Resources

Model TOPo Statutes

Typically, opportunity to purchase laws have mostly been for Manufactured/Mobile Home Communities only. Washington, D.C. has the most robust OTP policy in the country, named the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA). D.C. is one of the few areas which have applied OTP laws to other types of housing.

The cities of Berkeley, Oakland and Richmond California are currently exploring passing OTP ordinances based on DC’s TOPA policy. San Francisco has a policy they call the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA) in which qualified non-profits have the right of first offer, and/or the right of first refusal to purchase certain properties up for sale in the city. Seattle and Burien have passed ordinances requiring property owners renting low income housing to give tenants a notice of sale 90 days prior to the building being listed and also includes OTP options. The city of Tumwater has a Manufactured home park zone district code in which land can be zoned to be used only for MHPs, so even if a developer buys the property, it cannot be redeveloped for anything other than a MHP.