Section 32P: Terms and conditions of occupancy; disclosure in writing; required notice
Section 32P. All terms and conditions of occupancy must be fully disclosed in writing by the manufactured housing community owner to any prospective manufactured housing community resident at a reasonable time prior to the rental or occupancy of a manufactured home lot. Said disclosure shall include, but shall not be limited to, the amount of rent, an itemized list of any charges or fees, the names and addresses of all the owners of the manufactured housing community, and the rules and regulations governing the use of the manufactured home lot and community. Said writing shall contain a bona fide, good faith offer to each new tenant and to each person renewing or extending any existing arrangement or agreement for occupancy of premises in a manufactured housing community for a rental agreement with a term of five years or, where a valid notice of discontinuance is in effect at the time of such offer the balance of the period remaining before the effective date of the discontinuance, at fair market rental rates subject to any applicable rent control restrictions, as an alternative to any other proposed term lengths. Such writing shall be signed by the manufactured housing community owner and contain the following notice printed verbatim in a clear and conspicuous manner:-
IMPORTANT NOTICE REQUIRED BY LAW
[ Second paragraph effective until May 30, 2023. For text effective May 30, 2023, see below.]
The rules set forth below govern the terms of your lease or occupancy with this manufactured housing community. If these rules are changed in any way, the addition, deletion or amendment must be delivered to you, along with a copy of the certified mail receipts indicating that such change has been submitted to the attorney general and the director of housing and community development and either a copy of the approvals thereof by the attorney general and said director or a certificate signed by the owner stating that neither the attorney general nor said director has taken any action with respect thereto within the period set forth in paragraph (5) of section thirty-two L of chapter one hundred and forty. This notification must be furnished to you at least thirty days before the change goes into effect. The law requires all of these rules and regulations to be fair and reasonable or said rules and regulations cannot be enforced.
[ Second paragraph as amended by 2023, 7, Secs. 285 and 286 effective May 30, 2023. See 2023, 7, Sec. 298. For text effective until May 30, 2023, see above.]
The rules set forth below govern the terms of your lease or occupancy with this manufactured housing community. If these rules are changed in any way, the addition, deletion or amendment must be delivered to you, along with a copy of the certified mail receipts indicating that such change has been submitted to the attorney general and the secretary of housing and livable communities and either a copy of the approvals thereof by the attorney general and said secretary or a certificate signed by the owner stating that neither the attorney general nor said secretary has taken any action with respect thereto within the period set forth in paragraph (5) of section thirty-two L of chapter one hundred and forty. This notification must be furnished to you at least thirty days before the change goes into effect. The law requires all of these rules and regulations to be fair and reasonable or said rules and regulations cannot be enforced.
You may continue to stay in the community as long as you pay rent and abide by the rules and regulations. You may only be evicted for nonpayment of rent, violation of law or for substantial violation of the rules and regulations of the community. In addition, no eviction proceedings may be commenced against you until you have received notice by certified mail of the reason for the eviction proceeding and you have been given fifteen days from the date of the notice in which to pay the overdue rent or to cease and desist from any substantial violation of the rules and regulations of the community; provided, however, that only one notice of substantial violation of the rules and regulations of the community is required to be sent to you during any six month period. If a second or additional violation occurs, except for nonpayment of rent, within six months from the date of the first notice, then eviction proceedings may be commenced against you immediately.
You may not be evicted for reporting any violations of law or health and building codes to boards of health, the attorney general, or any other appropriate government agency. Receipt of notice of termination of tenancy by you, except for nonpayment of rent, within six months after your making such a report shall create a rebuttable presumption that such notice is a reprisal and may be pleaded by you in defense to any eviction proceeding brought within one year.
Any group of more than fifty percent of the tenants residing in the manufactured housing community has certain rights under section thirty-two R of chapter one hundred and forty, to purchase the community in the event the owner intends to accept an offer to sell or lease the community in the future. If you wish to receive further information about the financial terms of such a possible purchase, you may so notify the owner at any time by signing the attached Request for Information and returning it to the owner in person or by certified mail. Such request for information shall not obligate you to participate in any purchase of the community. For a proposed sale or lease by the owner which will result in a change of use or a discontinuance of the community you will receive information at least two years before the change becomes effective. Otherwise, Requests for Information or similar notices from more than fifty percent of the tenants residing in the community must be on file with the owner before the owner is required to give you information concerning the financial terms of a sale or lease.
This law is enforceable by the consumer protection division of the attorney general's office.
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
The undersigned, a tenant in the manufactured housing community known as
_______________ and located at _______________, Massachusetts desires to
receive information concerning any proposed sale or lease of the community as
required under Section 32R of Chapter 140 of the General Laws. I understand
that this request shall not obligate me to participate in any purchase or
lease of the community, but is only a request for information. This notice is
being delivered to the owner or owner's manager either in person or by
certified mail on (date) .
(Tenant " Name)