(c) Prospective leaseholders shall be furnished with a copy of the proposed lease prior
to any agreement to use or occupy a mobile home lot, and upon acceptance of the lease
terms the lease shall be signed by the lessor and lessee. Any provision in a lease
governing rental and utility charges shall be effective for a minimum of one year,
except in the case of a new leaseholder in a mobile home park in which there is a
uniform rent schedule that affects all lots in that park simultaneously. The initial
lease for a new leaseholder may include the anticipated increase in the rent and utility
charge at the time it occurs for the other lots. A mobile home park owner shall provide
leaseholders with a minimum of 60 days’ notice prior to any rent increase. Rent increase
notices shall not be given within six months prior to the issuance of a closure notice
or at any time during which the closure notice is in effect. All rent increases received
by the park owner during the six months prior to the issuance of a closure notice
shall be returned to the affected leaseholders within seven days of issuance of the
closure notice, except when the Commissioner determines the rent increase is needed
to help remedy an emergency situation that affects the resident’s health, safety,
or welfare. This subsection shall not apply to proprietary leases in mobile home parks
owned by limited equity housing cooperatives established under 11 V.S.A. chapter 14.
The rental and utility charge may be increased during a year if the operating expenses
of the park increase 20 percent or more during that year as the result of legislative
action taken during that year and the increase could not have been anticipated. The
rental and utility charge may be increased during a year only to the extent necessary
to cover the increase in operating expenses of the park.