Columns

Question:  A family moves into a manufactured housing community with a thirteen year old boy.  Five years later the parents vacate the home but leave the boy who is now eighteen. Even though the eighteen year old was never subject to a background check, never signed a rental agreement etc., is he now a considered a resident?    

To kick off the New Year, MHCO reviews recent developments—court rulings, settlements, and enforcement actions—in fair housing law. Staying on top of current developments may help you to avoid common problems that so often lead to fair housing trouble.  

Question:  I am confused on the use of rules violation notices.  Do I use a 20-day notice or 30-day notice?  Does the “three strikes law” apply?        

    Portland Housing Code 30.01.085 (Portland Renter Additional Protections), here, became effective on November 1, 2019.  For manufactured housing parks located in the City of Portland, the ordinance DOES NOT apply to rental spaces in which the tenant owns their home; it only applies to rental spaces in which the tenant is renting a park-owned…

Question:  We have a resident that we would like to not renew on a long-term lease.  Their renewal is coming up in several months.  Do we have to provide the notice of lease expiration and the new documents (rules and regulations)?  Can we simply not renew?  

In this lesson, we focus on avoiding discrimination claims based on religion during the holidays—and all throughout the year. You don’t have to be a “Grinch” to comply with fair housing law. The key is to celebrate the general festivity of the season without promoting a particular religion or particular religious holiday. That way, you’ll satisfy…

  Question:  We want to raise rent for our RV tenants because we have not raised the rent in over two years.  We know there are new rules, but what are they?

Question:  We have a resident in the park who recently got into a verbal shouting match with another neighbor.  The resident was extremely intoxicated at the time and made threats and gestures that were very inappropriate and provocative.  There are some residents who want us to immediately issue a 24-hour notice.  However, until this incident,…

Question: A member is near the end of an abandonment notice.  The former resident and owner of the home without notice to the landlord sells the "abandoned" home to another person.   Does the landlord have to send a new abandonment notice to the new owner and restart the 60 day clock?    

Question.  As new managers, we are concerned about being able to spot problem issues before they get out of control.  What are some of the major management mistakes we should watch out for?