What is the Manufactured Housing Dispute Resolution Program (MHDRP)?
Owners of manufactured and mobile homes who rent a space for their home have important rights and responsibilities under the state Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord Tenant Act (MHLTA), RCW 59.20. Landlords, too, have rights and responsibilities under the law.
The Attorney General’s Office strives to support better communication and promote mutual understanding between landlords and manufactured home owners. The office provides an equitable and low-cost option for manufactured home owners and landlords to resolve disputes concerning alleged violations of these rights.
**Free Public Forums**
“Don’t Move It; Solve It: Bringing Manufactured Home Owners and Landlords Together”
Homeowners, landlords and property managers can learn more about the dispute resolution program and the law by attending one of the free “Don’t Move It; Solve It” public forums. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the programs begin at 7 p.m. No registration is required. Call 1-866-924-6458 or 206-464-6049 for more information.
- SPOKANE: Tuesday, May 13, NW Museum of Art & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave., Auditorium of the Cheney Cowles Center, 3 level parking facility available.
- PASCO: Wednesday, May 14, Columbia Basin Community College, 2600 20th Ave, Multi-Purpose Facility of "H" Building, enter parking lot from Argent St.
- YAKIMA: Thursday, May 15, Yakima Valley Community College, 1000 S. 12th Ave, Parker Room of the Deccio Higher Education Center (off Larson Park), parking at 12th & Arlington
How did MHDRP start?
| | The mission of the Manufactured Housing Dispute Resolution Program is to educate the public about, bring compliance with and provide enforcement of the Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord Tenant Act. We facilitate communication between manufactured home owners and their landlords in order to resolve disputes and avoid evictions.
We seek to promote stable housing communities while providing access to justice, the law and our services. We strive to be a model dispute resolution program for manufactured housing communities while providing fair due process. | |
The 2007 WA State Legislature recognized that there are factors unique to the relationship between a manufactured/mobile home tenant and their landlord. The difficulty and expense of moving and relocating a manufactured/mobile home creates unique challenges. The Legislature found that many tenants who experienced violations of the manufactured/mobile home landlord-tenant act were often left without protections or access to legal remedies. In response, the State Legislature passed into law
RCW 59.30. This law authorizes the Attorney General's Office to administer the Manufactured Housing Dispute Resolution Program and enforce the Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act. This charge includes taking complaints, conducting investigations, making determinations, negotiating with opposing parties, and issuing fines and other penalties. It also authorizes the Department of Licensing to register manufactured/mobile home communities and collect registration fees.
[back to top]Who can use the MHDR program?Homeowners are covered by the MHLTA and eligible to participate in the dispute resolution program if they own a manufactured home or mobile home and rent a lot for that home in a community. Owners are entitled to protection under the MHLTA provided they are current on their rent.
Landlords are also covered by the MHLTA and eligible to participate in the dispute resolution program. We encourage landlords to use the dispute resolution program as a low-cost alternative to the 15-day notice and eviction process provided by law.
By definition under the law, a manufactured/mobile home "community" includes rental spaces for two or more homes and you must live in or own a community to use our services. Additionally, if the manufactured home itself is rented and not owned by the tenant, the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act, RCW 59.18, applies instead and this dispute resolution program may not be used. A court ruling prohibits the Attorney General’s Office from acting as a private attorney in such cases.
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How can this program help me?
Homeowners and landlords may file a request for dispute resolution if they believe that there may be a violation of their rights under the MHLTA. The Attorney General’s Office may negotiate with opposing parties, determine whether further investigation is needed, decide whether a violation has occurred and issue fines and other penalties when appropriate in order to bring compliance with the law.
How can I request dispute resolution?
A Request for Dispute Resolution form must be filed with the Attorney General’s Office. You may fill out the form on-line or print out a PDF and mail or email it to us. You may also call us and we will mail you a form. With your form, please included copies of relevant documents such as your lease, community rules, correspondence, notices, court documents etc. Please do not send original documents.
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Para los servicios en español
Para la información en español, lea por favor este folleto del programa. Para los servicios en español, usted puede llamarnos en 1-866-924-6458 y dejar un mensaje o completar el pedido la resolución del conflicto y alguien que habla Español te llamara detrás.
What are the Licensing Requirements and how is this program funded?
Under the new law, landlords are required to register each pad in their community with the Department of Licensing and pay $10 per year per pad rented to a person who owns their home. Landlords may charge each homeowner a maximum of $5 per year of this assessment. The fee is then used to fund MHDRP and cover DOL's registration and licensing costs.
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To contact the Manufactured Housing Dispute Resolution Program:
Statewide toll-free: 1-866-924-6458
King County: 206-464-6049
E-mail: MHDR@atg.wa.gov
Mail: Manufactured Housing Dispute Resolution Program
Attorney General’s Office
800 5th Avenue, Suite 2000
Seattle, WA 98104
Fax: 206-587-5636
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Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act