Park Homes and Static Caravans – Some FAQS

Here some frequently asked questions on the subject of park homes plus static caravans.

• Can I let out my static caravan when I’m not using it?

Yes – at least in principle. Make sure though that you have checked with the site owner and their conditions. You’ll also typically need to notify your insurance provider and follow their advice. A specialist such as Cover4Caravans will be able to advise further.

• Can I do the same for a park home?

This might be much trickier.

Typically, the site regulations might prohibit this. It may also be a rather larger challenge for your property insurance provider though that might typically be rather more straightforward to deal with than the site owner’s objections.

Note also that the local council may well prohibit rental use of the site concerned.

• Why has the site owner the right to take 10% of the eventual sale price of my park home?

Essentially because you give them that right when you sign your site/pitch agreement at the time you purchase your park home.

There are many different explanations as to why this condition arose and you may or may not accept them. What’s important though is that it exists and you’ll either need to live with it and budget accordingly or decide not to purchase a park home.

• Are children allowed on park home sites?

To be certain of the answer, you’ll need to consult your pitch agreement. It might be relatively unusual to find children are entirely banned from a site but some may not permit them to stay overnight or for more than a specified number of nights duration.

This is to protect the peace and tranquillity of other owners on the site.

• Are my rights restricted in terms of the disposal of my park home property in my will?

This is a very complicated area and you may wish to consult a qualified legal advisor.

In principle, you may leave your property as an inheritance to your next of kin. They may have the legal right to live in it but any sale may be restricted by similar conditions that might apply should you be selling it. Leaving it to parties or institutions you are not related to may be an issue. The intention of these legal conditions relates to attempting to protect the character of the site and to avoid property speculation by commercial concerns etc.

• Is a park home a caravan?

This is a sometimes trickier question that it might appear!

For taxation and other legal purposes, a park home is typically regarded as a caravan or more correctly, a mobile dwelling place. In terms of insurance though, there is a very significant difference between a static caravan and a park home. Typically you can’t live permanently in a static caravan without invalidating your static caravan insurance. Static policies also don’t apply to a park home.

• Why can’t I choose my own electricity provider?

In fact, in some cases you might be able to but many sites will have a single provider agreement that is handled through the site owners.  This may be more convenient in a practical sense but note that the site owner should not be making a profit on the charges they pass on to park home owners.

Hopefully these questions and answers have given you some knowledge on the subject of park and static homes.

 

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Category: Travel