Renters beware: a shocking $258 monthly increase has blindsided residents of a Florida mobile home community, sparking a battle over affordability and property rights.
According to The Sun, US, in June, a group of residents at Portside at the Beaches, near Jacksonville Beach, Florida, faced rent hikes of up to 30%, prompting a fierce pushback led by tenant Dylan Olson.
Portside at the Beaches, owned by RHP Properties—the largest private operator of manufactured home communities in the U.S.—cited “prevailing market rent” as the justification for the spike. The notice claimed the new rates were set by the community owner. This left many tenants, already stretched thin, reeling from the sudden financial burden.
Dylan Olson, one of the affected renters, was stunned by the scale of the increase. “I knew that it was gonna go up a little bit, but I was definitely not expecting a $258 [monthly] increase,” he said.
Instead of packing up, Olson and his neighbors chose to fight. Mobile home parks like Portside are often seen as affordable housing options, where residents own their homes but not the land beneath them. This structure leaves them vulnerable to lot rent surges with little recourse.
Olson took action by organizing his community against the hike. He printed over 500 flyers and distributed them to affected neighbors, rallying support for a meeting. “I handed out over 500 flyers and scheduled a meeting with the community,” he explained.
Under a lesser-known Florida state law, Olson discovered a potential lifeline. He learned that gathering around 300 signatures by late July could trigger a petition to challenge the rent increase through mediation with RHP Properties. “Once we have the petition filled out, we get assigned a mediator and they will arrange a meeting with the owner of the community,” Olson said. This step could force the landlord to justify the hike.
“They’ll have to sit down and give us the reasons why the rent is going up when none of the conditions in the park have changed,” he added. Olson’s frustration is palpable, especially given RHP’s scale. “It just seems like they’re taking from people that can’t afford it,” he noted.
Mobile home residents across the U.S. face unique vulnerabilities under landlord-tenant laws. Evictions can be swift—Florida landlords can file court cases in as few as five days if rent goes unpaid, even by just a few hundred dollars.
According to Princeton’s Eviction Lab, eviction filings in Florida spike by 40% in the months following a mobile home park sale. “Speed is really a critical element here,” said Jacob Haas, a senior research specialist at the Eviction Lab. The rapid pace of these proceedings contrasts sharply with the months-long foreclosure processes for traditional homeowners.
Adding to the pressure, mobile home parks are increasingly targeted by real estate investors for redevelopment. The land’s value often outstrips lot rent revenue, leading to park sales that displace long-term residents. Such moves inflict significant financial and emotional tolls on communities.
Tenants in the U.S. do have rights, though they vary by state. These include access to heat, running water, locks, smoke detectors, and safe common areas. If landlords fail to maintain these standards, renters can document issues, notify owners in writing, or even pursue mediation or legal action.
For those facing rent hikes or eviction risks, practical steps can make a difference. Review your lease, understand local laws, and consider community organizing—much like Olson’s efforts. Knowledge is power: knowing your rights can be the first step to pushing back against unfair increases.
Ultimately, stories like this highlight the fragility of affordable housing in a free-market system. While property owners have the right to adjust rents, the lack of robust protections for mobile home residents raises questions about fairness and economic liberty. For renters, staying informed and united may be the best defense against corporate overreach.