Brunswick mobile home park residents say rents are making a previously affordable housing option untenable, and have the town considering new rules to bring rents in check.

The Brunswick Town Council held a workshop Thursday night to explore a possible rent stabilization ordinance, which could curb park owners’ ability to raise rents at will.

“Citizens are being abused by owners of trailer parks in our community, and we’re not alone in this. This is something that is happening state and nationwide,” said Councilor David Watson, who sponsored Thursday’s workshop. “… We’re talking about people living in mobile homes that do not necessarily have a great amount of resources; we’re talking about people who are elderly, on limited incomes who are being abused by the raising of lot rents.”

Residents from Bay Bridge Estates — one of Brunswick’s six mobile home parks and the largest park in the state — presented Thursday about rising rents and the necessity for mobile homes as unsubsidized affordable housing options.

Mobile homes are unique properties because owners have a responsibility to pay their lot rent in addition to their mortgage, utilities and upkeep. Moving a mobile home can easily cost $8,000, leaving residents stuck if a landlord decides to raise lot rent. Many residents said during Thursday’s meeting that amenities are dated and insufficient in Brunswick’s parks, but rent keeps going up.

Bay Bridge resident Lorri Centineo told the council that new tenants in her community are paying $800 to $865 a month for their lots. Tenants who paid around $350 a month in 2018 are now paying roughly $600 in rent, she said.

Lawmakers also are considering statewide changes to protect mobile home owners. Rep. Cheryl Golek, D-Harpswell, said during the meeting that LD 1723 would require a 90-day notification for rent increases and allow for mediation, and LD 1765 would prohibit owners from increasing rent more than once in a 12-month period and limit the rate at which rents could increase.

“I’m hoping, together, between the state and towns, that we can do something,” Golek said. “I’m sad that we have to do something. I’m sad that these predatory practices have been able to take over.”

Residents at Linnhaven Mobile Home Center in Brunswick purchased their park in October 2024 to prevent the park from being sold to an out-of-state buyer, joining a growing number of resident-owned cooperative communities in Maine. Rent stabilization in Brunswick, if enacted, wouldn’t apply to resident-owned parks.

Bay Bridge is owned by Legacy Communities, which is based in Arizona. Andrew Fells, Legacy Communities president, said during the meeting that the park has faced increased costs in recent years, and has made investments in the sewer system and connecting to the town water system to address longstanding water supply issues.

“We do truly want to ensure that our residents can remain within our community,” Fells said. “Yes, we’ve had some significant increasing costs, as most Americans have, which have driven up the costs of our rental rates.”

The council voted in an informal straw poll at the end of Thursday’s meeting to gather more information on the issue of rent stabilization for mobile homes.