DOVER, Del. (AP) - The state Senate has narrowly approved a bill requiring mobile home park owners in Delaware to justify raising rents on homeowners beyond a certain level.
The Senate voted 11-to-9 for the bill Thursday.
Under the bill, which now goes to the House, a park owner wanting to raise lot rents more than the Consumer Price Index for urban consumers must seek approval of the Governor's Advisory Council on Manufactured Housing.
If the council finds that the park owner has demonstrated that the costs of improving, operating or maintaining the affected community have risen more than the CPI, the council would determine an appropriate increase in rent to defray the owner's increased costs.
Opponents argue that the bill amounts to government rent control and will result in fewer mobile home parks.
