Cal. Civ. Code § 55.1-1320
Lot rent increase prohibition based on notice of violation from locality.
Operative Text
A. With the exception of violations related to manufactured home structures and additions thereto not under the owner's proprietorship, any owner or operator of a manufactured home community shall be prohibited from increasing the annual lot rent of a tenant at the time of renewal if the manufactured housing community has received a notice of violation of zoning, building, or fire code or an inspection report listing violations of habitability from the locality where the manufactured housing community operates and the notice of violation remains unresolved. B. A notice of violation shall only be considered properly resolved when the owner or operator receives notice from the locality that such notice of violation has been properly cured or the locality confirms that adequate progress has been made toward remediation of such violation. C. Any tenant who has their rent increased when a notice of violation remains unresolved shall be entitled to the return of all increased rental amounts paid by the tenant during the time in which the notice of violation remained unresolved. Any tenant who seeks the return of such overpayment from the landlord through a court action shall be able to recover reasonable attorney fees as part of a judgment to return overpayment.
Virginia Code § 55.1-1320 prohibits the owner or operator of a manufactured home community from raising a tenant's annual lot rent at renewal while an unresolved notice of violation—covering zoning, building, fire code, or habitability—issued by the local government remains outstanding. A violation is only considered resolved once the locality formally notifies the owner that it has been cured, or confirms that adequate remediation progress has been made. Tenants who were charged a rent increase during a period of unresolved violation are entitled to a refund of all excess amounts paid, and may recover reasonable attorney fees if they pursue that refund through a court action.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Va. Code § 55.1-1320, compliant manufactured home community operators generally track all notices of violation received from the locality—whether related to zoning, building, fire, or habitability—and confirm in writing from the locality that each violation is fully resolved or that adequate remediation progress has been acknowledged before implementing any annual lot rent increase at renewal. Operators typically maintain documentation of the locality's formal clearance notice to demonstrate that the prohibition on rent increases no longer applies. Because the statute carves out violations tied to manufactured home structures and additions not under the owner's proprietorship, operators often keep clear records distinguishing which violations fall within that exception.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Va. Code § 55.1-1320 gives tenants in manufactured home communities the right to have their lot rent held flat at renewal whenever the community is operating under an unresolved local notice of violation for zoning, building, fire code, or habitability issues. If a rent increase was collected during a period when such a notice remained unresolved, the statute entitles the tenant to a refund of all excess amounts paid, and a successful court action to recover that overpayment may also yield reasonable attorney fees. Tenants who believe this provision applies to their situation may consider contacting their local housing or code enforcement office to check the status of any outstanding notices, or reaching out to a tenant-rights organization familiar with Virginia manufactured housing law.
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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