Mobile & Manufactured Homes in Sonoma County: Buying and Selling Guide
Most mobile homes in Santa Rosa and the rest of Sonoma County sit on rented spaces in mobile home parks, so a buyer purchases the home, gets the park’s approval and signs a space rental agreement. The home is usually titled by the state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), not recorded like a house, and the space rent is set by the park within limits that depend on the city or county. Santa Rosa alone has 16 mobile home parks under its rent control ordinance, with about 2,150 spaces.
That structure changes almost everything compared with buying a house: how title transfers, how the purchase is financed, what the monthly cost is, and what the park can and cannot do when you sell. This guide covers the state rules in the Mobilehome Residency Law, the local space-rent ordinances in Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Cotati, Sebastopol and the unincorporated county, 55-plus parks, financing and selling. It explains how a purchase works rather than listing homes; to see what is on the market now, use our property search. For the wider market, see our Sonoma County real estate guide.
Diamond handles resales of mobile and manufactured homes, both in parks and on land the owner holds, alongside our other residential work.
How mobile home ownership works
You buy the home; the park owns the land
In a typical park, you own the home and rent the space under it. The Mobilehome Residency Law, Civil Code section 798 and following, governs that relationship: rental agreements, rules, rent notices, sales and the limited grounds on which a park can end a tenancy. Santa Rosa also has two mobile home subdivisions where owners own their lots, which work more like ordinary real estate.
HCD title or real property
A home in a park is normally registered and titled by HCD, which keeps the ownership records and issues new title documents after a sale. If a manufactured home is installed on a permanent foundation system and converted, HCD no longer registers it and it is taxed and conveyed as real property. Before you make an offer, find out which kind of title you are buying, because it decides how escrow, financing and taxes work.
Property tax or license fees
Mobile homes are taxed differently depending largely on when they were first sold new. Revenue and Taxation Code section 5801 brings homes first sold new on or after July 1, 1980, and homes whose owners asked to switch, under the local property tax rules for manufactured homes. Ask the seller for the current tax bill or HCD registration, and confirm there are no unpaid taxes or fees before closing.
Who can sell a mobile home
A licensed real estate broker may sell a manufactured home or mobilehome only if it is registered with HCD under the Health and Safety Code (Business and Professions Code 10131.6). A broker may not keep a place of business displaying two or more homes without also holding a mobilehome dealer license. Health and Safety Code 18046 counts licensed real estate brokers and salespersons as agents in these sales and applies the Civil Code 2079 visual-inspection duty when they sell a used home.
Space rent rules by city and county
Space rent is the biggest ongoing cost, and the rules depend on where the park is. The main ordinances:
| Jurisdiction | Ordinance | Annual increase limit | Current allowance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa | City Code Chapter 6-66 (1993, amended 2023) | 70% of the change in the San Francisco–Oakland–Hayward CPI, never more than 4% | 2.38%, based on the 3.4% CPI change for the 12 months ending August 2026 |
| Petaluma | Municipal Code Chapter 6.50 | Lesser of 70% of CPI or 4%, once every 12 months | Ask the city; its page showed 2.2% through June 30, 2025 |
| Unincorporated Sonoma County | County Mobilehome Rent Stabilization Ordinance | 70% of the CPI change | 2.66%, based on the 3.8% CPI change for July 2026 |
| Rohnert Park | Municipal Code Chapter 9.70 (Ordinance No. 949, 1987) | Based on the CPI change, never more than 4%; no increase if the CPI falls | 2.3% for 2026 (2.8% CPI change less half a point), from each park’s anniversary date starting February 1, 2026 |
| Cotati | Municipal Code Chapter 19.14 | Lesser of 100% of the San Francisco–Oakland CPI change or 6% | Ask the city |
| Sebastopol | Municipal Code Chapter 9.28 | Lesser of 75% of the San Francisco–Oakland CPI change or 3% | Ask the city |
| Windsor | Town mobile home rent stabilization ordinance | Not verified for this page | Confirm current terms with the Town |
Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa’s Rent Control Ordinance covers 16 mobile home parks and was amended effective August 11, 2023. Increases are capped at 4% of the previous rent, and when a home is sold in place, the park may raise the space rent by no more than 10% of the current base rent. Owners can petition for a larger increase through the city’s fair return process. For the rest of the city’s rules, see our Santa Rosa real estate guide.
