25 Del. C. ch. 70 § 7050
Purpose
Operative Text
Manufactured housing has become a vital source of affordable housing in Delaware, particularly as a homeownership opportunity for low-income households who otherwise would likely not be able to move into homeownership. In recent years, Delaware has experienced a difficult economic climate which has resulted in a crisis in affordable housing availability. Additionally, manufactured homeowners make substantial and sizeable investments in their manufactured homes. Once a manufactured home is situated on a manufactured housing community site, the difficulty and cost of moving the home gives the community owner disproportionate power in establishing rental rates. The continuing possibility of unreasonable space rental increases in manufactured home communities threatens to diminish the value of manufactured homeowners’ investments. Through this subchapter, the General Assembly seeks to protect the substantial investment made by manufactured homeowners, and enable the State to benefit from the availability of affordable housing for lower-income citizens, without the need for additional state funding. The General Assembly also recognizes the property and other rights of manufactured home community owners, and seeks to provide manufactured home community owners with a fair return on their investment. Therefore, the purpose of this subchapter is to accommodate the conflicting interests of protecting manufactured homeowners, residents, and tenants from unreasonable and burdensome space rental increases while simultaneously providing for the need of manufactured home community owners to receive a just, reasonable, and fair return on their property.
Section 7050 of Title 25, Delaware Code, Chapter 70 sets out the legislative purpose behind Delaware's manufactured housing rent regulation framework. The provision recognizes that manufactured homeowners face a structural power imbalance because relocating a manufactured home is costly and difficult, leaving community owners with outsized influence over rental rates. The law aims to balance two competing interests: shielding manufactured homeowners, residents, and tenants from unreasonable space rent increases, while also ensuring that manufactured home community owners can earn a fair and reasonable return on their property investment.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Section 7050 establishes the foundational policy context within which the rest of Delaware's manufactured housing subchapter operates, and community owners should understand that the law explicitly acknowledges their right to a just, reasonable, and fair return on their investment. Compliant community operators generally document the financial basis for any rent adjustments in a manner consistent with the fair-return standard the General Assembly recognized in this provision. Familiarity with § 7050's stated purpose can help community owners frame rent-related decisions within the regulatory expectations the subchapter was designed to create.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 7050 articulates the core legislative intent behind Delaware's manufactured housing protections, affirming that the General Assembly recognized the vulnerability of manufactured homeowners to disproportionate rent increases due to the high cost of relocating a home. Tenants and residents in manufactured home communities can point to this stated purpose when raising concerns about space rental increases that appear unreasonable or burdensome under the subchapter. General enforcement paths may include filing a complaint with a relevant state or local authority, raising a violation as a defense in a legal proceeding, or consulting a tenant-rights or housing organization familiar with Delaware's manufactured housing laws.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 22, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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