Summary

The County of Santa Cruz has amended the County Code (effective 3/15/24) to update regulations concerning mobile and manufactured homes in mobile home parks. The new regulations affect the process for submitting and approving the Mobile Home Certifications required to install replacement mobile homes.

What has Changed?

Previously, Mobile Home Certifications were based on coach size. If the replacement mobile home was more than 120 percent of the size of the existing mobile home, then current parking standards had to be met.

Now, Mobile Home Certifications are based on the number of bedrooms. If the number of bedrooms in the new coach is greater than the number of bedrooms in the existing coach, then current parking standards must be met. For this reason, applications for mobile home certifications must now include the floor plan of the existing coach, along with a floor plan of the replacement coach. If the manufacturer’s floor plan for the existing coach is unavailable, the applicant must draft a floor plan before the existing coach is removed. 

What are the Parking Standards?

Parking standards for mobile homes are now as follows:

1 bedroom:        1 parking space

2-3 bedrooms:  2 parking spaces

4+ bedrooms:    3 parking spaces

The following rules for parking spaces in mobile home parks remain unchanged: one off-street parking space may be a compact space (7.5’ by 16’), three cars may park in tandem, and one space may overhang a landscaped area.

What is Considered to be a "Bedroom"?

A bedroom is any space in the conditioned (heated) area of a dwelling unit which is 70 square feet and greater in size and which is an exterior room.  Every such room in a mobile home or other dwelling unit is a bedroom except the following (13.10.700-B): 

1. Hall
2. Bathroom
3. Kitchen
4. Living room (maximum of one per dwelling unit; may have a closet)
5. Dining room (opening off the kitchen or living room, maximum one per dwelling unit)
6. Family room (opening off the kitchen or living room, maximum one per dwelling unit) 
7. Breakfast nook (opening off the kitchen, maximum of one per dwelling unit)
8. Laundry room

“Office,” “pantry” and “storage” are not accepted room designations in the heated area of the unit for an exterior room of 70 sq.ft. or greater.

Application Process

Step One: Prepare your application. Use Mobile & Manufactured Home Parking Certification - PLG165.  

• The form contains the full application requirements to be submitted together with the form. 
• Please download, fill out, and email the digital form as County staff needs to fill out the staff portion of the form. Avoid printing and scanning the form.
• Note: when filling out the form, the “applicant” is the usually the mobile home vendor submitting the application, not the space owner.

Step Two: Submit the application by email. Applicants must send completed applications with attachments (also in pdf format) to the Zoning inquiries address, Planning.ZoningInfo@santacruzcountyca.gov.