Requirements for the rental of mobile and manufactured homes, the official text

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-2426/1
MCP:ajk&cjs

2025 ASSEMBLY BILL 424
September 15, 2025 - Introduced by Representatives Krug, B. Jacobson, Knodl, Mursau, Novak, O'Connor, Ortiz-Velez, Stubbs and Wichgers, cosponsored by Senators James, Marklein and Nass. Referred to Committee on Housing and Real Estate.

An Act to amend 710.15 (1) (ad), 710.15 (1) (ag), 710.15 (1) (c), 710.15 (1) (d), 710.15 (1) (f), 710.15 (1m), 710.15 (3) (a), 710.15 (5m) (f), 710.15 (5m) (g), 710.15 (5m) (h), 710.15 (5m) (i), 710.15 (5m) (j) and 710.15 (5r); to create 710.15 (1) (g), 710.15 (5m) (jm) and 710.15 (6) of the statutes; relating to: requirements for the rental of mobile and manufactured homes.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Current law provides specific requirements relating to the rental of homes or sites in mobile or manufactured home communities. These requirements apply to “residents” (persons who rent a site in a mobile or manufactured home community and reside in a home on the site) and to “occupants” (persons who rent a home in a mobile or manufactured home community or who occupy a home on a rented site within the community).
This bill changes the definitions of “resident” and “occupant,” thereby changing the persons to whom the existing requirements relating to rental of mobile and manufactured homes apply. Under the bill, “resident” is defined as a person who rents a site in a mobile or manufactured home community and who owns the home that is located on the site, regardless of whether the person resides there. “Occupant” is defined as a person other than a resident who resides in a mobile or manufactured home in a community with the home’s owner (the resident) with the consent of the community’s operator.
The bill also provides that the requirements relating to rental of mobile and manufactured homes do not apply to a person who resides in a mobile or manufactured home without the home’s owner. Under the bill, a person who is not a resident or occupant who rents a mobile home or manufactured home from a resident or from the community’s operator is subject to current law governing landlords and tenants.
In addition, the bill requires the owner or operator of a mobile or manufactured home community to provide at least 90 days’ written notice to all known residents and occupants before permanently retiring the community or a site within the community from the rental housing market. The bill also provides that, if a resident or occupant fails to sign and return a lease or lease renewal, the community operator may elect to hold the resident or occupant on a month-to-month lease.
Under current law, the tenancy of a resident or occupant may be terminated only for specific reasons. Under current law, such a tenancy may be terminated based on a resident’s or occupant’s refusal to sign a lease; under the bill, a tenancy may also be terminated for failing to submit a signed lease to the community’s operator. Under current law, a tenancy may be terminated for a material misrepresentation in the application for tenancy; under the bill a tenancy may also be terminated for failure to meet any nondiscriminatory application criteria. In addition, the bill provides that a tenancy may be terminated for violating a community rule prohibiting any resident from owning more than one home in the community.
Finally, the bill changes the definition of “community.” Under current law, a “community” is defined as a tract of land with at least three plots upon which mobile homes or manufactured homes are located in exchange for rent or other fees. Under the bill, “community” is defined as any plot with at least three occupied mobile homes or manufactured homes, with an exception for certain farms.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. 710.15 (1) (ad) of the statutes is amended to read:
710.15 (1) (ad) “Community” means a tract of land containing 3 or more plots of ground upon which mobile homes or manufactured homes are located in exchange for the payment of rent or any other fee pursuant to a lease any plot or
plots of ground upon which 3 or more mobile homes or manufactured homes that are occupied for dwelling or sleeping purposes are located. “Community” does not include a farm where the occupants of the mobile homes or manufactured homes are the father, mother, son, daughter, brother, or sister of the farm owner or operator or where the occupants of the mobile homes or manufactured homes work on the farm.
Section 2. 710.15 (1) (ag) of the statutes is amended to read:
710.15 (1) (ag) “Lease” means a written agreement between an operator and a resident or occupant establishing the terms upon which the mobile home or manufactured home may be located in the community or the resident or occupant may occupy a mobile home or manufactured home in the community.
Section 3. 710.15 (1) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
710.15 (1) (c) “Occupant” means a person other than a resident who rents a mobile home or manufactured home in a community from an operator or who occupies, as his or her residence, a mobile home or manufactured home located on a plot of ground that is rented in a community from an operator site, together with a resident of the mobile home or manufactured home, with the operator’s consent.
Section 4. 710.15 (1) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
710.15 (1) (d) “Operator” means a person engaged in the business of renting plots of ground sites or mobile homes or manufactured homes in a community to mobile home or manufactured home owners or residents, occupants, or tenants who are not residents or occupants.
Section 5. 710.15 (1) (f) of the statutes is amended to read:

