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SB 5298

Concerning the notice of sale or lease of manufactured/mobile home communities.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jess Bateman and 8 co-sponsors

Revises notice rules for selling/ leasing manufactured home parks: repeals old sale notice, expands tenant purchase notices, and requires good‑faith, info sharing with new recipien

Effective date 7/27/2025.
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 5298

SB 5298 — Summary (Chapter 205, 2025 Laws)

Effective date: July 27, 2025 (90 days after adjournment)

Purpose

SB 5298 revises the statutory notice regime that applies when an owner intends to sell or lease a manufactured/mobile home community (MHC). The bill (1) repeals the separate statutory "notice of sale" requirement, (2) clarifies and expands the required “notice of opportunity to compete to purchase,” and (3) strengthens procedural and information‑sharing duties during the tenant purchase process.

Key provisions and changes

  • Repeal

    • Repeals RCW 59.20.300, the prior statutory requirement that an owner provide a written notice of sale to tenants and certain entities.

  • Notice of opportunity to compete to purchase (amends RCW 59.20.325)

    • Owners must give a written notice that tenants have an opportunity to compete to purchase the MHC before marketing the property or when the owner receives a purchase offer the owner intends to consider.
    • Required recipients (in addition to tenants and any known qualified tenant organization (QTO)):
    • Department of Commerce;
    • The local government in whose jurisdiction the MHC lies;
    • Any local housing authority with jurisdiction; and
    • Washington State Housing Finance Commission (WSHFC).
    • Service method:
    • Notice to tenants must be served per statutory service rules (personal service or, if tenant absent, affix conspicuously to the home and also mail a copy).
    • Electronic delivery is acceptable for Commerce, the local government, housing authorities, and WSHFC, and for other non-tenant recipients in some cases.
    • Notice content:
    • Date served, statement of owner’s intent to sell, statement that tenants (through a QTO or eligible organization) have the opportunity to compete, and instructions that tenants must form/identify a single QTO and notify owner in writing within 70 days.
    • Information about purchasing help is available from Commerce.
    • Information and timing:
    • Tenant representatives can request park operating expenses during a 20‑day information period after notifying the owner of tenant interest.
    • Notices to Commerce must include one copy of the tenant notice (and, in some versions during amendment, a tenant list or tenant contact information was discussed; committee amendments removed or limited that requirement—see procedural note below).
    • Notices to local government/housing authority/WSHFC must be sent within 10 days of tenant/QTO notices.

  • Good faith, negotiation, and remedies (amends RCW 59.20.335)

    • Parties must act in good faith and commercially reasonably; owner must allow tenants to develop and have reasonable consideration of offers and must provide tenants similar access to information a commercial buyer would receive (operating expenses, rent rolls), with confidentiality obligations.
    • Owners may continue to negotiate with other buyers subject to tenants’ statutory rights.
    • Minor procedural errors generally do not invalidate a sale or impose penalties.
    • If owner substantially fails to comply in a way that prevents tenant competition, tenants may seek injunctive relief and limited damages.

Who is affected

  • Tenants of manufactured/mobile home communities (particularly those who may form QTOs to purchase their park).
  • Owners/landlords of MHCs (new notice recipients and procedural duties).
  • Department of Commerce, local governments, housing authorities, and WSHFC (as recipients and participants in notice/oversight).
  • Prospective buyers (owners’ negotiating duties and disclosure obligations interact with market transactions).

Procedural/timeline notes

  • Tenants have 70 days from the owner’s notice to form/identify a single QTO and notify the owner.
  • Tenant representatives may request financial information during a 20‑day information period after notifying the owner.
  • Under provisions reported in committee and the House amendment, owners must provide Commerce with periodic status updates (e.g., every six months) while the property remains on the market; the bill as passed clarifies notice content and delivery requirements and preserves good‑faith negotiation duties.
  • No state appropriation required; fiscal note available.
  • Passed both chambers with strong bipartisan margins, delivered to and signed by the Governor (May 7, 2025).

If you want, I can extract the exact statutory text changes (RCW sections amended and repealed) or produce a plain‑language timeline of tenant and owner actions under the new law.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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