Petaluma
Petaluma’s Chapter 6.50 applies to all spaces regardless of lease term since January 1, 2025, and a park owner can exceed the cap only if an arbitrator finds it necessary for a fair return. Five parks are in the city’s Senior Mobile Home Park Overlay, covered below. More on the city in our Petaluma real estate guide.
Unincorporated county
Outside city limits, the county ordinance was written for spaces on month-to-month rental agreements. It exempts spaces that are not the owner’s principal residence, park-owned homes and recreational vehicles that have occupied a space for less than nine months. The county also notes that under state law (AB 2782), long-term leases of more than 12 months are no longer exempt from local rent stabilization as of January 1, 2025.
Rohnert Park
Rohnert Park’s mobile home ordinance dates to Ordinance No. 949 of 1987 and is run by the five-member Mobile Home Parks Rent Appeals Board, which sets the yearly increase each October. The city’s FAQ says increases follow the annual CPI change, can never exceed 4.0%, and stay flat if the CPI falls.
The board’s Resolution 2025-02 set the 2026 adjustment at 2.3%, effective on each park’s anniversary date from February 1, 2026, for Rancho Feliz, Rancho Grande, Las Casitas, Rancho Verde and Valley Village. The city’s FAQ describes the program as serving residents who are not on leases, so ask the city how it treats any lease you are offered. More on the city in our Rohnert Park real estate guide.
Cotati
Cotati’s Chapter 19.14 limits increases to the lesser of 100% of the CPI change or 6%, no more than once in 12 months, with 90 days’ written notice. An increase above 300% of the CPI change goes to mandatory arbitration. The park may not raise the rent because a home is sold in place; a new base rent is allowed only after a lawful vacancy, such as a termination under the Mobilehome Residency Law. See our Cotati guide.
Sebastopol
Sebastopol’s Chapter 9.28 limits increases in any 12 months to the lesser of 75% of the CPI change, using the July figure, or 3%, with 90 days’ notice. On an in-place sale, the park may raise the base rent by up to 10%, unless title passes to someone already living in that home or another home in the same park, and it cannot make approval of the sale depend on a higher rent. Our Sebastopol guide covers the town.
Windsor and other cities
The county’s Community Development Commission arbitrates space rent disputes under contract with Cotati, Petaluma, Sebastopol and the Town of Windsor. We could not open Windsor’s ordinance text for this page, so confirm its current terms with the Town before you rely on any figure; our Windsor guide covers the town itself. In Sonoma, Healdsburg or another city, ask that city’s housing office which rules cover the park.
Some city codes, including Cotati’s and Sebastopol’s, still describe the older exemption for long leases that, according to the county, AB 2782 ended on January 1, 2025. Ask the city how it applies the newer law to the lease you are offered.
Buying a mobile home in a park, step by step
- Start with the park, not the home. Ask for the current space rent, the proposed rental agreement, the park rules and any age restriction. Two similar homes in different parks can carry very different monthly costs.
- Check title and liens. For an HCD-registered home, escrow can order a title search through HCD’s online services. Confirm the seller is the registered owner and that taxes or fees are paid.
- Inspect the home. Hire an inspector who works on manufactured homes. Age matters: a park can require removal of an older home on sale if it fails health and safety standards, as explained below.
- Apply to the park. Management may require prior approval of a buyer. Within 15 days of being told of the sale, it must give you its written approval standards, including any minimum credit score, and a list of required documents. It must accept or reject you in writing within 15 business days after receiving everything, or you are deemed approved.
