The Compliance Rules
Behind Every Bill
Every bill Sentinel generates is validated against California's Mobilehome Residency Law. Here are the 8 rules we check — each tied to a specific statute.
For the full regulatory breakdown of each rule, see our compliance guide.
Meter Readings on Bill
Residents can verify every charge themselves — which eliminates disputes before they reach your office.
CARE Discount Passthrough
Eligible residents receive the full utility discount, removing a common source of complaints and attorney-fee litigation.
FERA Discount Passthrough
Families between 200–250% of federal poverty guidelines get the full electric discount — catching a gap that often slips through when only CARE is tracked.
Cal. Civ. Code § 798.43.1(c)No Markup Above Utility Rates
CriticalThe single biggest source of MRL litigation. Every charge is capped at the serving utility's published tariff.
Cal. Civ. Code § 798.40(a)Separate Itemization
Electric, gas, water, and sewer appear as distinct line items — making disputes quick to resolve and rate parity simple to demonstrate.
Cal. Civ. Code § 798.41(a)Billing Agent Disclosure
When Sentinel generates bills on behalf of management, the agency relationship is disclosed on every bill. No hidden third-party surprises.
Cal. Civ. Code § 798.40(b)Common Area Metering Disclosure
Clubhouse, pool, and lighting consumption is transparently disclosed — or clearly excluded from resident bills.
Cal. Civ. Code § 798.43Rate Schedule Reference
Every line item cites the certified rate schedule used, so any charge can be independently verified in seconds.
Internal audit standardWant the rule-by-rule deep dive with statute citations and compliant vs. non-compliant bill examples? Read the 8 MRL rules in detail →
The Compliance Landscape
California's manufactured housing utility billing regulations are among the most detailed in the country. The Mobilehome Residency Law (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 798–799.11) establishes specific requirements for how utility charges are calculated, disclosed, and billed to residents.
Violations carry real consequences. Cal. Civ. Code § 798.86 provides for attorney fees to the prevailing party in MRL enforcement actions — creating a financial incentive for litigation. Overbilling, even unintentionally, can become a liability event.
Sentinel doesn't make compliance an afterthought. Every bill is checked before it's issued, with the result documented and traceable.
One Charge, Complete Provenance
Electric usage charge: $47.82
Rate schedule: SCE DMS-2, effective 2026-01-01
Source: SCE Tariff Book, Schedule DMS-2 (PDF, SHA-256 verified)
Source document: SCE Tariff Book, Schedule DMS-2 (PDF, SHA-256: a3f8...c912, archived 2025-12-15)
Extraction confidence: 0.94 (auto-certified)
Meter reading: 487 kWh (Space 101, read 2026-03-15)
Baseline allocation: Zone 10, Summer, All-Electric
CARE discount applied: -$14.35
Compliance: 8/8 rules passed
Let's Talk About Your Properties
We work with California manufactured housing operators who want compliance they can see and billing they don't have to manage.
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