Voters in Old Orchard Beach overwhelmingly approved a mobile home rent stabilization ordinance Tuesday. The vote was 3,989 for, or 71%, and 1,595 against, or 29%.

The voter-approved ordinance will ensure that lot rents for mobile home park residents can only increase 5 percent annually, barring special circumstances.

Residents of Old Orchard Beach mobile home parks typically own their homes and rent the land the home sits on.

In February of this year, residents of Atlantic Village and Old Orchard Village learned that the longtime owner – Seagate Limited Partnership – was selling the properties to California-based Follett USA.

In an effort to keep rents low, residents attempted to purchase the parks. When their efforts failed, they began studying rent control.

Val Philbrick, an Old Orchard Village resident, worked to advance a petition that would create the ordinance. In September, the petition finally collected enough signatures to be presented to the city council.

Follett USA, owner of two mobile home parks in Old Orchard Beach, lobbied against the ballot question.

Last week, the company held a meeting in town to urge voters to reject rent caps for financial reasons.

The company said passing the referendum would “significantly increase the cost of affordable housing in Old Orchard Beach.”

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