STAFF REPORT
City of Lancaster
CC 16
8/12/2025
TN
Date:August 12, 2025
To: Mayor Parris and City Council Members
From:Andrea Alexander, City Clerk
Subject:Amendment to the Lancaster Municipal Code Section 11.08.090 Regarding Mobile Home Parks
Recommendation:
Adopt Ordinance No. 1135 , amending Section 11.08.090 of the Lancaster Municipal Code concerning mobile home rent increases following certain vacancies, sales, or transfers.
G.C. Section 84308: No
Fiscal Impact:
The proposed ordinance has no direct fiscal impact on the City's budget. However, it may affect the local mobile home market and rental rates within the city's mobile home parks.
Background:
The current Lancaster Municipal Code Section 11.08.090 regulates rent increases for mobile home spaces when a mobile home is sold or vacant. Under the existing code, park owners may only increase rent in accordance with general chapter provisions or when a mobile home is removed and the space becomes vacant.
The proposed ordinance would modify Section 11.08.090 to:
1. Allow a property owner to establish the initial rental rate for a new tenancy in which no homeowner from the prior tenancy remains in lawful possession of the mobilehome space.
2. Establish an important exception to this rule by prohibiting rent increases when the sale or transfer falls under specific categories listed in 28 U.S.C. § 1701j-3(d), which typically include:
A. Transfers to a spouse or children.
B. Transfers due to divorce or death.
2 1
1 5
C. Certain other intra-family transfers.
Chapter 11.080.090 shall be applicable to subsequent increases after that initial rental rate has been established.
The ordinance maintains the City's authority to regulate mobile home rent increases while providing park owners additional flexibility to adjust rents during ownership changes, balanced against protections for specific types of family transfers.
The ordinance includes provisions ensuring its validity under California law, specifically noting Lancaster's authority as a charter city under Article XIII of the California Constitution. It also contains a severability clause protecting the remainder of the ordinance should any portion be found invalid.
This ordinance is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as it will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
The proposed amendment balances the interests of mobile home park owners and residents by allowing limited rent increases during ownership changes while protecting certain family transfers from such increases. The ordinance maintains necessary regulatory oversight while providing more flexibility in the mobile home rental market.
At the Lancaster City Council meeting held on July 08, 2025, the City Council approved the introduction of Ordinance No, 1135, amending Section 11.08.090 of the Lancaster Municipal Code concerning mobile home rent increases following certain vacancies, sales, or transfers, by the following vote: 5-0-0-0; AYES: Hughes-Leslie, Malhi, Mann, Crist, Parris; NOES: None; ABSTAIN: None; ABSENT: None.
Attachment:
Ordinance No. _______