Florida's once-affordable mobile home parks now charge up to $1,000/month in fees — but these residents have found a way to take control

“Our maintenance fee does not go up,” Hurt told News 6. “They manage to get income from different sources in the park, which allows us to pay the $125.” Those sources include dock rentals and boat trailer parking, thanks to the park’s location along Lake Griffin.

The secret? Cooperative ownership.

Resident-owned communities offer more control — and lower costs

Harbor Oaks became a resident-owned cooperative in 1996. That means residents collectively own and manage the park through a board of directors, rather than paying rent to a corporate landlord looking to make a profit.

“Resident-owned means that you control the park,” said fellow Harbor Oaks resident Geno Moser. “No corporation comes and just takes over and runs you in the ground.”

Even non-shareholders living in Harbor Oaks pay less than residents of corporate-owned parks. Paul Nowak, president of the homeowners association, told News 6 that renters pay around $400 a month, which includes the $125 maintenance fee.

It's a major difference from the rising trend in corporate ownership of mobile home parks across Florida, where many residents report that monthly lot fees have increased sharply. According to a News 6 investigation, there are now more than 700 resident-owned parks across the state, giving residents more options.

In Florida, mobile home communities generally fall into one of three categories:

• Full-rental parks, where a company owns both the home and the land and residents are tenants.
• Land-lease parks, where residents own their homes but rent their land. This can create challenges if the house is old and unable to be moved when the rent increases.
• Resident-owned cooperatives where homeowners collectively buy and manage the park.

While all models have their pros and cons, many residents and experts say cooperatives offer more control, better stability and lower costs.

“They’re not here to make money,” said Betsy Barbieux of Florida CAM Schools LLC, which trains managers of homeowners associations. “They’re here to pay bills and so you have a more conservative approach to the budget.”