Residents of manufactured homes need protection

Throughout my time as mayor of Des Plaines and state representative, I learned about the rampant abuse and mistreatment of tenants in manufactured home communities by their landlords. Despite commonly being referred to as "mobile home" parks, the tenants in these manufactured home communities are looking to make a home where they can feel safe from crime and opportunistic landlords.

After walking door-to-door in these communities and listening to their concerns, it was brought to my attention that the landlords and owners of these communities have too much discretion in decisions that can greatly affect the lives of their tenants. To help address these concerns, I passed legislation through the Illinois House of Representatives that will give tenants more rights and offer protections against their landlords and owners.

The legislation establishes the following protections for tenants:

• More disclosure on leases. Landlords and owners must disclose their name, address and telephone number on new lease agreements. As tenants, they should have the right to know exactly who they are paying rent to and deserve more transparency.

• Protecting health. Landlords and owners must notify tenants if there are any outstanding public health violations, including any ongoing enforcement actions, against the community.

• Increased financial reporting requirements. Landlords and owners must notify tenants if the landlord or owner is facing any bankruptcy or foreclosure proceedings. Furthermore, tenants can no longer be evicted from their property solely for the reason of a bankruptcy procedure against the owner of the community.

We must remember that manufactured homes communities are not temporary places for people to live. These communities consist of real families who deserve the same level of protection afforded to everyone else, and that is why I am encouraging passage of my bill.

State Rep. Martin J. Moylan

55th District

Des Plaines