The city of Sanford is the latest town in Maine to adopt a temporary moratorium on rent increases for mobile home lots.
City councilors Tuesday night cited reports from residents who said their lot rents had more than doubled over the last five years — and that quickly escalating rates presented a crisis for some.
The decision from Sanford comes as a growing number of mobile home residents across Maine are appealing to the municipal officials and state lawmakers about rising lot rents, and as parks in the state are increasingly attracting interest from corporate buyers.
The Sanford moratorium is in place until mid-December. In the meantime, city councilors say they will consider a model ordinance that a statewide working group is in the process of drafting for municipalities.
Earlier this month, the city of Waterville adopted a similar moratorium on lot rent increases after also hearing from concerned mobile home park residents.
In Gorham, residents of Friendly Village Mobile Home Park are appealing to town officials there to consider making similar changes to protect them against sudden lot rent increases in the face of a potential park sale to an out-of-state investor. The Friendly Village resident cooperative made three offers to purchase the park, but all were rejected.
Old Orchard Beach appears to have the only municipal rent control ordinance on the books for mobile home park residents. Voters there approved a referendum last November, which caps annual lot rent increases for residents at 5%, with some exceptions.
