The short version
- A home on a rented park lot is personal property with a Florida title for each section. A home attached to land you own can be taxed as real property, and once its title is retired it sells only with the land (Fla. Stat. 319.261).
- In a park with 10 or more lots, the park may screen your buyer, but approval may not be unreasonably withheld, and the park cannot make the home move just because it was sold (Fla. Stat. 723.058 and 723.059).
- Homes built on or after June 15, 1976 are HUD-code manufactured homes with a red HUD label on each section and a data plate inside. FHA will not insure loans on homes built before that date.
- A substantial damage determination stays with the home after a sale. Pinellas and Pasco use 49% of the home's pre-storm value (land not counted); Hillsborough and Tampa use 50%.
Does it matter if my mobile home is on my own land or in a park?
Yes. A home on a rented lot is personal property with a vehicle-style title from the state, while a home permanently attached to land you own can be assessed as real property and, if its title was retired, is sold with the land by deed.
| Setup | How the home is recorded | How it is sold |
|---|---|---|
| Home on a rented lot in a park | A Florida title for each section, plus a yearly mobile home decal | You sign over the title and give a bill of sale. The buyer needs the park's approval to stay. |
| Home on land you own, title still active | Taxed as real property with a permanent RP decal; title never retired | The land goes by deed. The home still has a title, so ask your title company how it will transfer. |
| Home on land you own, title retired | Legally part of the land under Fla. Stat. 319.261 | Sold only with the land, by deed. Any loan on it is a mortgage on the land. |
What the RP decal means. A mobile home counts as real property when the same person owns the home and the land, and the home is tied down and hooked up to utilities. The property appraiser approves it first (Hillsborough uses Form DR-402), then the tax collector issues a permanent RP decal that does not need yearly renewal (FLHSMV procedure RS-10; Hillsborough County Tax Collector). The home is then taxed on your yearly property tax bill. A regular mobile home decal, by contrast, expires every December 31 (Pasco County Tax Collector).
Retiring the title is a separate, voluntary step. The owner records the original title, any lien release, the land's legal description and a sworn statement with the county clerk, then files FLHSMV form HSMV 82109 through the tax collector. An RP decal must be issued first, and there is no fee to retire the title. A recorded lease of 30 years or more counts as owning the land for this rule (Fla. Stat. 319.261; FLHSMV procedure TL-39).
What paperwork do I need to sell a mobile home in Florida?
Start with the Florida title for every section of the home and a lien release if a lender is shown on it. Add the park's buyer approval for a park home, or the deed and any recorded title papers for a home on your own land.
- Title for each section. Each section has its own title, so a double-wide has two (Pinellas County Tax Collector FAQ). If one is lost, apply for a duplicate at your county tax collector before you sell.
- Lien release. If the title lists a lender, you need a lien satisfaction, or the loan is paid off from the sale.
- Bill of sale. FLHSMV form HSMV 82050 is a notice of sale and bill of sale that covers mobile homes. The buyer then applies for a new title on form HSMV 82040 MH at the tax collector.
- Decal. A regular mobile home decal does not move to the new owner. A black RP decal does transfer with the home (Pinellas County Tax Collector FAQ).
- HUD label and data plate (homes built on or after June 15, 1976). The red label is on the outside of each section; the data plate is usually inside a kitchen cabinet, near the electrical panel or in a bedroom closet. HUD does not reissue lost labels but may verify them by letter through its contractor, IBTS (HUD).
- Park papers. Your lot rental agreement, the park's prospectus and rules, and the buyer's application.
- Land papers. The deed and, if the title was retired, the recorded documents. A sale of residential real property also needs Florida's seller flood disclosure form (Fla. Stat. 689.302).
Want to know what we would pay?
Tell us about the house. Matan reviews it himself and calls you back.
Can the mobile home park stop me from selling or turn down my buyer?
The park cannot stop the sale, but it can screen your buyer. In a park with 10 or more lots, the Florida Mobile Home Act lets the park approve a buyer who wants to stay as a tenant, and that approval may not be unreasonably withheld.
