Bozeman Mobile Home Rent Strike Escalates Amid Sale and Service Failures

On May 1, 2026, residents of Mountain Meadows and King Arthur parks in Bozeman received a $947 lot-rent bill, an 11 % rise. Through Bozeman Tenants United, several households began withholding rent, refusing more than $50,000 each month.

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Oakland Properties owned the parks for decades before announcing a sale to an undisclosed buyer in 2026. Mobile-home parks, once affordable housing, have seen a 45 % cost rise over ten years, with one-third of residents nationwide below the poverty line.

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Residents include 35-year-old Benjamin Moore, a tenant since age 17, and Shauna Thompson. Landlord Gary Oakland represents the seller. Tenants pay $947 lot rent plus trailer loans, insurance and utilities, above the national average for mobile-home lot fees.

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Residents report water shutoffs and unreliable electricity; Moore says he cannot recall three straight months of water or power in 20 years. Thompson describes the water as “atrocious…like a Milky Way, like you’re drinking skim milk.” They have rationed medication and canceled Life Alert services to afford rent.

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Gary Oakland said the sale will close soon and called the rent increase part of the deal. He dismissed utility complaints as “nonsense,” arguing that home prices contradict claims of poor conditions. Oakland labeled the strike “just a group of people not paying their rent” and announced plans to evict participants.

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Tenants claim the landlord neglects maintenance, issues eviction notices, and threatens them for repairs. They say the rent hike forces a choice between utilities and shelter. Bozeman Tenants United, joining a national mobile-home tenant movement, demands rent freezes, maintenance guarantees, and tenure security.

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Oakland says utilities are adequate, calling resident complaints “nonsense.” Tenants provide multiple accounts of water shutoffs and power outages, creating a direct factual conflict. The buyer’s identity remains undisclosed, leaving future ownership uncertain.

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The dispute shows how low-income mobile-home residents face heightened risk when parks shift to private-equity ownership and rent spikes. Potential evictions could deepen housing insecurity in Bozeman’s growing market and set a precedent for similar communities.

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The sale is slated to close soon. Oakland plans evictions, while tenants have retained a lawyer to contest the actions. The outcome will determine whether the strike secures maintenance improvements and stops further rent hikes.

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• “I cannot recall a time in the past 20 years where we had three straight months of water and power working all day, every day,” — Benjamin Moore, resident

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• “like a Milky Way, like you’re drinking skim milk.” — Shauna Thompson, resident

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• “If it was such a bad place to live, why would the homes be selling for such high dollars?” — Gary Oakland, park owner

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• “just a group of people not paying their rent.” — Gary Oakland, park owner

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