There is no homeowners association or dock association governing Sausalito's floating home communities. Instead, each floating home owner holds a slip lease — a leasehold interest with the marina that owns and manages the berth. The slip lease sets the rules that determine how you can use your home, who can live there, what you can do to the outside of the structure, and how shared dock infrastructure is maintained and funded. Understanding your slip lease before you make an offer — not after — is one of the most important steps in any floating home purchase.
What the Slip Lease Typically Covers
The specifics vary significantly from dock to dock, but most Sausalito floating home slip leases address several common areas:
- Liveaboard requirements — many docks require that owners (or tenants) actually live aboard the home rather than using it as a secondary or vacation property
- Subletting rules — who can rent your home, for how long, and under what conditions, including tenant approval requirements
- Pet policies — size and number of pets permitted, and whether dogs must be kept on leash on dock walkways
- Exterior modifications — what changes you can make to the outside of the home, including decks, additions, exterior painting, and dock plantings
- Noise and gathering rules — quiet hours, guest policies, and rules about amplified music or deck parties
- Slip subletting — whether the slip can be sublet separately from the home, and to whom
What Varies Dock to Dock
The range of terms across Sausalito's floating home slip leases is wide. Some marinas keep rules minimal and rely largely on social norms developed over decades. Others have detailed lease terms that cover everything from the color you can paint your home to the maximum number of houseguests allowed in a given month.
Liveaboard requirements are one of the most significant variables. Some slip leases require year-round liveaboard occupancy as a condition of slip tenancy. This matters for buyers who plan to travel extensively or who want to maintain another residence. Violating a liveaboard requirement — if enforced — can result in slip termination, which effectively makes the home unsellable in that location.
Pet policies vary more than buyers expect. Some docks are extremely pet-friendly with no size restrictions. Others limit pets to one small dog or have outright bans on certain breeds. If your pet situation is non-negotiable, the dock's pet policy should be verified before you make an offer.
What to Get in Writing
The most important advice Paul and Roman give buyers regarding dock rules: get everything in writing and read it before you're under contract. Ask the seller to provide the complete current slip lease agreement and the current fee schedule, including any pending special assessments. Special assessments — one-time fees levied by the marina for major repairs or infrastructure improvements — can be significant and are sometimes not disclosed promptly in the listing process.
If you have any specific use case that the rules might affect — a plan to do extensive renovation, a home business, frequent extended travel, short-term rental income — ask about it explicitly before you're emotionally attached to a specific home.