Home & Money / Home records
Start with the home type and the land. Those two facts organize the checks that follow.
The home papers and land papers do different jobs. Once you know the home type and who owns the lot, the titles, decals, park terms, permits, taxes, insurance, and storm records fall into place.
One ordinary example
Suppose the buyer owns the double-wide but will rent the lot. Start by matching both sides of the home to their HUD labels, VINs, and titles or recorded retirement papers. Because the buyer does not own the land, the annual MH decal generally applies instead of the RP decal used for real-property treatment. The lot agreement still has its own rules, rent, fees, utilities, and flood disclosure.
If the park has 26 or more lots, add the prospectus to the land file. Those papers do not settle the setup, tie-downs, additions, roof, insurance, or local permits. Check the inspection and site records before closing.
Four first checks
Start with the build date and manufacturer. Then match the model, vehicle identification number for each section, HUD certification labels, and data plate. A modular home follows a different code and permit path, so the listing name cannot settle the classification.
Read the deed and any lot agreement to see who owns the land. Owning the home and owning the land are separate facts, and that split changes the taxes, decals, title-retirement options, park rules, financing, and closing.
A multi-section home can have more than one title. An RP decal and a retired title are not the same record. Match every title or retirement document, lien release, VIN, decal, and land record before money moves.
Match the site work to a licensed installer, an installation decal, and the local permit file. The file should cover the foundation, tie-downs, inspections, utilities, and any park or association approval. A factory label does not prove the site work.
Choose the right arrangement
When the same owner has the home and land, Florida Revenue treats a permanently affixed mobile home as real property and uses an RP decal. That does not automatically retire an active title. Start with the property appraiser and FLHSMV title record, then compare the tax collector, clerk, and deed.
The home title and lot agreement remain separate. The annual MH decal generally applies because the home owner does not own the land. In a mobile home park, Chapter 723 may add a prospectus, separate flood disclosure, park rules, fees, notices, and a dispute process. Read the home sale and lot papers before adding up the monthly cost.
Renting both the home and lot is not automatically the same Chapter 723 relationship as owning the home and renting only the lot. Read the lease to identify the legal owner, park setup, and law named in any notice. Keep rent, repairs, utilities, deposits, and park rules in separate files.
Use a different checklist if the home is modular, a park model, or a recreational vehicle. A Florida modular building usually points to state building approval and a local permit file. Other types can have different title, zoning, use, and occupancy rules, so confirm the classification with the agency and local office that keep the records.
The complete file
Buying one
FAQ
People often use the words together. HUD says homes built to the federal manufactured-home standards after June 15, 1976 carry a certification label on each transportable section. Florida forms still use mobile home in many title and registration records. Use the build date, labels, and records, not the nickname.
No. A modular home generally follows Florida Building Code approval and the local permit file. A manufactured home uses HUD-label, title, decal, installer, and site records. The two can look similar, so confirm the classification before using either checklist.
No. The RP decal is part of the real-property tax classification. Title retirement is a separate FLHSMV and clerk-record process with its own eligibility and documents. Check both records.
Count the sections first. Match the HUD label, VIN or serial number, title or retirement record, lien release, and decal information for every section. One clean title does not settle a missing second or third section.
It explains how the park operates and what comes with the lot relationship. In a park with 26 or more lots, the owner generally must file a prospectus and give the resident an approved copy before the lot rental agreement can be enforced. Separately, a mobile home park owner must provide a flood disclosure before the lot agreement is signed or at occupancy, whichever comes first. Read both with the park rules and fee list.
FLHSMV says mobile and manufactured home installations must be performed by a licensed mobile home installer. The local building office still handles the site permit and inspections that apply at the address.
Start with the county tax collector or license plate office for active titles and decals. The property appraiser handles tax classification. The clerk keeps recorded title-retirement and land papers, while the local building office handles permits and setup. Before a sale, you may also need a title or real-estate professional.
Next steps
These guides cover the address, sale, local records, and storm side of the home.
Purchase
Use the broader address, contract, inspection, insurance, title, and closing checks around these home-specific records.
Open buying guide ->Sale
Gather the ownership, condition, disclosure, payoff, association, and closing records before the buyer asks for them.
Open selling guide ->Local records
Find the city or county office for setup, additions, utilities, inspections, zoning, and open record questions.
Open local records ->Storm planning
Separate insurance coverage, flood maps, county evacuation instructions, tie-downs, and current storm notices.
Open risk guide ->Official checks
HUD controls the federal construction label. FLHSMV handles titles, decals, installers, and setup standards, while Florida Revenue explains the tax treatment. The clerk, property appraiser, tax collector, DBPR, and local building office keep the rest of the record.
Last reviewed: July 22, 2026
Use this carefully: Before money moves, match the label, title, deed or lot agreement, agency records, and local permit file. Use qualified Florida help when a sale, move, installation, loan, or title retirement does not line up. Park law depends on who owns the home and what is being rented.
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