This section defines key terms used in the chapter about manufactured home communities and mobile home parks.
Subject to additional definitions contained in subsequent sections of this chapter which apply to specific sections thereof, and unless the context otherwise requires, in this chapter: 1. “Building and housing codes” include any law, ordinance, or governmental regulation concerning fitness for habitation, or the construction, maintenance, operation, occupancy, use, or appearance of any manufactured home community or mobile home park, dwelling unit, or manufactured or mobile home space. 2. “Business” includes a corporation, government, governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, two or more persons having a joint or common interest, and any other legal or commercial entity which is a landlord, owner, manager, or constructive agent pursuant to section 562B.14. 3. “Dwelling unit” excludes real property used to accommodate a manufactured or mobile home. 4. “Landlord” means the owner, lessor, or sublessor of a manufactured home community or a mobile home park and it also means a manager of the manufactured home community or a mobile home park who fails to disclose as required by section 562B.14. 5. “Manufactured home community” means the same as land-leased community defined in sections 335.30A and 414.28A. 6. “Mobile home” means any vehicle without motive power used or so manufactured or constructed as to permit its being used as a conveyance upon the public streets and highways and so designed, constructed, or reconstructed as will permit the vehicle to be used as a place for human habitation by one or more persons; but shall also include any such vehicle with motive power not registered as a motor vehicle in Iowa. References in this chapter to “mobile home” include “manufactured homes” and “modular homes” as those terms are defined in section 435.1, if the manufactured homes or modular homes are located in a manufactured home community or a mobile home park. 7. “Mobile home park” shall mean any site, lot, field or tract of land upon which three or more mobile homes, manufactured homes, or modular homes or a combination of any of these homes are placed on developed spaces and operated as a for-profit enterprise with water, sewer or septic, and electrical services available. 8. “Mobile home space” means a parcel of land for rent which has been designed to accommodate a mobile home and provide the required sewer and utility connections. 9. “Owner” means one or more persons, jointly or severally, in whom is vested all or part of the legal title to property or all or part of the beneficial ownership and a right to present use and enjoyment of the manufactured home community or the mobile home park. The term includes a mortgagee in possession. 10. “Rent” means a payment to be made to the landlord under the rental agreement, including base rent, utilities, late fees, and other payments made by the tenant to the landlord under the rental agreement. 11. “Rental agreement” means agreements, written or those implied by law, and valid rules and regulations adopted under section 562B.19 embodying the terms and conditions concerning the use and occupancy of a mobile home space. 12. “Rental deposit” means a deposit of money to secure performance of a mobile home space rental agreement under this chapter other than a deposit which is exclusively in advance payment of rent. 13. “Tenant” means a person entitled under a rental agreement to occupy a mobile home space to the exclusion of others. [C79, 81, §562B.7] 94 Acts, ch 1110, §23; 97 Acts, ch 121, §32; 2001 Acts, ch 153, §13; 2022 Acts, ch 1070, §3, 6, 7 Referred to in §331.301, 364.3 2022 amendment to subsection 10 applies to rent increases first noticed under chapter 562B occurring on or after May 17, 2022; 2022 Acts, ch 1070, §7