Rhode Island § 31-44-2 - Mobile and Manufactured Homes

§ 31-44-2. Evictions — Termination of tenancy.

(a) A tenancy may be terminated by a park owner or operator pursuant to chapter 18 of title 34, provided, that jurisdiction as it relates to this chapter shall be in the district court but subject to one or more of the following reasons and limitations which shall take precedence over any conflicting state statute or local ordinance:

(1) Nonpayment of rent, utility charges, or reasonable incidental service charges. No action for possession shall be maintained if prior to the expiration of a notice to quit the tenant shall pay or tender all arrearages due, including a late charge of five percent (5%) of the monthly rent due after a seven (7) day grace period for the rental payment has elapsed.

(2) Failure of the tenant to comply with local ordinances or state or federal law or regulations relating to mobile and manufactured homes or mobile and manufactured home parks. The tenant is first given written notice of his or her failure to comply with the laws or regulations and a reasonable opportunity thereafter to comply with the laws or regulations.

(3) Damage by the tenant to the demised property, reasonable wear and tear excepted.

(4) Repeated conduct of the tenant, upon the mobile and manufactured home park premises, which disturbs the peace and quiet of other tenants in the mobile and manufactured home park.

(5) Failure of the tenant to comply with reasonable written rules and regulations of the mobile and manufactured home park as established by the park owner or operator in the rental agreement at the inception of the tenancy or as amended subsequently with the written acknowledgement that the tenant has seen the amended rules, or without his or her consent upon three (3) months written notice; provided that the tenant is first given written notice of his or her failure to comply and a reasonable opportunity thereafter to comply with the rules and regulations. Nothing in this section, however, shall be construed to permit a park owner or operator to vary the terms of a written or oral rental agreement without notification to the tenant.

(6) Condemnation or change of use of the mobile and manufactured home park.

(b) No tenancy, however created, in a mobile and manufactured home park may be terminated by a mobile and manufactured home park owner or operator except upon giving notice in writing to the tenant in the manner prescribed in this chapter to remove from the premises within a period of not less than sixty (60) days; provided that upon grounds of nonpayment of rent, a tenancy may be terminated upon giving thirty (30) days notice.