Chapter 723 of the Florida Statutes, the Florida Mobile Home Act, covers parks that offer 10 or more lots for rent. Smaller parks fall under the regular landlord and tenant law (Fla. Stat. 723.002). Under the Act:
- The park cannot make or enforce a rule that stops you from selling, bans a for-sale sign (it may set reasonable rules on size and placement), or requires the home to be moved just because it was sold (Fla. Stat. 723.058).
- The park cannot take a commission on your sale unless it acted as your agent under a written contract, and you cannot be required to sign a resale agreement with the park.
- A buyer who wants to live in the park must meet the park's properly adopted entry rules, and the park may screen buyers. If the park has not approved the buyer 5 days before closing, the buyer may cancel the contract (Fla. Stat. 723.059).
- The buyer may take over the rest of your lot rental agreement and prospectus. When that agreement ends, the park may raise the rent if it disclosed the increase before the buyer moved in.
Does it matter if my home was built before 1976?
Yes. A home built on or after June 15, 1976 is a manufactured home built to HUD's federal code; an older mobile home is not, and FHA will not insure a loan on it.
Florida law calls them all mobile homes, but defines a manufactured home as one built on or after June 15, 1976 with a seal showing it meets the federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (Fla. Stat. 320.01). Homes built after that date carry the red HUD label on each section. The data plate inside shows the wind, thermal and roof load zones the home was built for, and HUD says a home should never be placed in a more restrictive zone than that (HUD).
Financing follows the same lines. FHA rejects manufactured homes built before June 15, 1976 and requires the HUD label on each section (HUD reference guide). Fannie Mae requires both the home and the land to be classified as real property, and homes on leased land are generally ineligible unless they sit in an approved condo or planned unit development project (Fannie Mae Selling Guide B5-2-02). So a buyer of a park home or a pre-1976 home usually needs a different kind of loan, or cash.
Insurance is the other hurdle. A buyer who borrows needs coverage the lender accepts, and older, damaged and flood-zone homes can be hard or costly to insure. A licensed Florida insurance agent can tell you what is available before you set a price.
Can I sell a mobile home with storm damage or a substantial damage letter?
Yes, but the determination stays with the home. In a flood zone, if repairs would cost 49% (Pinellas and Pasco) or 50% (Hillsborough and Tampa) of the home's pre-storm value or more, the whole home must meet current flood rules, whoever owns it.
After Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, Pinellas County sent substantial damage letters to many mobile home owners in flood zones. The county lists four ways to comply: elevate and repair the home, replace it with an elevated home, move it out of the flood hazard area, or remove it. As of October 2026, its FAQ gives owners with Helene or Milton letters until Dec. 31, 2026 to comply with local codes (Pinellas County FAQ). Cities such as St. Petersburg make their own determinations.
A sale does not reset anything. FEMA's guidance says a change of ownership "does not have any bearing" on a substantial damage determination (FEMA P-758). A buyer inherits the same choices you face and will price them into any offer. For houses and homes with flood damage, see selling a flood or hurricane damaged home.
If you think the letter is wrong, Pinellas has a reassessment process just for mobile and manufactured homes. It asks for an itemized repair estimate, before and after photos, a registration showing the year and VIN, and a value document such as a pre-storm appraisal or a free value reconsideration from the Property Appraiser (Pinellas County). Ask the county whether a request is still possible for your letter. Pasco owners may also request a re-assessment (Pasco County). Our FEMA 50% rule guide covers the appeal routes in more depth.
What are my options for selling a mobile home?