710.15 (1) (f) “Resident” means a person who rents a mobile home or manufactured home site in a community from an operator and who occupies owns the mobile home or site as his or her residence manufactured home located on the site.
Section 6. 710.15 (1) (g) of the statutes is created to read:
710.15 (1) (g) “Site” means a plot of ground in a community upon which a mobile home or manufactured home is located.
Section 7. 710.15 (1m) of the statutes is amended to read:
710.15 (1m) Requirement and term of lease. Every agreement for the rental of a mobile home site or manufactured home site shall be by lease. Every lease shall be for a term of at least one year unless the resident or occupant requests a shorter term and the operator agrees to the shorter term, except that if a resident or occupant fails to sign and return a lease or lease renewal, the operator may elect to hold the resident or occupant on a month-to-month basis.
Section 8. 710.15 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
710.15 (3) (a) An operator may not deny a resident or occupant the opportunity to enter into or renew, and may not include, exclude, or alter any terms of, a lease to continue to locate a mobile home or manufactured home in the community solely or in any part on the basis of the age of the mobile home or manufactured home.
Section 9. 710.15 (5m) (f) of the statutes is amended to read:
710.15 (5m) (f) The community owner or operator seeks to retire the community or a site permanently from the rental housing market.

Section 10. 710.15 (5m) (g) of the statutes is amended to read:
710.15 (5m) (g) The community owner or operator is required to discontinue use of the community or a site for the purpose rented as a result of action taken against the community owner or operator by local or state building or health authorities and it is necessary for the premises to be vacated to satisfy the relief sought by the action.
Section 11. 710.15 (5m) (h) of the statutes is amended to read:
710.15 (5m) (h) The physical condition of the mobile home or manufactured home presents a threat to the health or safety of its residents or occupants or others in the community or, by its physical appearance, disrupts the right to the enjoyment and use of the community by others.
Section 12. 710.15 (5m) (i) of the statutes is amended to read:
710.15 (5m) (i) Refusal to sign a lease or to submit a signed lease to the operator.
Section 13. 710.15 (5m) (j) of the statutes is amended to read:
710.15 (5m) (j) Material misrepresentation in the application for tenancy or failure to meet any nondiscriminatory application criteria.
Section 14. 710.15 (5m) (jm) of the statutes is created to read:
710.15 (5m) (jm) Violation of a community rule prohibiting any resident from owning more than one mobile home or manufactured home in the community.
Section 15. 710.15 (5r) of the statutes is amended to read:
710.15 (5r) Notice requirements apply. The notice requirements of s. 704.17 (1p) (a), (2) (a), and (3) apply to a termination of tenancy under sub. (5m) (a),
and the notice requirements of s. 704.17 (1p) (b), (2) (b), and (3) apply to a termination of tenancy under sub. (5m) (b) to (k), except that a community owner or operator shall provide at least 90 days’ written notice to all known residents and occupants prior to permanently retiring the community or a site from the rental housing market.
Section 16. 710.15 (6) of the statutes is created to read:
710.15 (6) Applicability. This section does not apply to a person who occupies, as his or her residence, a mobile home or manufactured home in a community if the resident of the mobile home or manufactured home does not also occupy the home as his or her residence. A person who is not a resident or occupant who rents a mobile home or manufactured home in a community from a resident or operator shall be subject to the provisions under ch. 704.
(end)