- Know the grounds for rejection. A park may reject a buyer only for a reasonable finding that the buyer will not follow park rules based on prior tenancies, for a lack of financial ability to pay the rent and charges, or for fraud in the application. It may ask for proof of income but not your income tax returns, and if it questions your finances it must consider other assets you offer.
- Sign the rental agreement. The sale should include a fully executed rental agreement, or a signed statement that you and management have agreed on terms. A buyer who does not execute one has no tenancy rights.
- Close through escrow. Escrow handles the HCD transfer documents and any loan payoff. The seller should also give you the manufactured home and mobilehome transfer disclosure statement required by Civil Code 1102.6d.
For the general buying process in the county, see buying a home in Sonoma County.
55-plus mobile home parks
Some parks are age-restricted. Civil Code 798.76 lets park management require a buyer to meet a residency age rule only if the rule is based on federal requirements for housing for older persons. California’s separate senior-housing statute, Civil Code 51.3, defines a dwelling unit as any residential accommodation other than a mobilehome, so parks look to the federal standard.
The federal standard requires that at least 80% of occupied units have at least one occupant 55 or older, that the park publish and follow age policies, and that it verify occupancy by surveys or affidavits updated at least every two years. In Petaluma, the city’s Senior Mobile Home Park Overlay covers Leisure Lake, Petaluma Estates, Royal Oaks, Cottages of Petaluma and Youngstown.
Those parks must keep at least 80% of spaces occupied by at least one person 55 or older, update their occupancy verification at least every two years and certify compliance to the city each year. Our guide to 55-plus communities in Sonoma County covers age-restricted housing more broadly.
Financing a mobile home
Because a home on a rented space is usually personal property, it is financed differently from a house. Buyers typically use a personal property loan, often called a chattel loan, from a lender that works with manufactured homes, and HUD’s Federal Housing Administration runs a Title I manufactured home loan program. A home that has been converted to real property on a permanent foundation is conveyed and taxed as real property, which can open up other loan options.
Loan terms for manufactured homes vary by lender, so compare at least two and include the space rent in your monthly budget. Our page on mortgages and affordability in Sonoma County covers the broader loan options. Diamond may refer you to partners we work with; you’re free to choose any provider.
Selling a mobile home in a park
State law gives sellers several protections:
- Signs. You or your agent may post a “for sale” sign up to 24 by 36 inches showing your name, address and phone number, plus one open house sign if the park allows open houses.
- Your choice of agent. The park may not require you to list with management or a particular broker or dealer as a condition of the sale or of approving your buyer, and it may not show or list your home without your written authorization.
- Heirs can sell. The park may not prohibit a sale by an heir, joint tenant or personal representative who took ownership through the owner’s death. Families settling an estate can read our probate and trust sales guide.
- Removal limits. Generally the park cannot require you to move the home out when you sell it to a buyer who will keep it there. The exceptions include homes that are not mobilehomes under the statute, older homes that fail health and safety or construction standards on inspection, and homes in significantly deteriorated condition, which management must prove. The park must give written notice of the condition.
Before you list, gather the HCD title or registration, your rental agreement, recent rent notices, the park rules and any permits for additions such as decks or carports. Price from recent sales in the same park, because space rent and park rules are part of what the buyer pays for. For selling in the county more generally, see selling a home in Sonoma County, and for Napa parks, our Napa County mobile home guide.
This is general information, not legal advice; talk to a California attorney who handles mobilehome park law about a specific rental agreement, rent increase or sale.
Questions people ask
Do you own the land when you buy a mobile home in a park?
Usually not. In most parks you own the home and rent the space. Santa Rosa has two mobile home subdivisions where owners own their lots, and those sales work more like regular real estate.
Does Santa Rosa have mobile home rent control?
Yes. Chapter 6-66 of the City Code covers 16 parks and limits annual increases to 70% of the change in the Consumer Price Index. The current allowance is 2.38%, based on the 12 months ending August 2026.
How much can space rent go up in unincorporated Sonoma County?
The county limits increases to 70% of the change in the Consumer Price Index. Based on the July 2026 CPI change of 3.8%, the current limit is 2.66%.
