Brunswick study finds steep fees, rent anxiety at Bay Bridge Estates

A Brunswick study presented March 2, 2026 found that residents of three mobile home parks are facing steep lot rents, mounting fees and acute anxiety about being able to relocate, with Bay Bridge Estates singled out for “sticker shock” and the highest vacancy rate among town parks. The report lists the current price for a lot at Bay Bridge as $835 per month while other Brunswick parks list rents around $600.

The report was prepared by Core Market Advisors and LaRochelle Consulting after consultants conducted a fall survey that produced 204 responses representing three of Brunswick’s eight mobile home parks: Bay Bridge Estates, Maplewood Manor and Blueberry Fields Cooperative, the resident-owned park formerly known as Linnhaven Mobile Home Center. The completed study was presented to the Brunswick Town Council on March 2, 2026.

“The study … found that residents of three Brunswick mobile home parks are experiencing acute affordability stress driven by recurring rent increases and a proliferation of fees that compound housing costs,” the consultants wrote. The report documents fee practices residents report encountering, including charges for additional adults or long-term guests and fees imposed when children in the home turn 18. “Residents reported being hit by fees for having additional adults or long‑term guests living with them, including being charged for children in the home as soon as they turn 18,” the findings state, and consultants flagged high utility fees as a compounding cost.

High utility charges at Bay Bridge Estates were linked in the report to long-standing well problems; the park was recently brought onto town water following frequent water supply issues with the park’s well system. “Bay Bridge Estates in Brunswick, pictured in December after a water outage,” photo credit Daryn Slover/Staff Photographer.

Town Hall funded the study in response: the Town Council appropriated $32,000 for the work in September, and in November the council passed a 180-day moratorium on raising rents to allow time for the town to complete the study and consider possible protections for residents. The moratorium window is intended to give councilors and staff time to weigh policy options while the consultant findings are digested.

The survey returns show a striking barrier to mobility: “Between 49% and 65% of respondents to the survey said they can’t afford the high cost of moving.” Consultants also found rent disparities at Bay Bridge between new and established residents, though the report does not provide dollar-by-dollar breakdowns of those differences. The study concluded that mobile homes in Brunswick are generally priced within market range but that compounding fees place unique financial pressure on park residents.

The study’s coverage is limited to three of the town’s eight parks and does not include per-park response counts, numeric vacancy rates, or an itemized schedule of fees and their amounts. Town Council members now have the 180-day moratorium period to consider tenant protections, and the report highlights the need for additional data: per-park response breakdowns, documented fee schedules, and vacancy figures will be critical to shaping any local policy or ordinance changes.