AB 806 and California Park Managers: What You Must Know Before Summer Heat Hits

Summer is here, and so is one of the most significant resident-protection laws California park managers have faced in years. Assembly Bill 806, effective January 1, 2026, fundamentally changes how mobilehome parks must handle resident cooling systems — and the penalties for getting it wrong are steep. If your park's rules, rental agreements, or daily management practices still reflect pre-2026 thinking, you have a compliance gap that needs to close before the next heat wave rolls through.

I have spent nearly 30 years inside California's manufactured housing industry as an HCD-licensed instructor and CDEI-credentialed educator through ARELLO. I'll tell you plainly: AB 806 is not a "nice to know" law. It is a "comply now or pay later" law, and the residents who matter most — your elderly homeowners, your families with young children, your fixed-income tenants — are exactly the ones who will exercise these new rights first.

What AB 806 Actually Requires

AB 806 makes any covenant, restriction, or condition in a rental agreement, park rule, or other instrument that effectively prohibits or restricts a resident's right to install, upgrade, replace, or use a cooling system void and unenforceable. In plain English: if your park rules say residents need management approval to add a window AC unit, that rule is dead. If your rental agreement charges a fee for a heat-pump upgrade, that fee is dead. If your park has been quietly telling residents that swamp coolers, mini-splits, or portable units violate aesthetic standards, that policy is dead.

Management is also prohibited from charging any fee in connection with the installation, upgrade, replacement, or use of a cooling system. Termination of tenancy for cooling-system reasons is off the table. And willful violations expose the park to actual damages plus civil penalties of up to $2,000 per violation.

That last point deserves emphasis. "Per violation" means per resident, per incident — not a one-time fine. A park that consistently denies cooling upgrades to a row of homes can rack up penalties quickly.

The Rule Update Every Park Needs Now

If you have not already updated your park rules and regulations, this is your first compliance task. HCD requires that any rule change be properly noticed to residents under the Mobilehome Residency Law, and most park rules referencing "exterior modifications," "alterations," or "approved appliances" need to be reviewed line by line.

Specifically, check your park's documents for any language that:

• Requires written approval before a resident installs a cooling system

• Imposes a fee, deposit, or surcharge tied to cooling-system installation or use

• Limits the type, brand, or size of cooling equipment a resident may use

• Treats cooling-system changes as grounds for warning, fine, or notice of termination

• Restricts cooling-system installation based on aesthetic, architectural, or community-standard concerns

Each one of those is now an exposure point. The fix is simple: remove the restrictive language, redistribute updated rules to residents with proper notice, and document the change for your park's compliance file.

What Park Managers Can Still Regulate

AB 806 is not a free-for-all. The law protects cooling-system rights — it does not eliminate legitimate health, safety, and structural standards under Title 25. Park managers can still require that:

• Installations comply with the California Building Code and Title 25 requirements

• Electrical work is performed by licensed contractors when code requires it

• Equipment is installed safely and does not create a hazard for neighboring homes

• Drainage from cooling units does not damage park property or violate health code

The distinction matters. You cannot ban cooling. You can enforce reasonable safety and code-compliance standards that apply equally to all residents. Document your standards, apply them consistently, and you stay on the right side of the law.

How This Fits With Your HCD Park Manager Certification

AB 806 is exactly the kind of fast-moving regulatory change that the HCD Park Manager Training Program (PMTP) was built to keep managers ahead of. Under California Code of Regulations, Title 25, and Health and Safety Code Section 18876.1, at least one certified manager is required for every California mobilehome and RV park. Certified managers complete continuing education every two years specifically so changes like AB 806 do not become compliance surprises.

If your park is operating without a certified manager, or your current manager is overdue on renewal, you are stacking risk. A park caught violating AB 806 and operating without a certified manager faces compounding consequences — including the possibility of HCD suspending the park's permit to operate.

Get Certified, Stay Current, Protect Your Park

The Park Manager Training Program (PMTP) at https://themhtrainer.com/park-manager-training-program is an HCD-approved course built specifically for California park managers, owners, and on-site staff. The training covers Title 25, the Mobilehome Residency Law, resident rights including new 2026 protections like AB 806, habitability standards, and the day-to-day operational decisions that keep your park compliant and your residents safe.

The course is taught by me — Yvette Hitchens, an HCD-licensed instructor with the CDEI credential from ARELLO and almost three decades inside California manufactured housing. You get the certification HCD requires, the continuing education you need to stay current with new laws, and the practical guidance that turns regulatory text into operational confidence.

Heat season is here. The legislature has spoken on cooling rights. Your residents will assert those rights, and your job is to handle each request correctly the first time. Get your team trained, get your rules updated, and get ahead of the next compliance change before it lands.

If you have questions about AB 806, your park's current compliance posture, or PMTP enrollment, reach out at themhtrainer.com. I'm here to help California park managers run safer, smarter, and fully compliant communities.

Yvette Hitchens is the founder of The MH Trainer™ and lead instructor for the Park Manager Training Program. She is an HCD-licensed instructor and holds the Certified Distance Education Instructor (CDEI) credential from ARELLO.