Residents in a Manufactured Home Park fought an illegal rent increase, learning about the law, and engaging the help of an NJP CLEAR attorney and the Washington Attorney General’s Office.
A key part of Northwest Justice Project is our CLEAR team — lawyers who connect with people over the phone to provide legal advice and brief legal services on matters of civil law, from housing to domestic violence. Every day, CLEAR attorneys help people prioritize legal needs, understand their rights, access the legal processes and forms they need, and arm them to take concrete steps toward stability and justice.
Below, residents* of a manufactured home community describe their fight against an illegal rent increase.
When residents in an Eastern Washington Manufactured Home Community (MHC) received notice from the property owners (May 2025) of a rent increase, the rent was $600/month, with utilities (water, sewer, storm drain) included. The property owner declared that beginning in August rent would increase to $750/month and residents would also be charged for utilities – monthly expenses would jump to about $835/month. Residents already paid their own electricity and garbage, adding another $70 to $100/month.
The park is mostly 1978 manufactured homes and attracts people on low fixed income, Social Security or modest retirement income. That huge jump could make it difficult and, in some cases, impossible for residents to continue living in their houses.
Residents Pursue Their Rights
A resident had read about the legislature considering a "rent cap" law that specified limits on rent increases for over-55 manufactured home parks, which the governor signed into law on May 7, 2025. The resident contacted the Chelan-Douglas County Volunteer Attorney Services (CDCVAS) (https://cdcvas.org/), asking "were the property owners violating the law?" Another resident contacted the Attorney General's Office with the same question.
An extremely experienced attorney volunteering with CDCVAS contacted residents and then attempted to contact the property owners about the possible violation. The property owner did not respond positively. The attorney suggested a resident call Northwest Justice Project (NJP).
After contacting Michaela, an NJP attorney, certain requested relevant documents were sent at the end of May and Michaela began determining through legal analysis if the property owners were in compliance with the new law.
The next month, the property owners of the over-55 MHC informed all residents that the rent increase would only be the 5% allowed by the law (from $600/month to $630/month), but they would still add utility charges.
In early July, Michaela notified residents that legal analysis showed the law would prevent the property owner from adding utilities because it would exceed the allowed 5% increase. Her analysis was forwarded to the Attorney General's office.
By early August, the Attorney General's office said they were sending a letter to the property owners stating they were in violation.
Residents continued to pay utilities for the next three months, but in November all residents received notice that utilities would no longer be included in the rent, and utility costs paid over the past three months were being subtracted from December rent.
All residents are grateful for the hard work of everyone involved, which allows people to keep their homes and continue paying constantly increasing costs for food and nearly every necessity.
Credit to the legislature, the governor, the Attorney General's office and all the attorneys and staff. Without organizations like the Northwest Justice Project, many low-income senior citizens' lives would have been upended at an age when they are least able to deal with such changes.
*Names withheld at residents’ request.