You can sell to the park if it buys homes, list with an agent who handles manufactured homes, sell it yourself, sell to a cash buyer, move it, or scrap it. The right choice depends on the home's age, condition, location and your timeline.
| Option | Who it suits | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Sell to the park or community | Owners whose park buys homes or runs a resale program | A resale agreement with the park is optional, and Florida law limits how long one can last (Fla. Stat. 723.058). Compare its price with other offers. |
| List with an agent who handles manufactured homes | Newer HUD-code homes in good shape, especially on owned land where buyers can get a mortgage | Commission and time on the market. The buyer still needs a loan, insurance and park approval. |
| Sell it yourself | Owners with a buyer lined up, such as a neighbor or relative | You handle the title, bill of sale and park approval. Confirm payment has cleared before you sign over the title. |
| Sell to a cash buyer | Older, damaged or pre-1976 homes, or owners who need a set closing date | Offers are usually below what a fully repaired home would bring. Ask whether the buyer closes in its own name (why that matters). |
| Move the home | Owners keeping the home who have a site ready to receive it | Needs a state-licensed installer (Fla. Stat. 320.8249), permits at the new site and a home rated for that site's wind zone. Get written quotes first. |
| Scrap or demolish | Homes that cannot be repaired, often on land you own | Needs a demolition permit, and the title must be surrendered to FLHSMV when a home is dismantled or destroyed (Fla. Stat. 319.30). In a park, check your lease on removal and lot rent. |
A newer home on owned land in good condition may bring more listed with an agent. An older or damaged park home may have few buyers who can borrow. To compare what you would keep, see cash offer vs. listing.
Where do I go in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco?
Your county tax collector handles mobile home titles and decals, the property appraiser decides real property (RP) status, and the county or city building department handles flood zones, damage letters and permits.
| County | Titles and decals | RP status and value | Flood zone and damage letters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinellas | Pinellas County Tax Collector: titles, decals and RP decals | Pinellas County Property Appraiser: RP application and pre-storm value reconsideration | County flood maps; 49% in unincorporated areas; cities decide their own letters |
| Hillsborough | Hillsborough County Tax Collector: titles, decals and RP decals | Form DR-402, approved by the Property Appraiser first | 50% in the county and the City of Tampa; find your zone at FEMA's Flood Map Service Center |
| Pasco | Pasco County Tax Collector: homes must stay titled and registered even when empty | The Pasco County Property Appraiser issues the RP application first | 49%; letters on the county's property portal (Pasco County) |
How does Tao Home Buyers handle mobile and manufactured homes?
We buy mobile and manufactured homes as-is in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco, whether the home sits on land you own or on a rented lot in a park.
We are the end buyer. Tao Builders LLC buys in its own name and closes at a licensed title company; we do not assign or wholesale contracts. Earnest money goes to the title company the same day you sign, or the next business morning if you sign after hours, and our proof of funds is a letter from our lender. When the title is clear we can close in as few as 10 days, and you pick the closing date. In a park, the park's buyer approval applies to us like any other buyer.
Our cash offer will usually be below what the home would sell for fully repaired on the open market. Matan, the owner, has bought houses around Tampa Bay for 4 years and has personally bought more than 50. He is a licensed Florida real estate sales associate with Jay Alan Real Estate, buying for his own company as a principal, not as anyone's agent.
Sources
Official sources we checked for this page. Rules change, so confirm anything important with the source or a Florida attorney.
- Fla. Stat. 319.261, retiring a mobile home title (Florida Legislature)
- Fla. Stat. 320.01, definitions of mobile home and manufactured home (Florida Legislature)
- Fla. Stat. 723.058, selling a mobile home in a park (Florida Legislature)
- Fla. Stat. 723.059, purchaser of a mobile home in a park (Florida Legislature)
- FLHSMV procedure TL-39, retiring or reinstating a mobile home title
- FLHSMV procedure RS-10, mobile home registrations and RP decals
- HUD, manufactured home labels and data plates
- HUD Homeownership Center reference guide (archived), manufactured home age requirements
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B5-2-02, manufactured housing loan eligibility
- Pinellas County, mobile and manufactured home substantial damage instructions
- Pinellas County, substantial damage FAQs
- FEMA P-758, Substantial Improvement/Substantial Damage Desk Reference