What to Do When a Mobile Home Tenant Stops Paying Rent
Your mobile home tenant hasn't paid rent in two months. You've left voicemails, sent texts, even knocked on the door. Nothing. The rent check never shows up, and now you're stuck covering the mortgage and lot fees yourself.
If you own land and rent it to mobile home owners, this scenario probably feels familiar. Non-payment is one of the most common and frustrating problems landlords face. The mobile home sits on your property, the tenant lives there, but the money stops coming.
Here's what you need to do.
Understand Your Legal Position First
Before you do anything, know this: you cannot just remove the mobile home or cut off utilities. Self-help evictions are illegal in every state. You'll face serious legal consequences if you try to force the tenant out without going through proper channels.
The mobile home might belong to the tenant, but they're renting the land from you. This creates a unique landlord-tenant relationship. You have rights, but you must follow the law to enforce them.
Check your lease agreement. Look for clauses about late fees, grace periods, and what happens when rent goes unpaid. Your lease should spell out the exact process you'll follow. If it doesn't, or if you don't have a written lease, you're still bound by state law.
Send a Pay or Quit Notice
Your first formal step is sending a pay or quit notice. This legal document tells the tenant they must pay the overdue rent within a specific timeframe or vacate the property.
The notice period varies by state. Some states give tenants three days. Others give five, seven, or even 14 days. Check your state's landlord-tenant laws to get the exact timeline. Send the notice via certified mail so you have proof of delivery. Keep a copy for your records.
The notice should include:
The total amount owed
The deadline to pay or vacate
Where and how to make payment
A statement that you'll file for eviction if they don't comply
Don't skip this step or rush it. Courts will throw out your eviction case if you didn't properly notify the tenant first. Following proper property management procedures protects you legally and keeps the process moving forward.
File for Eviction If They Don't Pay
If the deadline passes and you still haven't received payment, file an eviction lawsuit with your local court. You'll need to pay a filing fee, submit your lease agreement, proof of non-payment, and copies of all notices you sent.
The court will schedule a hearing. Both you and the tenant will have a chance to present your case. Bring everything: bank statements showing no rent deposits, copies of your notices, the lease agreement, any text messages or emails about the unpaid rent.
Most non-payment eviction cases are straightforward. If the tenant didn't pay and you followed proper procedure, judges typically rule in the landlord's favor. The tenant might show up with excuses or partial payment offers. The judge decides whether to accept payment plans or grant the eviction.
If you win, the court issues an eviction order. This gives the tenant a final deadline to leave, usually between 24 hours and 30 days depending on your state. Understanding tenant relations and legal requirements makes this process smoother.
What Happens to the Mobile Home
Here's where it gets complicated. The tenant might leave but abandon the mobile home on your property. They took their belongings but left the structure behind.
You can't just demolish it or sell it immediately. Most states require you to store abandoned property for a certain period and attempt to contact the owner. For mobile homes, this process is more involved because the home has significant value.
You'll likely need to file for a lien against the mobile home. This legal claim allows you to recover unpaid rent and removal costs. The process varies by state but generally involves:
Filing a lien with your county recorder's office
Notifying the tenant and any lienholders (like banks with loans on the mobile home)
Waiting a statutory period, usually 30-90 days
Selling the mobile home or having it removed
It depends on your state, as laws differ on documentation requirements and waiting periods. Evicting a mobile home from your land involves specific legal steps that help you avoid costly mistakes during this process.
Consider Your Removal Options
If the tenant abandons the mobile home after eviction, you have decisions to make. Keeping it on your property costs you money. Every month it sits there is another month you can't rent that lot to someone else.
Your options include:
Sell it: If the mobile home is in decent condition, you might find a buyer. List it on mobile home marketplaces or Facebook. Price it to sell quickly. Remember, buyers will factor in moving costs.
Remove it: Professional removal companies will demolish and haul away the mobile home. This costs between $3,000 and $10,000 depending on size and condition. It's an upfront expense, but you get your land back immediately and can find a new tenant.
Let the tenant remove it: If the tenant wants to keep the mobile home, you can negotiate their removal of it as part of settling the eviction. Get this agreement in writing and set a firm deadline.
The fastest path to getting your property back is usually professional removal. Clear land rents faster than land with an abandoned structure sitting on it.
Protect Your Cash Flow During the Process
Evictions take time. From the first missed payment to the tenant actually leaving, you're looking at anywhere from two to six months depending on your state and court schedules.
During this time, you're still covering your costs. Mortgage payments don't stop. Property taxes don't pause. You need a plan to manage this cash flow gap.
If you have an emergency fund for your rental properties, now's the time to use it. If you don't have one, consider this expensive lesson learned. Most property management experts recommend keeping three to six months of operating expenses in reserve for each rental property.
You might qualify for landlord insurance that covers lost rent during evictions. Check your policy. Some policies include this coverage, others offer it as an add-on.
Prevent Future Non-Payment Problems
Once you've dealt with this situation, take steps to avoid repeating it.
Screen tenants thoroughly: Check credit reports, verify income, contact previous landlords. A tenant with a history of evictions or poor payment records will likely cause problems again.
Require first and last month's rent plus security deposit: This gives you a buffer when rent goes unpaid. You're not immediately out of pocket.
Set up automatic payments: Encourage tenants to set up automatic bank transfers or use payment apps. This reduces "forgot to pay" excuses.
Enforce late fees consistently: Your lease should include late fees, and you should charge them every single time rent is late. This trains tenants that on-time payment is non-negotiable.
Stay in regular contact: Don't wait until rent is 60 days overdue to reach out. If rent is even one day late, send a friendly reminder. If it hits one week, make a phone call. Early intervention prevents small problems from becoming major ones.
Consider requiring renters insurance: This protects tenants from loss and shows they're responsible enough to maintain insurance coverage.
Working with experienced property management professionals can also help you avoid these situations through better tenant screening and proactive rent collection procedures.
The Bottom Line
Dealing with non-paying mobile home tenants is frustrating and expensive. You can't force them out yourself. You must follow the legal eviction process, which takes time and costs money.
Send proper notices, file for eviction if they don't pay, win your court case, and then deal with what happens to the mobile home if they abandon it. The process is slow, but cutting corners or trying to speed it up through illegal means will cost you more in the long run.
The best strategy is preventing the problem through careful tenant screening and consistent rent collection practices. But when you do end up with a non-paying tenant, act quickly and follow the law to the letter.
Get your property back, find a better tenant, and move on.
