OAKLAND — Town officials voted to place a 90-day moratorium on mobile home park lot rent increases effective immediately, following Waterville and other communities across the state where residents say they face “outrageous” price increases.

Four of the five councilors voted to sign the moratorium and to waive the customary second vote on the issue, with Councilor Su Leigh opposing on both votes.

The decision comes after several communities across Maine have placed moratoriums on lot rent increases before signing ordinances to stabilize rent. For some residents, an ordinance like this is their only hope of keeping their homes.

William Cochran, 76, said he and his partner were practically homeless when they bought their trailer and rebuilt it about 18 years ago. On a fixed income, Cochran said the rent increases he’s seen are more than he can keep up with.

“This year we barely survived,” Cochran said.

Cochran lives at Breens Mobile Home Park at 54 Fairfield St., where rent is $600 per lot, $215 higher than it was in November 2024.

“They say it’s going up another $100, and I ain’t got it,” Cochran said. “Somebody’s gotta do something.”

Cochran and Rhonda West, also a resident at Breens, are both on fixed incomes, and said they deal with frequent rodent and maintenance issues at the park, for which West often pays out of pocket. The standard Social Security monthly payment for an individual is $994, according to the Social Security Administration, almost two-thirds of which covers rent at Breens.

Caroline Clark, a community organizing fellow with the Maine People’s Alliance, said the moratorium is a huge victory, especially since Oakland had a “reluctant council,” and she’s hopeful for the future. Clark said there’s no point in passing a moratorium if the town has no intention of passing an ordinance. 

At the public hearing that preceded Wednesday’s vote, town residents voiced concerns about rent stabilization.Waterville Mayor Michael Morris and state Rep. Cassie Julia, D-Waterville, said a rent stabilization ordinance has been effective in neighboring Waterville.

Waterville approved an ordinance stabilizing lot rent in February, and Morris said he wanted to make it clear that lot rent stabilization is different from rent control on apartment buildings.

“These are very captive tenants,” Morris said. “If you own your home, and we’re talking about increases in lot rent that doesn’t match income, you can’t just pick up your home and move it.”

Kevin Violette, of L.N. Violette, manages real estate across central Maine, including mobile home lots. He said a rent stabilization ordinance would punish the “good guys” who keep rent at $400.

Waterville adopted language from L.D. 1765, an act to stabilize rent in mobile home lots, and Julia clarified that the law does not mandate lot rent stabilization or specific ordinances. Oakland’s moratorium only applies to lots with rent equaling or exceeding $450.

“I designed this, it was designed truly to help towns that have a problem and leave the towns alone that don’t,” Julia said in response to residents’ questions. “If there’s 600 parks in Maine, 200 of them, roughly, have owners that are, I think, are taking advantage of their residents. The other 400 are great.”

Many mobile home residents said they’re relieved to have the moratorium, which gives them time to find a solution that works for Oakland. Cindy Lojas-Flagg, a resident of Kennebec Trailer Park, where rent is $600, said she hopes she can be a voice in that time.

“It’s taken us time, but we did get to a moratorium, so hopefully, with a little bit of time, we can get them to be convinced,” Lojas-Flagg said “Old Orchard (Beach) has done it. Waterville did it.”

Kelly Pinney-Michaud, Oakland’s town manager, said the 90 days will give residents time to gather and determine their next steps. The council also recommended that a committee be formed to hear from park residents.

Pinney-Michaud said she asked the town’s code enforcement officer to start developing a mobile home park ordinance with rules for tenants and owners.

Lojas-Flagg submitted a sample ordinance to the council following the vote.

“All each of us want to do is live in an affordable place,” she said. “And be happy and healthy in our homes.”