Consumer Law at Your Fingertips

Manufactured Housing

Manufactured Home Parks Utility Service

The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Service (DSPS) regulates water and sewer service to manufactured home parks (“mobile home parks”). Under Wisconsin Statutes section 101.937 (created by 2001 Wisconsin Act 16):

• DSPS must adopt rules for water and sewer service in mobile home parks. The rules must include requirements for metering, billing, deposits, deferred payments, service installation, refusal of service, service discontinuation, and dispute resolution. The rules must ensure that water and sewer service is reasonably adequate, and that charges are not unreasonable or unjustly discriminatory.
   
• A park operator may recover capital costs related to water and sewer systems, as part of the water and sewage charges assessed to tenants.
  
  
• DSPS may order a park operator to comply.
  
  
• The DSPS, the Department of Justice (DOJ) or a district attorney may initiate an enforcement action in circuit court against a park operator who violates a department rule or order.
  
  
  • Violations may result in civil forfeitures of up to $5,000 per violation.
  • Intentional violators may be fined up to $5,000, or sentenced to up to a year in jail, or both.