Arizona Mobile Home Residents Push New Bills on Utility Fees, Manager Training
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Mobile Home Park Owners Previously Restricted Air Conditioners Based on Noise and Appearance
Residents of manufactured homes across Arizona are facing a new legislative push to address utility costs, manager training, and abandonment rules.
After successfully changing state law in 2024 to prohibit mobile home park owners from restricting air conditioner types, the Arizona Association of Manufactured Home Owners is now pushing eight new bills aimed at improving conditions in mobile home communities.
"We went to many, many meetings with all kinds of people," Kath Noble said. They held eight listening sessions with residents, utility companies and groups like anti-poverty organizer Wildfire AZ to help draft bills that would not only change state law but also add more enforcement.
Noble is president of the Arizona Association of Manufactured Home Owners, one of the key groups behind the 2024 law change. The group spent months discussing which bills felt most urgent to introduce.
Bills Target Utility Overcharges and Excessive Fees
The legislation would address several pain points faced by mobile home residents:
SB1805 (formerly HB2459)
This striker bill changes how landlords can charge for gas, water or electricity utilities. Rather than limiting landlords to charging the basic residential rate, the bill says landlords can only recover charges imposed by the utility provider and caps administrative fees at $8.
The Manufactured Housing Communities of Arizona, which represents park owners, was named as one of the opponents of the bill.
HB2199
Would require park managers to complete at least four hours of education within six months of beginning the job, share proof of completion and take the training every two years. Tenants can file a formal complaint with the Arizona Department of Housing if a manager is not able to produce this documentation.
HB2852
Creates a way for a tenant to raise a concern about utility overcharges by giving a landlord written notice. If the dispute is not resolved in 30 days from the written notice, the tenant could file a civil complaint. The bill would also allow the attorney general to investigate instances when landlords may be charging above the regular single-family residential charge.
Other Proposed Changes Include Abandonment Rules
Several bills address what happens when mobile homes are abandoned:
HB2850
Clarifies that a mobile home is abandoned if a tenant is absent for at least 30 days without telling the landlord and has not paid rent for at least 30 days, and there is no reasonable evidence a tenant lives in the home seven days after a landlord has delivered an eviction notice.
A mobile home would also be considered abandoned if the home remains on the premises after an eviction judgment. A landlord cannot attempt to sell the home until it is abandoned according to these rules.
HB2713
Would make a landlord violation of the Mobile Home Landlord Tenant Act an instance of consumer fraud.
HB2300
Suggests changes to the rental agreement between a park and residents who are renting a lot. Would require a written rental agreement to newly include the phone number, email address and physical address that can be visited by a tenant of a property manager and the owner of the property.
The landlord would also be required to disclose the full amount of rent and any mandatory fees or expenses and their due date. If a tenant does not pay rent when it is due, the landlord will provide a four-day notice of non-payment of rent. The bill would also pause the four-day period if a tenant can pay at least 50 percent of their past due rent within the notice period.
Success Depends on Finding Republican Sponsors
Noble noted that securing the right political sponsor is crucial for these bills to succeed.
"You have to find a Republican sponsor. If you find a Democratic sponsor it will die in committee," Noble says. "And most bills die in committee."
The group's biggest expense during the legislative session is also its biggest fighter in the ring: a lobbyist. The legislative liaison is the biggest part of their $62,000 annual budget.
"Now that we don't own a building anymore, so we don't have office expenses or a full-time secretary or anything, our biggest expense is our legislative liaison," Noble said.
Eight Bills Introduced, Few Moving Forward
A few months into the 2026 legislative session, eight bills related to mobile homes have been introduced, but only a few have moved out of the chamber where they originated. Noble is most hopeful for SB1805, which addresses utility charges.
"If we get this bill passed, it would help so many people," Noble said. "A lot of people don't realize they are paying more than they should be."
Some of the bills, including those supported by Noble, have also tried to introduce solutions, like the multiple bills that wanted to use consumer fraud as a tool for residents when park owners may not be following tenant law or create a pathway for tenant complaints of high bills to be heard by a judge.
Sources:
- https://www.kjzz.org/politics/2026-04-08/mobile-home-advocacy-groups-are-pushing-more-bills-in-the-arizona-legislature
- https://news.azpm.org/s/103088-mobile-home-legislation-in-arizona-target-utility-costs-abandonment-rules-and-manager-training/
- https://ground.news/article/mobile-home-legislation-in-arizona-target-utility-costs-abandonment-rules-and-manager-training_c72405