Old Orchard Beach voters overwhelmingly approved a mobile home rent stabilization ordinance Nov. 5. The vote was 3,989 in favor, or 71%, and 1,595 against, or 29%.

The voter-approved ordinance will ensure lot rents for mobile home park residents can only increase by 5% annually, except under special circumstances.

“We’re just elated about it,” Old Orchard Village resident Val Philbrook said. “We’re all very happy about it.”

Residents in Old Orchard Beach’s mobile home parks typically own their home and rent the lot the home sits on.

In February of this year, residents of Atlantic Village and Old Orchard Village learned that the longtime owner – Seagate Limited Partnership – was selling the properties to California-based company Follett USA.

In an effort to keep rent costs low, residents attempted to purchase the parks. When this effort failed, they began to explore the option of rent control.

Philbrook worked to advance a petition that would create the ordinance. In September, the petition finally gained enough signatures to go before the Town Council.

Follett USA, the owner of two Old Orchard Beach mobile home parks, lobbied against the ballot question.

Last week, the company held a meeting in town to urge voters to reject the rent cap for financial reasons.

The company said passage of the referendum would “drastically raise the cost of affordable housing in Old Orchard Beach.”

In an advertisement last week, Follett USA said the citizen petition was unknown to them before the sale of the parks. But Philbrook denies this claim.

“They knew about it before the sale,” Philbrook said. “I find that these people just lie through their teeth.”

The issue now, she said, will be dealing with Follett USA as the new owners of both parks.

Follett USA did not respond to the Courier’s request for comment.