RADIO IOWA NEWS – Restricting mobile home park rent increases and requiring good cause to evict tenants are just some of the provisions in a bill that’s emerged at the statehouse. Republicans and Democrats crafted the bill after an out-of-state company bought some Iowa mobile home parks and is phasing in steep rent increases.

The Iowa Manufactured Housing Association is one opposed to the bill. The association’s Jodie McDougal said park owners need to be able to pay for maintenance.

“These guys are in the business to maintain the source of housing and our fear is the restrictions and regulations are going to make that much more difficult,” she told lawmakers during a hearing on Monday.

But Nathan Blake with the Iowa Attorney General’s office said the bill is needed to protect mobile home residents from bad actors and it would at least put their rights on par with other renters.

“Ultimately this bill provides more balance in a space that’s been tilted unnecessarily toward landlords for too long,” Blake said.

The bill must clear a full committee in the legislature by the end of this week to remain eligible for debate.

(By Iowa Public Radio’s Katarina Sostaric)