The glossary

The words you'll hear from the office, a lender, or an installer, in plain English.

Living in a community

55+ community: A community that qualifies as housing for older persons under the federal Fair Housing Act. One way to qualify requires at least 80 percent of occupied homes to have at least one resident 55 or older (42 U.S.C. 3607(b)(2)(C), under the Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995; checked September 2026). See HUD Fair Housing.
All-age community: A community open to residents of any age, including families with children.
Community manager: The person or company that runs the community day to day: enforcing rules, keeping up shared areas, collecting rent, and answering residents.
Community rules: The written rules for residents: parking, pets, noise, home and lot upkeep, and changes you need approval for. Breaking them can lead to fines or, in serious cases, the end of a lease. See how to read the rules and your lease.
Community-owned home: A home owned by the community and rented to a resident. One monthly payment covers the home and the lot. You build no equity, and changes to the home usually need approval.
Lot rent: The monthly fee you pay a community for the land your home sits on. It usually funds roads, lighting, and shared areas. What it includes varies. See what lot rent covers.
Resident-owned home: A home the resident owns while renting the lot. You pay lot rent to the community and any loan payment on the home. You handle the home's upkeep.
Space rent (site rent): Other names for lot rent.
Submetering: When the community reads a meter at your home and bills you for your own water, sewer, or other utility use, instead of the utility company billing you directly.

The home itself

Axles and wheels (running gear): The axles and wheels used to move a home section. Depending on local rules, they may be removed after setup.
Crossover duct: In a multi-section home, the duct under the floor that carries heating and cooling air from one section to the other.
Data plate: A paper label inside a manufactured home, often in a kitchen cabinet, a bedroom closet, or near the electrical panel. It lists the manufacturer, serial number, date made, and the wind and roof load zones the home was built for.
Heat tape (heat cable): An electric cable that runs along a water line and warms it so it doesn't freeze. See winterizing.
HUD code: The federal construction and safety standards for manufactured homes, run by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The standards are in 24 CFR Part 3280.
HUD label (red tag): A red metal label on the outside of each section of a manufactured home, showing it was built to the HUD code.
Manufactured home: A home built in a factory to the federal HUD code, which took effect June 15, 1976, and moved to its site in one or more sections. See manufactured vs. mobile vs. modular.
Mobile home: The everyday word for a factory-built home. Technically it means one built before the HUD code in 1976. Many people and some states use it for manufactured homes too.
Modular home: A factory-built home made to state and local building codes, the same as site-built houses, and set on a permanent foundation. Usually financed and appraised like a site-built house.
Pad (home site): The prepared ground or slab the home sits on. It should be level, stable, and graded so water drains away.
Piers: The supports under the home's frame, often stacked concrete blocks or steel stands. When they settle, the home can go out of level. See signs your home needs releveling.
Skirting: Panels of vinyl, metal, or other material that enclose the space between the bottom of the home and the ground. It keeps wind off the pipes and animals out. See skirting care.
Tie-downs (anchoring): Steel straps and ground anchors that hold a manufactured home in place against wind. Installation is covered by federal standards in 24 CFR Part 3285 and by state rules. See tie-downs and anchoring.
Tongue (hitch): The towing attachment at the front of a home section used when it's moved. It's often removed after setup. Check local rules first.
Transport and setup: Moving a home to a site and installing it: permits, transport, site prep, leveling, anchoring, utility hookups, skirting, and inspections. Use licensed, insured installers.
Underbelly (bottom board): The fabric or board under the floor that holds the insulation in place and protects it from moisture and animals.
Vapor barrier: Plastic sheeting laid on the ground under the home to keep ground moisture away from the floor and insulation.

Buying, selling, and money

Actual cash value vs. replacement cost: Two ways an insurance policy can pay a claim. Replacement cost pays what it takes to repair or replace. Actual cash value subtracts depreciation. See insurance.
Bill of sale: A written record of a sale, with the buyer, seller, price, date, and the home's serial number.
Chattel loan: A loan for a home as personal property, without land. It's the usual way to finance a home on a rented lot. Terms often differ from a traditional mortgage, so compare offers. See how financing works.
Title: The legal record of who owns the home. In most states, a home on a rented lot is titled through the same agency as vehicles.

Definitions are general. States, lenders, and communities sometimes use these words differently. Check with them when it matters.