When the Tenant Owns the Home, Everything Gets More Complicated
Mobile home parks and land lease communities invert the usual landlord-tenant relationship: the tenant typically owns the home itself and rents only the site it sits on. The Residential Tenancies Act devotes a dedicated Part to these communities, modifying the rules on rent, termination, assignment, park rules, and what happens to the home when a tenancy ends.
For park owners and operators, this means the standard notices and applications often apply with important variations — and a misstep involving a tenant-owned home carries risks an apartment landlord never faces. Selling, moving, or disposing of someone’s house is not like disposing of abandoned furniture.
We act for park owners, land lease community operators, and their property managers on arrears, conduct issues, community rule enforcement, and terminations under the special regime.
What Makes These Tenancies Different
Key variations under the RTA’s special provisions:
- The tenancy is for the site; the home is usually the tenant’s property, which affects termination, abandonment, and enforcement
- Special rules govern park rules, entry, and the landlord’s control over sales of homes within the community
- Assignment rights differ — a tenant selling their home generally needs the ability to assign the site lease
- Rent and termination provisions carry community-specific modifications, including around landlord’s own use and redevelopment
- Disposal of an abandoned or left-behind mobile home follows its own procedure with real liability for getting it wrong
Common Scenarios We See
Landlords often contact us where:
- A site tenant is in arrears but owns the home sitting on the lot
- A tenant has abandoned a mobile home in the park
- Community rules are being ignored and other residents are complaining
- A park owner is planning redevelopment or closure and needs a lawful path
- Disputes over the sale of a home within the park or assignment of a site lease
How We Assist
We assist landlords with:
- Advising which standard notices and applications apply, and how Part X modifies them
- Pursuing arrears and conduct-based terminations adapted to site tenancies
- Handling abandoned home procedures correctly, including notice and disposal steps
- Drafting and enforcing community rules that hold up at the Board
- Advising on redevelopment, park closure, and the enhanced obligations that follow
- Representing operators at LTB hearings across Ontario
Why Specialized Knowledge Matters Here
Most representatives handle apartment files and see a land lease matter once a decade. The Board members who hear these cases know the special provisions well — and an operator whose paperwork ignores them starts every hearing at a disadvantage. The special rules are not optional garnish; they are the case.
Book a Consultation
If you own or manage a mobile home park or land lease community, get advice that starts from the right rulebook. Contact us.