5 Essential Steps To Take In The Mobile Home Park Approval Process

When it comes to the mobile home park approval process, it’s good to go in with a few key thoughts in mind. The process doesn’t need to get hairy or intimidating due to a lack of knowledge on your part.

There are certain do’s and don’ts you’ll want to keep in mind as you approve people for the park. It’s your responsibility to vet your community’s neighbors. You’ll find a variety of people will knock at your door in search of a new place to call home. It’s your job to ensure the right people are members of your park.

We hope the steps we’ve laid out here will provide some light along the way. Mobile home investing is an exciting adventure.

5 Essential steps to take in the mobile home park approval process

In this article, we have five essential steps to make the mobile home park approval process more of a breeze. These steps will enable you to gain smooth sailing as you sift through applicants to your park.

For the best advice available to you, we suggest contacting a local lawyer who is familiar with landlord rights and tenant rights. Such a lawyer will know exactly what laws do and don’t apply to your situation and jurisdiction.

1 – Ask the right questions from the get-go

You can pre-screen your potential tenants during their initial phone call. Ask them why they’re moving. Find out when they intend to move in if accepted. What is their monthly income? Do they have references from their former landlords and employer? Ask if they’ll consent to a credit and background check.

If the person says they intend to move in next week, chances are they’re not good at planning. If their monthly income can’t keep up with rent and living expenses, it’s not a good idea. References from previous landlords will be brutally honest. References from current landlords may be driven by a motive to get rid of tenants. If your tenant is not agreeing to a credit and background check, they might be hiding something.

These are just some things to consider.

2 – Keep an eye out during showings

During a showing, you can keep your eye out for deal breakers:

• Is the tenant complaining about their previous landlord? What is the nature of these complaints?
• Are they in a hurry to find a new home? If so, why?
• Were prospective tenants late to the showing? Is that a foreshadowing of how they’ll be late with rent?
• How critical are they of the home? If they are hypercritical now, that may be a painful characteristic to deal with if they move into your park.

This is just one key step for the mobile home park approval process.

3 – Background check

Here you’ll find information on how to conduct a background check. It’s good to know who you are welcoming into your community before any lease agreements are signed. This information will empower you to make proper decisions on the potential tenant’s future in your mobile home park. A criminal record can be grounds for refusing a tenant.

For instance, if your mobile home park caters to families with children, then you don’t want a pedophile staying in your park. It’s up to you to figure out what your park’s parameters ought to be within the constraints of the law.

4 – A lease agreement is a must

Now if you live in a community where everyone knows everyone, it may be tempting to just count on someone’s word. That’s not a good idea. It’s best to keep the business running like a business.

A paper trail will save you much pain later on if some problem arises. In a court of law, you can always point to that lease agreement. The lease agreement should include the rules and regulations of the park, showing that your tenant is on board with the park’s way of running things.

5 – Application form

In the application form, you should include information for income, employment history, and applicant contact information. Authorization to contact landlords, employers, and pull credit and criminal histories is a must.

Don’t take it lightly

These five essential steps for the mobile home park approval process are important. We suggest networking with other landlords to get some location specific advice on common overlooked red flags in your locale.

Showing vacancies off to your potential tenants is just one of the park manager’s responsibilities. For more information on the role of a park manager and why they matter to the park, check out this article.