Manufactured home repairs and maintenance
Last updated on December 11, 2023Landlords and tenants are both responsible for repairs and maintenance in manufactured home park sites. Generally, tenants are responsible for repairs to their manufactured home and landlords are responsible for repairs to the park site.
On this page:
- Requesting repairs
- Emergency repairs
- Tenant rights and responsibilities
- Landlord role and responsibilities
- Resources
- I need help
Requesting repairs
Communication between landlord and tenants is important when requesting repairs. When repairs are needed, tenants should:
- Identify the issue with clear photos and notes
- Contact the landlord with a written request explaining the issue's urgency and impact
- Request an expected timeline for the repair
- Keep records and maintain a record of all communication
- Follow-up on repairs with the landlord
- If needed, tenants can seek dispute resolution if the landlord ignores their repair request
Emergency repairs
Repairs are considered emergencies if they are urgent and necessary for health, safety and use of the property. For example:
- Major leaks in pipes
- Damaged water or sewer pipes
- The electrical system
Not all repairs are emergency repairs. For example, the following repairs do not qualify:
- Road potholes
- Broken laundry machines
Handling emergency repairs
The landlord must provide an emergency contact the tenant can call when emergency repairs are needed.
Tenants must make an attempt to reach the emergency contact at least twice with a reasonable response time. Tenants should keep records of their attempts, as they can be useful during dispute resolution.
If the emergency contact does not respond, tenants can arrange for repairs on their own at a reasonable cost. Landlords may take over the repairs at any time.
Reimbursing tenants for emergency repairs
Landlords must compensate tenants for emergency repairs that the tenant did not cause and if the tenant:
- Attempted to contact the emergency contact at least twice
- Allowed a reasonable time for the contact to respond
- Provided the landlord with a written account of the repairs with receipts and the requested reimbursement
If a landlord does not reimburse the tenant after receiving the written account, the tenant can deduct emergency repairs costs from the rent.
Disputes over repair costs
If a tenant deducts the repair costs from the rent and the landlord believes the repair costs were too high or unnecessary, the landlord can:
- Apply for dispute resolution
- Serve a 10-day notice to end tenancy for unpaid rent
Tenants can dispute these notices through the Residential Tenancy Branch. However, a decision in favor of the landlord may require the tenant to pay a specific amount within a set timeframe.
Non-payment can lead to enforcement through small claims court or a One-Month Notice to End Tenancy for non-compliance with an order.
Tenant rights and responsibilities
Repairing damages
Tenants are responsible for repairing any damage caused by themselves, their pets, or guests, even if it is accidental.
Maintaining cleanliness
Tenants should maintain their site to meet health and cleanliness standards.
Improvement repairs
Tenants must maintain or repair improvements they made to their site unless the landlord is obligated to do so per the tenancy agreement.
Reporting repairs
Tenants should promptly notify the landlord if significant repairs are needed to services or facilities provided by the landlord.
Landlord role and responsibilities
Maintaining the park
Landlords must keep the manufactured home park in reasonable repair, complying with health, safety, and housing standards, as well as local by-laws.
Overseeing repairs
Landlords are responsible for overseeing repairs for any issues that arise.
Site suitability
Landlords must ensure that the site is suitable for occupancy.
Emergency contact info
Landlords need to post emergency contact information visibly in the park or provide it to tenants in writing.