Expert FAQ Directory

Following the passage of the Mobile Homes (Pitch Fees) Act 2023, all pitch fee adjustments on residential parks across England and Wales are legally tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Site owners are legally forbidden from applying an increase higher than the prevailing CPI rate.

When a residential park home is sold, the park owner is legally entitled to a commission of up to 10% of the final sales value. Under standard legal procedures, the buyer pays 90% of the total purchase price directly to the seller, and retains the remaining 10% to pay directly to the park operator.

Almost all fully residential UK park homes fall into Council Tax Band A, ensuring low fixed domestic running outgoings. Residents are also fully eligible to claim the standard 25% single-person discount if they live alone.

No. Traditional mortgages require Land Registry titles. Because park home owners purchase the physical chattel structure but lease the underlying ground via a pitch agreement, you cannot secure a traditional mortgage and must utilize specialist park home finance loans instead.

No. Residential park home owners enjoy strict security of tenure under the Mobile Homes Act. A park owner cannot simply hand you a notice to leave; they can only terminate an agreement by applying for and winning an order from a County Court based on specific breaches or site rules.

If a family member was living with the deceased resident at the time of death, they automatically inherit the legal pitch agreement rights. If inherited by a non-resident beneficiary, they cannot move in without site approval, but they have full rights to sell the home on the open market.

Yes. You can legally transfer ownership of your park home and assign the pitch agreement to a member of your family. Crucially, **no 10% commission** is payable to the site owner on a genuine gift transfer to a relative.

Residential parks offer full, permanent security of tenure protected by the Mobile Homes Act. Holiday parks are strictly for seasonal recreational use, lack statutory protection against eviction, and **cannot** legally be used as your main or primary UK residence.

A Written Statement is the mandatory legal contract framework between the resident and site owner. It details the express and implied terms under the Mobile Homes Act, including pitch fee review dates, responsibilities, and site boundary lines.

No. Under OFGEM maximum resale rules, park operators are strictly prohibited from making a profit on reselling mains utility supplies like electricity, water, or mains gas. They must pass on the direct wholesale cost per unit plus a fair share of any standing charges.

Absolutely not. While a site owner holds a legal right to access the outer pitch environment for emergency repairs, maintenance, or meter readings with reasonable notice, they have no legal right to step inside your physical home structure without your express consent.

The site owner is legally responsible for ensuring the structural integrity of the concrete base (the hardstanding) and all common underground site infrastructure. The resident is solely responsible for maintaining the interior and exterior walls, roof, and chassis coating of their specific home unit.

No. Because park home purchases involve the physical mobile structural unit rather than the freehold land title, transactions do not get recorded at HM Land Registry. Instead, transfers are legalised using statutory government assignment forms (such as Form 1).

Yes, it is highly recommended. Standard structural home surveyors do not have the specialized equipment or training required for park homes. You should secure an inspection from a specialist park home surveyor to audit the steel chassis frame, supports, anchoring jacks, and under-floor insulation setup.

For any park rules to become legally enforceable, the park operator must carry out a statutory consultation process with all residents. Once finalized, the rules must be formally deposited with the local authority, which maintains a public, accessible register of active park rules.

No. If a park updates its rules to limit or completely ban pets, those rules can only apply moving forward to incoming buyers. They cannot be applied retroactively to evict or force out animals belonging to existing residents who settled under older rules.

Yes, they are completely legal under UK law. Parks that establish themselves as retirement or semi-retirement communities can enforce strict age restrictions (such as 50+ or 55+), provided these conditions are formally embedded within their deposited site rules.

No. Because park homes are classified technically as mobile structures/caravans, they are entirely exempt from standard UK domestic EPC mandates during construction, rental management, or private sales transfers.

Generally, no. Standard statutory implied terms restrict using the home or pitch for explicit commercial business operations. However, quiet remote working or digital office work that doesn't cause traffic, customer visits, or storage issues is perfectly acceptable.

If a park resident and a site operator fail to agree on a proposed annual pitch fee review, neither party can take matters into their own hands. The dispute must be formalised and evaluated by the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) in England or the Residential Property Tribunal in Wales.