How do I find a mobile home park for sale in Canada?

A mobile home park, sometimes called a manufactured home community or trailer park, earns its income mainly from lot rent paid by residents who stay long term. That makes it different from a campground, and it changes how you search. Parks change hands quietly, and many owners have held theirs for decades. Expect your search to take patience, a clear idea of what you want, and several channels used together.

Listing sites and brokers

Start with business-for-sale listing sites and brokers who work with land and income properties. Search under several names, since owners and agents use mobile home park, manufactured home community, trailer park and land-lease community interchangeably. Set up alerts, and ask brokers to tell you when something fits before it is advertised widely. A short buyer profile with your experience and your financing plans helps a broker take your call.

Approaching owners directly

Many parks never reach a listing. You can write to owners of parks that suit your criteria, or ask accountants, lawyers and lenders who work with property owners to pass on your interest. Keep the first message short and discreet. Residents can be unsettled by talk of a sale, so do not raise it with anyone on site, and never turn up at a park to ask about ownership.

What a listing usually discloses

• The number of lots, and how many are occupied or vacant.
• Whether the homes belong to residents or to the park, since park-owned homes add rental and maintenance duties.
• Whether water and sewer come from a municipal connection or from systems the park owns and maintains.
• Roads, lighting and any amenities the park maintains.

First questions to ask

Ask for the rent roll, a site plan and the reason for sale. Ask how long residents typically stay and what capital work is outstanding. Then ask who has looked after the water, sewer and roads, and request their records. Before you get far, verify the seller’s financials with your accountant, and compare the park with the revenue model of a campground.