LAKELAND, Fla. — Hundreds of seniors living at two Lakeland mobile home parks are worried they might end up homeless due to the owner of Twin Palms mobile home park and Holiday Park mobile home park raising their lot rent by more than $100 a month in January.
“It’s very stressful,” said HOA president Beverly Collins.
“We can’t afford it,” said Jesse Cole.
“This isn’t want I signed up for,” Bonnie Ayers said. “I was ready for a life change, you know? I guess that’s not in the cards.”
It’s not in the cards for a lot of people who live at Holiday Park. They said the extreme rent hikes started when MHM Communities purchased the park.
One couple told ABC Action News in three years, their rent went from $503 to $615. They will be paying $778 next year. This couple and hundreds of others all say it’s going to be a struggle because they don’t have the money for that increase.
Most of the people living in the community are senior citizens living on a fixed income. One of them only gets between $900 and $2000 a month.
According to Collins, the $100 plus increases started in 2022, when MHM Communities purchased the park. She said with the previous owner, the highest increase was $25.
“We fussed about that. Be careful what you wish for,” she said. “Now, these lot rent increases significantly over anything that we’ve experienced before.”
The rent is high for folks like Ayers because they moved in after MHM took over. She said when she signed her lease for the lot, she was told her rent would be $493, but it was subject to change. She prepared for that, but she was shocked when they told her the rent was going from $493 to $827.
“No one told me that amount until five weeks after I purchased it.”
She said with the increase, she’ll be paying $986 next year.
She calculated her expenses and said she’ll be spending more than $2,400 a month on bills. She’ll have $100 left for groceries and gas.
“I spent all my money to buy the trailer,” she said, trying not to cry. “I worked real hard to get my car paid off before I retired, so all I’d have is lot rent.”
Now, she has to get a part-time job. That’s the only way she’ll be able to stay.
“I’ve worked my whole life to retire here. So much for the retirement.”
We asked real estate attorney Stephen Hachey about this and if it’s legal to raise lot rent this high every year.
“There are no rent controls in place that protect you from the landlord increasing the rent significantly month over month or year over year,” he said.
More than 26 out of the more than 200 mobile homes on the lot have for sale signs up. They said they have to sell, but people aren't buying because of the rent.
We spoke to a mobile home broker and American Mobile Home Sales CEO, Michelle Vanderbilt. She said the extreme lot rent hikes are a problem.
“We’re hoping some of that calms down,” she said.
Even with the increase, Vanderbilt said buying a mobile home is the cheapest way to own your home and live in Florida these days.
“It’s the only way to go,” she said.
The average cost to buy a home in Tampa Bay is $474,900. It’s $1,920 to rent. The average lot rents are between $400 and $800.
To avoid getting into a situation like what’s happening at Holiday Park, Vanderbilt suggests you research and inspect the home and the property before you buy.
“And ask one question, 'When will the lot rent increase if it does?” she said.
"If you do decide to go the mobile home route," Hachey said. “The best way to protect yourself is to negotiate a long-term lease where you can lock in that lot rent up front.”
Collins said the HOA is collecting signatures to get a meeting with the owners to try and negotiate the increase.
We tried to contact MHM, but no contact information is on their website. We did speak to someone at the management company running the park, who told us “no comment.”