Eight Maine Towns Pass Mobile Home Lot Rent Caps

Voters in eight Maine communities approved measures on Election Day to cap or freeze lot rent increases for mobile home park residents. The ordinances passed in Augusta, Eliot, Farmington, Jay, Oakland, Standish, and Wells, while Wiscasset residents approved a six-month moratorium on increases. These policies protect more than 1,700 families across 53 parks, bringing the total number of Maine towns with such stabilization measures to 16.

Most of the new rules tie rent hikes to inflation percentages based on a state-drafted sample. In Wells, where the measure passed with over 70 percent support, rent and fee increases are limited to once every 12 months with a 90-day notice requirement. For rents at or below the affordability threshold in Wells, increases are capped at the annual Consumer Price Index plus 1 percent.

The Maine Affordable Housing Coalition advocated for these measures following an influx of out-of-state corporate buyers, including Michigan-based RHP Properties and New York-based Philips International, who implemented drastic rent increases. Executive Director Laura Mitchell noted that losing affordable homes through deterioration or high rent increases counteracts the production of new housing. The coalition described the local ordinances as a pathway for residents to take control back.