Belchertown, Mass., Code of Bylaws ch 235 § 235-3
Maximum rent (Belchertown Mobile Home Park Rents and Evictions)
Operative Text
The maximum rent of a mobile home park accommodation shall be the rent charged as of the date of July 10, 1984. If the mobile home park accommodation was unoccupied at that time, the maximum rent shall be the rent charged for a similar accommodation on July 10, 1984. No rent adjustment of any mobile home park accommodation shall be effective without prior approval of the Board after proceeding as set forth in §§ 235-4 and 235-5 .
Under Belchertown, Mass., Code of Bylaws CH. 235 § 235-3, the maximum allowable rent for a mobile home park accommodation is anchored to the rent that was in effect on July 10, 1984. For units that were vacant on that date, the ceiling is set by reference to what comparable accommodations rented for on the same date. Any change to the rent — upward or downward — requires advance approval from the Board through the process outlined in §§ 235-4 and 235-5; no adjustment takes effect automatically.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of mobile home parks in Belchertown subject to CH. 235 § 235-3 generally maintain documentation establishing what rent was charged for each accommodation as of July 10, 1984, since that figure serves as the baseline maximum. For any unit that was vacant on that date, comparable-unit rent records from the same date are typically kept to support the applicable ceiling. Before implementing any rent change, compliant operators seek and obtain prior Board approval through the procedures described in §§ 235-4 and 235-5, rather than notifying tenants of a new rate without that approval in place.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under CH. 235 § 235-3, tenants in Belchertown mobile home parks have a right to a rent ceiling tied to the July 10, 1984 rate, and any rent increase imposed without prior Board approval is not legally effective. If a park owner raises rent without going through the §§ 235-4 and 235-5 approval process, a tenant may be able to raise that violation as a defense or basis for a complaint before the Board. Tenant-rights organizations familiar with Massachusetts mobile home park law can help residents understand what records to request and what avenues are available through the Board.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 11, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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