rental, development, and sale of mobile home parks. However,
  111  the division does not have the power or duty to enforce mobile
  112  home park rules and regulations or to enforce the provisions of
  113  ss. 723.022, 723.023, and 723.033.
  114         Section 7. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.