Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has signed into law HB 2849, legislation that places new restrictions on how mobile home park owners can charge tenants for utility services.

The bill, which becomes effective January 1, 2026, amends the Mobile Home Landlord and Tenant Rights Act to prevent park owners from unfairly passing on common area utility costs to individual tenants.

Under the new statute, mobile home park owners are explicitly prohibited from requiring tenants to pay for utility services—such as water, sewer, and trash—that are used in common areas where a public utility company is charging for those services. This prevents residents from being billed for utilities consumed in clubhouses, office buildings, landscaping, or other shared spaces.

The legislation also addresses situations where common area utility usage is not separately metered. In such cases, park owners may not charge tenants for more than 80 percent of the public utility services for which the park owner was billed. This 80 percent cap ensures that park owners bear at least 20 percent of utility costs when they cannot provide separate metering for common areas.

To ensure accountability, HB 2849 mandates that park owners provide tenants with a written explanation annually detailing how their share of utility charges was calculated. Additionally, upon request from a tenant, park owners must provide copies of the park’s monthly utility bills for any utility charge separately billed under the Act.

The new law addresses concerns from mobile home park residents who have faced unclear or unfair utility billing practices. By establishing clear limits and requiring transparency, the legislation aims to protect some of Illinois’ most vulnerable tenants from potentially exploitative billing arrangements.

The law does not prohibit park owners from charging tenants for utilities consumed within their individual mobile homes, but it creates safeguards against cost-shifting for shared spaces and facilities.