Does Rohnert Park have mobile home rent control?
Yes. The city’s Rent Appeals Board sets a yearly increase tied to the CPI, capped at 4%. For 2026 it is 2.3%, effective on each park’s anniversary date from February 1, 2026; confirm the current figure with the city.
Where can I find mobile homes for sale in Sonoma County?
Use our property search for homes currently listed for sale. For any home you find, ask the park for its current space rent, rental agreement and rules before you make an offer, because those set much of the monthly cost.
Can the park refuse to approve me as a buyer?
Only on limited grounds: a reasonable finding from your prior tenancies that you will not follow park rules, a lack of financial ability to pay the rent and charges, or fraud in your application. The park must decide in writing within 15 business days after it has your complete information.
Can a real estate agent sell a mobile home?
Yes, if the home is registered with HCD. A licensed broker may sell registered manufactured homes and mobilehomes, but needs a dealer license to keep a lot showing two or more homes.
Can the park make me remove my home when I sell it?
Generally no. The exceptions cover homes that fail health and safety or construction standards on inspection, depending on age and width, and homes in significantly deteriorated condition, which management must prove and describe in writing.
Are there 55+ mobile home parks in Sonoma County?
Yes. In Petaluma, five parks are in the city’s Senior Mobile Home Park Overlay. Elsewhere, a park can enforce an age rule only if it meets the federal requirements for housing for older persons, including the 80% occupancy test.
Do mobile homes pay property tax in California?
Many do. Homes first sold new on or after July 1, 1980, and older homes whose owners asked to switch, fall under the local property tax rules for manufactured homes. Check the tax status of a specific home before you buy.
If you are buying or selling a mobile or manufactured home in a Sonoma County park, contact us and we will start with the park’s rental agreement and rules, then the home.
Sources & notes
- City of Santa Rosa: Mobilehome parks and rent control
- City of Santa Rosa Code: Chapter 6-66, Rent Control—Mobilehomes (eCode360)
- City of Rohnert Park: Mobile Home Rent Appeals Board FAQs
- GoCodebook: Rohnert Park Rent Appeals Board Resolution 2025-02, 2026 annual general adjustment (copy of the city resolution)
- City of Cotati Municipal Code: Chapter 19.14, Mobilehome Park Space Rent Stabilization (eCode360)
- City of Sebastopol Municipal Code: Section 9.28.030, definitions
- City of Sebastopol Municipal Code: Section 9.28.050, rent increase limitations
- City of Sebastopol Municipal Code: Section 9.28.230, vacancy control and new base rent
- California Health and Safety Code section 18046 (California Public Law)
- City of Petaluma: Mobile home rent program
- Petaluma Municipal Code: Section 6.50.040, space rent increases
- Petaluma Zoning Ordinance: Section 5.060, Senior Mobile Home Park Overlay
- County of Sonoma Community Development Commission: Mobilehome rent stabilization
- California Department of Housing and Community Development: Registration and titling
- California Civil Code section 798.70 (California Public Law)
- California Civil Code section 798.71 (California Public Law)
- California Civil Code section 798.73 (California Public Law)
- California Civil Code section 798.74 (California Public Law)
- California Civil Code section 798.75 (California Public Law)
- California Civil Code section 798.76 (California Public Law)
- California Civil Code section 51.3 (California Public Law)
- California Civil Code section 1102.6d (California Public Law)
- California Business and Professions Code section 10131.6 (California Public Law)
- California Revenue and Taxation Code section 5801 (California Public Law)
- 42 U.S.C. 3607, housing for older persons (Cornell LII)
- 24 CFR 100.307, verification of occupancy (eCFR)
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Manufactured Home Loan Program (Title I)
Rent allowances change each year; figures here carry their dates. Rohnert Park’s official pages blocked automated access, so its 2026 figure comes from a published copy of the board’s resolution; confirm it with the city. We could not open Windsor’s ordinance for this page.
Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
