Panel Urges Revised Guidelines for Mobile Homes

A government commission is recommending sweeping changes in regulations governing the mobile home industry, including extensive warranties to ensure safer and more durable homes.

The National Commission on Manufactured Housing said Monday that it sent a 195-page report to Congress that also suggests streamlining the building code process and updating outmoded requirements.

The recommendations include a five-year warranty against structural problems, including those resulting from faulty installation or transportation of the homes.

They would also require a one-year warranty for all defects, including those caused by rain or snow leaks.

Currently, the commission report says, most manufacturers’ warranties do not cover installation. Most retailers offer no warranty at all, it says, even though installation problems are the most frequent source of complaints involving mobile homes.

The commission said about one of every four new single-family homes sold today is a mobile home.