Frequently Asked Questions for Mobile Homes

Q.  If I am an owner of a mobile home can I qualify for Homestead Exemption?

A.  If you have title to a permanently affixed mobile home and the land on which it is located, you must make application to the Property Appraiser’s Office for a Real Property (RP) decal.  The decal is then purchased at Tax Collector’s Office. The mobile home and land will be assessed as real property.  Homestead Exemption may be granted if the mobile home meets those requirements and you qualify for the exemption.

Q.  Who determines the classification of the mobile home as real property?

A.  The legislature has required the property appraiser to list mobile homes as real property based on the ownership of the land and the mobile home and whether it is tied down and connected to utilities. When you first purchased the mobile home, you should have been issued a decal that expired December 31 of that year.

Q.  How will the mobile home be listed for tax purposes if a mobile home owner permanently affixes his or her mobile home to land he or she owns with another person?

A.  Generally, the property appraiser lists the mobile home as real property.  According to section 193.075, F.S., with multiple owners, if the owner(s) of a mobile home is also one of the owner(s) of the land, the property appraiser will list and assess the mobile home as “real property.”  Multiple owners can individually claim homestead exemption only on their proportionate share of the total value of the mobile home and land.

Q.  How do I purchase the Real Property (RP) decal?

A.  You need to go to the Property Appraiser’s Office and you would need the deed to the land and the Title or Registration(s) to the mobile home.  The staff will complete a DR-402 form which declares the mobile home to be real property. The DR-402 form should be taken to the Tax Collector’s Office, where you may purchase a Real Property (RP) decal. The decal is valid for as long as you own both the mobile home and the land on which it resides.

Q.  How often do you purchase a Real Property (RP) decal?

A.  Only one time. If the mobile home is already on the land when you purchase it, the previous owner may have already purchased a Real Property (RP) decal. If so, you do not have to purchase new ones, unless the sticker is not visible on the mobile home.

Q. Is a mobile home with a current annual state decal excluded from a Real Property Tax Assessment?

A.  In part, yes it is. The annual state decal only excludes the mobile home itself. It doesn’t exclude any other attachments/improvements to the property or the mobile home (i.e., well, septic tank, carports).

Q.  If my mobile home has been assessed as real property because I have been delinquent in purchasing an annual state decal, how do I get the mobile home portion taken off the Tax Roll?

A.  You must show proof that you have brought your decals up to date and that you as the mobile home owner don’t own the land. Once proof of ownership has been provided and the state decals are current, the mobile home portion of the assessment will be deleted from the tax roll.

Q.  I purchased a mobile home in another county, moved it onto my property here. The mobile home already had a Real Property decal. Do I still need to apply for my own RP decal?

A.  Yes.  Any time you move a mobile home off the original property you must apply for a new decal. 

Q.  If I didn’t receive a title or registration when I purchased my mobile home, will I be able to purchase a Real Property decal?

A.  No. Title needs to be transferred to the owner of the land before an RP decal can be issued.  Contact the Tax Collector’s Office for more information.