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Capitol Notebook: Iowa mobile home owners bring concerns to Capitol
They want legislators to protect against extreme rent increases, unsafe park conditions and more
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DES MOINES — A group of Iowans who own mobile homes gathered at the Iowa Capitol on Thursday, urging lawmakers to pass legislation creating more protection for them against rent increases and what they call the predatory business models of manufactured home companies.
Members of the Iowa Manufactured Home Residents’ Network argue that current Iowa laws fail to protect mobile home owners from out-of-state corporations who they say gouge rent prices, create unsafe park conditions and evict residents “unjustly.”
Democratic lawmakers in both chambers are pushing legislation that would address these concerns.
Two bills, House File 481 and House File 482, sponsored by Democratic state Rep. Lindsay James of Dubuque, would provide mobile home owners with more protections and limit rent increases to once per calendar year.
Similar legislation combining components from James’ bills was recently introduced in the Iowa Senate by Democratic state Sen. Zach Wahls of Coralville.
Dana Lubbers lives at Lake Ridge Estates in Iowa City. She said rent began to significantly increase and the quality of living deteriorated when the park was bought by a Utah-based company, Havenpark Communities.
She said her biggest concern is her house sinking due to erosion underneath it, which the company is not maintaining, she added.
Karla Krapfl, who lives at the Table Mound Mobile Home park in Dubuque, said her utility costs have roughly doubled over the last eight years since an out-of-state company bought the park. She said the company fails to keep up with park maintenance.
“These are not bad choices by residents. These are the results of a system that allows out-of-state corporations to raise rents without limits, neglect maintenance without consequences and displace seniors,” Krapfl said.
Bill would allow peer-to-peer car sharing
Iowans would be able to rent out their cars in a similar way to how some list their homes on Airbnb or Vrbo under a bill considered by Iowa House lawmakers Thursday.
House Study Bill 602 would allow peer-to-peer car-sharing programs, where car owners can rent out their vehicles for others to use for short periods of time.
Representatives from Turo, a car-sharing marketplace company, said 30 other states have passed similar laws, including Indiana, Missouri and Nebraska. The legislation includes provisions addressing insurance, consumer protection and record keeping.
A three-member subcommittee of state Reps. Jacob Bossman, R-Sioux City, Judd Lawler, R-Tiffin, and Adam Zabner, D-Iowa City, unanimously advanced the legislation.
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